The thought of lounging at the beach with a tall glass of ice cold mango shake within arm's reach fills the minds of people all over as summer makes itself known to those of us living in Southeast Asia. Scorching heat and dehydrating humidity make even the simplest physical activity taxing. Despite the extreme heat and "inhumane" humidity, summer remains everyone's favorite season. In a country that boasts of only two - wet and dry, summer is, hands down, the better choice.
What some people might not be aware of is that the thought of summer scares the living mierda out of plus size divas like me. Two-piece bikinis, short baby doll dresses, micro mini skirts, spaghetti strapped tops and cheeky shorts are not exactly flattering to a plus size body. And in a country where people are not entirely accepting of people who may not fit the mold, summer poses a threat to overweight people all over.
I know, you might think "It's just clothes." But that's just it. It's just clothes - something very basic. Something everyone should have access to. But overweight people especially in Asia (where people are just naturally small) don't have the luxury to pick and choose and try on what they think looks good. They put on what fits. Looking good, sometimes, is not an option.
Designers and clothes manufacturers are slowly opening their eyes to the fact that overweight people are a group of consumers they should be taking seriously. Now they're beginning to realize that we feel the need to look good, too, the same as our skinny counterparts.
I hope shoe manufacturers here in Southeast Asia take notice - we need wider shoes people! ;)
