When asked in 2005 what brand of jeans you had, most people responded with the same answer, Abercrombie & Fitch. Though today the market and taste of many individuals has evolved, there is still a major pull towards this popular brand. Sometime around 2006, Abercrombie saw a major decline in company sales, all due to the careless words of their company’s CEO, Michael Jeffries. His comment created uproar around the world and opened the eyes of many industries regarding plus-sized buyers. Jefferies and many other favorable businesses’ comments have capsized consumers around the world, especially with the growing plus-size population.

Now you may be asking, what could one man have said to elicit such an euproar? The comment came in early 2006, after Michael Jeffries was asked why Abercrombie doesn’t sell women’s plus size clothing. “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he stated. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they don't belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely." Jeffries’ comment resulted in a 17% loss of sales in the first quarter of the year. The “cool kids” he speaks of are a minority in the purchasing world.

Business insider states the average American woman wears a size 14, with plus-sizes ranging anywhere from a 14 onward. They also said that plus-sized buyers make up around 67% of consumers. How can such a well-known company get away with such a scandal, you ask? Until today it was quite easy. The media, as well as the average human, shuns plus sized individuals, giving stores the right to do the same. This has been the American norm until only recently when obesity started to become a substantial issue in the United States. Teen obesity, ranging from the ages of 12-19, has more than quadrupled in the past 30 years. In the early 1980’s obesity in teens numbered around 5%, while today teen obesity reaches a staggering 21%. The media, in all its glory, has done an infamous job of shaming overweight and plus-sized body types, especially in women.

This plus size shaming is seen in not just Abercrombie stores, but also many other well-known and distinguished brands. Zara, a well known Spanish fashion chain, released a statement just recently about their refusal to offer plus sizes. ABC reporter Juju Chang stated, “Across the globe there are nearly 1,700 Zara stores, but in the U.S, there are only a few dozen, and experts say Zara isn't expanding more in the U.S. because the country has a problem with expanding waistlines.” This truly exhibits how fastidious Zara is about selling their products to, in their minds, the correct consumer. Another popular brand in the United States, that excludes plus-sized buyers, is the famous athletic clothing store Lululemon. The company recently received complaints about “see-through leggings”. One of the company’s co-founders, Chip Wilson, released a statement on Bloomberg TV, blaming the problem on the size of the women wearing the pants. “Quite frankly, some women’s bodies just don’t work for [the pants] … It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time.” Plus-sized buyers are being humiliated around the globe by million dollar companies, some, more discreet about it than Abercrombie.

With the continuous backlash from the general public, companies have been softening up to the idea of plus sizes. Early aspersions aside, many people still feel as though industries are ignoring the growing issue in global commerce. The egregious media has made it difficult for the plus-size population to be contented. The media has also raised cognizance on the effects of plus-size shaming. Abercrombie may have been one of the first, but they are not, the last to discriminate against larger sizes.