Fashionably Voluptuous: Repackaging the Fuller Sized Figure

This article investigates the voluptuous female silhouette in fashion. Is it a super imposed image of a desired female form or simply a way of accentuating the ample assets of a larger sized body? Body image has been identified as crucial to clothing provision and fashion consumption Research has recognized that fuller-sized and obese people were considered unhappy, unconfident, unattractive and identified a huge level of discrimination and negativity towards the overweight (Blumberg and Mellis 1985, Clayson and Klassen 1989, Miller 1990, Salusso-Dounier 1993). Presenting and describing a body as voluptuous could be a more palatable way to repackage and reconceptualise the larger sized. It is perhaps a more flattering description shrouding prejudices with regards to fashion, style and garment selection. The investigation includes a number of approaches. Object based research investigates the design and manufacture of garments for the fuller sized figure. Action based research in the design studio considers fashion designer’s attitudes towards the plus-sized and its effects on production and consumption. Semi structured interviews and case studies support the qualitative approaches taken and identify the fashion choices available for voluptuous bodies and if these clothes involve levels of body modification. They also suggest how the repackaged voluptuous body could continue to be represented in a future global market place.