Clothing Confers Access

I hadn’t really thought about it in these terms before, but then my friend Jesse sent me this article by Marielle Elizabeth where she talks about not being able to find the appropriate clothes for winter sports in her size. A former downhill skier, Elizabeth talks openly about the frustrations she feels with not being able to enjoy the outdoors simply because she can’t find waterproof snow pants in her size. “Clothing confers access,” she writes, “whether we’re talking about owning a gown for a gala or a rain coat for camping.”

That sentence hit me like a ton of bricks because I realized just how right she is. I’ve written previously about how size and weight limitations will bar people of size from entertainments and activities that are supposed to be for “everyone,” like my much beloved roller coasters, but thinking about how the clothes you have—or don’t have—can bar you from even accessing things you love is a different level.

Just look at the gear the people have on in these two images: snow shoes, snow pants, back packs, boots, climbing shoes, harness, climbing pants… all of which can be difficult or impossible for a person of size to find. I know the struggle of trying to find supportive shoes that are made for people with wide feet, never mind trying to find specialty shoes for a specific activity.

When I wonder why it’s so hard to find pictures of people of size out there enjoying these kinds of activities—because they ARE out there—this is why. It’s because clothing confers access. And when brands like Nike are lambasted as promoting obesity when they offer extended sizing on mannequins that actually show the kinds of bodies the clothes are made for, it is nothing more than straight sized gatekeeping because thin people don’t want us in their spaces.

Of course it doesn’t stop at being able to access sporting activities. Can you access a board room if you don’t have a properly fitting suit? What about even just dressing appropriately for a job interview? What if you have a job that requires you to wear a uniform? Do they have corporate shirts in your size?

Then there’s that unspoken social thing, where you’re expected to dress a certain way for certain kinds of events or occasions. Your friend is getting married and the invite says formal attire. How hard is it for you to find a gown to wear? Or you’ve been asked out on a date and they want to take you somewhere nice. Can you accept the invitation if you’re not sure you have something you can wear? What about going to that hot new club downtown? Or the cocktail mixer being thrown by your neighbors?

This is more than the “But I have nothing to wear” cliche. This is not being able to fully participate in a dynamic life because the clothes you’re socially expected to wear or the clothes you are required to wear are not available to you.