Okay, I was hoping to avoid this because up until this writing it has been a one sided “fight” as Eileen Fisher has not commented (and I don’t suspect she will) but here’s the problem: I can see in my stats for this site what brings people here in the first place and a lot of people have come to affinityfashion.com as the result of my original post: Leave Eileen Fisher Alone and if I left the story there I would only be telling half of it . . .
So, for those of you who may not know: In a nutshell Rosie O’Donnell used to be a big fan of Eileen Fisher until she actually met the designer. According to Rosie (via her Sirius Radio Show):
She told Fisher about how much stress she’d felt trying to find clothing that flattered her figure and told her: “On behalf of every plus-sized woman in the world, I just want to thank you.” Rosie claims, Eileen Fisher replied that an association with plus-size clothing was “just not the image that we’re going for.”
And Rosie’s response via her Radio Show and Blog was to claim she has “broken up” with Fisher.
Rosie In A Fisher Jacket "Pre-Breakup" on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm
Now, again – I didn’t originally write about this because Fisher has had no comment and to be perfectly honest: I think it’s being a bit overblown. I have been in the plus size market for several years and as a result I hear various stories, opinions, etc. on the industry in general and the plus size market in particular and one of the opinions is that there is a stigma attached to “plus size only” brands and I mentioned this in the post I did about the Demise of Spencer Alexis. According to my sources Spencer Alexis branched out into the Missy and Petite Market because they didn’t want to be be pegged as “only a plus size brand” – well now they’re an out of business brand.
Now, as to whether or not the stigma attached to “plus size only brands” tends to be true or not: I can see both sides. As I’ve already written in the past here:
Maybe that’s true for like 5% of the women I know but for the other 95% – if it is attractive, if it is good quality and reasonably priced they won’t care if it’s “only a plus size” brand they will buy it.
And I still think that BUT, be honest – when you are wearing something and someone says: “Oh, I love your jacket! Who makes it?” What are you going to feel better saying:
A) Catherines (Who Only Does Plus Sizes) OR B) Caroline Rose (Who Does All Sizes)
And fashion is all about looking and feeling good.
Would plus size women continue to proudly exclaim they’re wearing Rachel Pally and paying in the neighborhood of $250 for a Rachel Pally Dress if she solely shifted to plus sizes and ceased making missy sizes? I’m sorry, but I don’t think so.
So while Eileen Fisher’s reply may not have been the most tactful reply in the world I really don’t have a problem with it. I can’t think of any designer who manufacturers for all markets (missy, plus & petite) who would tell you the plus size woman is the image they’re going for but they also wouldn’t tell you they were going for the petite (read: petite as in short not petite as in skinny minny) market either.
It is my hope that designers such as Anna Scholz will change the impression that a “plus size only brand” isn’t a brand women would be proud to wear and therefore can’t be seen as fashionable and/or fabulous but that day my friends, is not here yet I’m afraid.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I am a frequent visitor to your site (which is wonderful by the way, Thank You!) and didn’t know about any of this beyond your first article about it. I used to watch Rosie’s talk show and I liked it and her very much but over the years she’s become quite loud and grating in my opinion (and others I know). I don’t know what her goal was for making such a big deal of this because I agree with you: So Eileen Fisher isn’t “targeting the plus size market” So what? If she had such a problem with plus sizes wouldn’t she just not make plus sizes at all like almost every other designer? It isn’t like she bad mouthed larger woman like Lagerfeld did. As a plus size women I like to be able to wear what everyone else is wearing which to me means brands that produce in all sizes but if I see something I like at One Stop Plus I won’t not buy it because they only sell plus sizes on the site but you are right: I would feel better in an Eileen Fisher Cardigan or something Joan Vass as opposed to something I got at Avenue or something but that probably has less to do with the brand name and more with the quality and price.
