I was getting ready to start a new yoga class and decided to upgrade my wardrobe with a new top. Off I went to the store and started shopping. Do I even have to build up to where this goes?
It’s not really a problem for me to find workout clothes. Since I’m a 14-16, I can usually wear an XL in most brands. I can usually find something. But, as I shopped today, I started wondering about the 18-20 set, and above. What are their options? When there are racks full of XXS, XS, S, and M, with a half rack of L, a quarter rack of XL, and four or five items of XXL, what are companies saying to women*?
You’ve got all these fitness people cheering JUST DO IT! And you’ve got all these other people jeering, “Hey, Fatso, just get off the sofa and go workout.” But what are people supposed to wear?
I bought my stuff, then came home and looked online at sizes available. I won’t bore you with all the details. I’ll just show you this. From the JUST DO IT company themselves:
You’ll see their size chart tops out at XXL, and then next to the size chart, you can see that they don’t even have yoga pants (the search I chose) available in that size. What does that even mean?
What’s a lady supposed to think? Exactly what a lot of ladies do think: That the gym is only for people who have earned it through personal discipline. The gym is only for people who have already mastered their physical form. The gym is for XXS, XS, S, and M, and a handful of L, XL, and maybe one or two XXLs. That is so completely wrong.
I never know what else to do, other than to point out how wrong something like that is. Who do you call? How do you get people to listen? Clothing should be available for people. All people.
*I’m talking about women because I didn’t shop the men’s racks. I have no idea what was available there.
The Outside Lane 
You need to ask the skinny arsed marketing chick that runs these retail strategies for the answer probably :-p
It really sucks here in Hawaii. Target carries sizes through XL, but they carry maybe one of each item in XL so if you don’t get it the first day, forget it. Sports Authority doesn’t appear to carry any sizes larger than XL and they are really expensive. I guess if you live in an Ironman town and you’re bigger than an XL you don’t get to wear workout clothes. It’s bad enough that this island is crawling with tiny little athletes in their perfect little sports bras and booty shorts – that’s enough to make you want to hide your fat self – but even if you want to workout you can’t find the clothes! And unfortunately, too many mail order companies either don’t ship to Hawaii period, or they charge exorbitant rates.
Maybe all of us women of size should start “doing it” naked! I bet we’d get properly sized workout clothes in a minute. Because nobody wants to see a fat girl naked. 😛