Comments on: So I’m in New York, right

By: Chewing the fat and dishing the stats « Life in the Cakebox

Chewing the fat and dishing the stats « Life in the Cakebox — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:04:14 +0000

[...] diabetes in my forties. I would also like to know what its like to shop in a shop that isn’t Evans with its odd love of pregnancy bump giving sacks and jeans that grab the calf and billow around [...]

By: beakerella

beakerella — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:43:11 +0000

I loved this post Dude, it reminds me of my Mother and I who call shops for Fat ladies BFB’s (Bir Fat Bugger shops). We even have a little song we sing. I know I know that makes me sound a little crazed, but whatever floats your boat hey?!
Oh and FYI I’ve linked to it in my Blog
B x

By: Renee Oglesby

Renee Oglesby — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:31:54 +0000

I feel an intense need here to apologize on behalf of all America for your LB experience. I hope that you will not hold it against the country as a whole (though I would totally understand it if you did). However I was really excited to read about the digit request from a complete stranger (Go You!) and am now planning my NYC vacation accordingly.

As a former sales lady at Marcia’s Big Girl Fashions (I only wish I was kidding about the name) and a plus sized gal, I am flummoxed that any retail worker in any business would consider this customer service approach a. appropriate and b. potentially successful. The heck?

By: South American Slimmer

South American Slimmer — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:57:45 +0000

That was an example from real life, Wendy. Carlos el Gordo (the Fatty) is a friend of mine and always introduces himself that way, to differentiate himself from the many, many other men called Carlos. He is a tango DJ and uses El Gordo as his DJ alias. He is, indeed, tall and pretty fat.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:06:56 +0000

Carlos the Fatty. That is priceless and I don’t even know why.

By: South American Slimmer

South American Slimmer — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:17:10 +0000

Part of the problem down here in Buenos Aires is that clothes in trendy shops generally only come in three sizes: 1, 2 and 3. I usually wear size 1, but I have been known to need a 2 at times, and, as I said, I´m pretty petite now, having lost a lot of weight and changed my whole lifestyle. I would definitely have needed clothes bigger than the size 3 if I had come here a couple of years ago, when I was around 40lb heavier. There must be shops that cater to people who are not superskinny, but I don´t know where. I would guess that size 3, their largest size, is around a UK 12 or 14, US 8 to 10. I spotted a shop for men the other day which proudly proclaims in big letters that it has clothes for ‘Fatties’ and ‘Super Fatties’! As for the term ‘Fatty’, I think it´s often used affectionately, although most Argentine women I know find it hard to take. Many men, though, happily refer to themselves as ‘Gordo’ (Fatty) and even use it as a moniker (Hi, I´m Carlos, the Fatty). Also, the Argentines use el gordo/la gorda to refer to babies, where the usage is clearly affectionate.

By: Marla

Marla — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:31:43 +0000

Holy crap! Unbelievable. I am soooo glad the man asked for your number! I felt terrible that you had such a bad experience in the U.S.–really bad for our image you know– so that’s nice something balanced it out. I think I might move to NY too.

One of my worst experiences in a shop was the salesgirl discussing loudly how I should take the large size shirt because my boobs were so big. It may not sound very bad, but I was 12 at the time! I just wanted to sink into the floor. Horrifying.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:24:26 +0000

God, Latin American Slimmer, that is outrageous. Do you think there’s any possibility that the “fatty” comment could have been some dreadfully lame attempt at irony?

This whole thing has made me quite furious. I would be the first person to stand up and say “I’m fat and I have noone to blame but myself”, but that gives noone the right to jeer at me - and that’s what these people are doing. It’s jeering. It’s not objective help or anything positve. At best it’s insensitive stupidity.

I also acknowledge that many people have body shapes they’ve ended up with any are unhappy with due to circumstances beyond their control.

I would love to know - does this happen to other groups? Jonners and Cliff commented in an earlier entry about how people love to tell them how they should get some meat on their bones, etc. That must be annoying. I know I probably shouldn’t compare any of this to other issues - but does this happen to, say, smokers? Any smokers here been to buy gum and the assistant has said “phheeeew, ash-tray breath, why don’t you try a stronger gum” or similar?

Monkey - I would LOVE to see that letter.

By: Latin American Slimmer

Latin American Slimmer — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:37:53 +0000

After years of valiant weight-loss attempts I am now what I personally consider pretty thin (between 110 and 115lb on my 5-3 inch frame). Maintenance takes hard work, though, which is why I stay vigilant about what I eat and seek support from blogs like Diet Girl´s which had a link to this entry. However, the other day two shop assistants in one day told me I was fat. First of all when I tried to buy a cereal bar in a shop the woman assistant told me that I might be better off with the diet version (full of trans fats and artificial sweeteners) and called me “Fatty”, then, later, I decided to buy some trousers that I saw in a shop window. When I asked the shop assistant to help me locate them she said “I think you´ll need our largest size” (I didn´t!) By no objective measure am I fat, and even when I was it was, frankly, no one´s business but my own. However, the comments made me go home in tears.

By: non-workingmonkey

non-workingmonkey — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:34:25 +0000

I have written to Lane Bryant on your behalf. Wankers