Over the weekend, the Sydney Morning Herald published an article that took a look at the plus size men’s fashion industry – more specifically, the elusive plus size male model. The article covered many interesting topics, such as the fact that there just isn’t much representation of big men on the catwalk:
While we have seen more plus-size women on catwalks and in magazines in the past five years, male models have trimmed down. In 2010, British mannequin maker Rootstein introduced a new type of mannequin, which had an 89-centimetre chest and a 68.5-centimetre waist – 11.5 centimetres smaller than an Australian men’s extra small size.
The article also discusses some of the reasons that mainstream fashion doesn’t put much of a spotlight on plus size men, saying that the industry is “a little scared, because it’s not as aspirational for men, or even for women, to look at men who are overweight or obese as a model”. There is hope, however, as the article spotlights a few organizations that are making a difference when it comes to featuring plus size men in a positive light. Australian modeling agency
BGM Models,
Ron Bennett Big Men’s Clothing, and even Chubstr got a mention for focusing on an under-served market.
Though the article talks about the hurdles plus size men’s fashion has to overcome in order to be taken more seriously, the outlook isn’t all gloomy; more and more companies are creating clothing in extended sizes, and spotlighting men of size in all their glory. We expect this to be a continuing trend as designers and retailers realize that many big men care about their looks and want more options when it comes to finding, creating, and sharing their style with the world.
Read Size Matters for Male Models at the Sydney Morning Herald Website.
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Do you think the world is warming up to the idea of plus size male models? Is there a broader audience for stylish men’s clothing in extended sizes? Can we expect more designers to create looks for bigger guys in the near future? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