I love Anna Scholz and from looking at her site and then at websites for all the stores in London that carry her brand (and others that we can’t get here), I just think there is a completely different mentality in Europe regarding “plus size”. Primarily that it is accepted and that the European fashion market is sooo much ahead of the US. And I think our US problem with obesity does have something to do with our fixation on all things superficial. I have been plus size for the past 6 years and have seen improvement during that time but do believe that the market is missing out alot by not recognizing the sheer desire of all women to look and feel good. It’s interesting to look at the places that carry Anna Scholz and although you can get it online in the U.S., there are hardly any places you can go to see it and feel it and try it on. 3 boutiques I think total in the US! The fact that Neiman’s has great plus sizes online but not in the stores is very depressing. I live in Dallas, a shopping mecca yet we do not have an upscale designer plus size boutique! (However, I hope to maybe someday open one….) It’s hard to know what was really said in the Fisher/Rosie conversation. Taking thinks about of context is always difficult.
Anyway, thanks for your website! It is great although I must admit it has caused me to probably spend more money than I should!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you Lois & Kristen for your comments they are MUCH appreciated and thank you for the kind words about the site!
Lois: You make a GREAT point that feeling better about wearing Eileen Fisher or Joan Vass most likely would have more to with quality and price than brand name . . .
As for Rosie I remember her from her long ago VH1 days and she has never been shy
And I also have to say part of what made Rosie’s talk show so successful was her passion. She was genuinely enthused to be hosting the show and talking to her guests and I can understand her being more than a bit crestfallen upon meeting her “fashion hero” only to be basically told: “I don’t design for people like you.” But the thing is all of her “heroes” who she claims to have fallen in love with after they met (eg. Jane Fonda) are ARTISTS – Eileen Fisher is a BUSINESS WOMAN. Artists have always had a freedom to be a bit more idealistic than the rest of us little folk 
Kirsten: You are SO RIGHT about Europe and as an extension of that: the UK. I believe Germany is supposed to be very good and Italy has Elena Miro and of course, Marina Rinaldi and the beauty of Marina Rinaldi is they don’t simply “size up” the MaxMara patterns and styles the Marina Rinaldi line is totally separate in terms of styles and patterns.
I think the whole online shopping thing is both a blessing and a curse: while it gives stores such as Neimans an excuse to not carry plus sizes in their retail stores it also allows them to have an insanely large selection. The same with Nordstrom – until a few years ago I never shopped at Nordstrom because the malls I frequented didn’t have one but once they did I went in and was shocked at the poor selection of plus sizes because I was used to their website which always had a very generous selection of plus sizes.
Good luck if you ever do decide to open your own shop – specialty plus size boutiques like Viva La Femme in Chicago, Lisa Todd in FL and Lee Lee’s Velise here in NY have done very well (I believe) and have even become destinations for tourists!
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well and thank you again, Ladies!
I am in one of those unfortunate situations where I simply do not have the money to spend on the most fashionable of clothing. I am learning gradually how to sew my own clothing and I am also an avid knitter and crocheter. Slowly, I am learning to make my own clothes, though I am far from being a designer.
When I purchase patterns, however, I tend to gravitate towards those which are designed by women first and foremost, and secondly by women who design exclusively plus sized garments. I have developed the impression and opinion over several years of being quite overweight myself that designers who work primarily with plus sized women have a better “handle” on our shape and what works best for us.
Nothing is worse for a woman my size than to have to go up three or four sizes because I’m very chesty and have wide hips. I like my clothes to fit me everywhere and so far, that has only worked for me when I’m dealing with either sewing (and fitting) my own clothes or when I purchase from plus-sized designers.
And unfortunately, Rebecca a lot of other women find themselves in your situation and have been in that situation long before the “economic crisis” hit but I’m glad you’re becoming skilled in creating your own clothing – I envy you that: I look at a sewing pattern and my head starts to spin!
Have you tried Burda patterns? I’ve heard a lot of good things about Burda and they can be purchased quite inexpensively on ebay. They’re based out of Germany and therefore their styles tend to be a little more fashion forward if you want to spice things up a bit! I tend to agree with you that plus size designers who are plus sized themselves tend to have more of an understanding about fit and such but there are some exceptions such as Melissa Masse and most notably Yuliya Raquel from Igigi – they strive very hard when it comes to fit – although, both Masse and Igigi aren’t exactly inexpensive. Best of luck with your site and your sewing!