American Apparel Launches Awkward Plus-Sized Model Hunt

by Justin Fenner | 6:13 pm, August 25th, 2011

If you had to find one good thing about the way American Apparel casts its models, it’s that the brand always seems to have a diverse group of young women wearing its clothes. But all of those women are really, really skinny, and now that American Apparel is selling up to a size extra large it’s awkwardly trying to find bigger models to “fill out” those sizes.

The marketing geniuses at the made-in-America basics company have launched what is perhaps the most uncomfortable and out of touch plus-sized model hunt in the history of model hunts. Called “The Next Big Thing,” the hunt asks women of size to send in photos of their “curvaceous bods” for the chance to be the face of American Apparel’s plus sized division. Nevermind that the biggest size they now sell, a 14, is considered a straight size by most retail institutions. Here’s the pitch:

Calling curvy ladies everywhere! Our best-selling Disco Pant (and around 10 other sexy styles) are now available in size XL, for those of us who need a little extra wiggle room where it counts. We’re looking for fresh faces (and curvaceous bods) to fill these babies out. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be the next XLent model, send us photos of you and your junk to back it up.

Just send us two recent photographs of yourself, one that clearly shows your face and one of your body. We’ll select a winner to be flown out to our Los Angeles headquarters to star in your own bootylicious photoshoot. Runners up will win an enviable assortment of our favorite new styles in XL!

Show us what you’re workin’ with!

Oh, man. If the superflous plus-size puns weren’t enough to turn your stomach, did the amount of sleaze in those few short paragraphs do the trick? We would say that expanding its product assortment to include women who aren’t itty bitty is a good thing, but if American Apparel has to resort to insulting those women with pick up lines chubby chasers stopped using in the early aughts, we’d almost prefer it if they didn’t sell bigger clothes at all.

[American Apparel via Jezebel]

American Apparel Model Hunt Plus Size Models

Pcac

I find absolutely nothing insulting about this casting call and I believe you are doing a poor job of masking your distain as some type of strange heroics. There are a lot of plus sized women out there, companies would be stupid not to market to them, and if the site of a person that can’t squeeze into a size zero makes you upset than move to antarctica.
Bikerk

Size zero people would freeze in Antarctica! (no body fat for insulation)
Anonymous

their terminology is pretty hilarious– bootylicious, junk to back it up, wiggle room where it counts….yiiiiikes.
Larger than XL

What bothers me is the fact that the small print in the rules says you have to be wearing their XL underwear and showing it in the photo, which probably won’t fit any actual plus size girl.
Professional +Model

First, this: “Nevermind that the biggest size they now sell, a 14, is considered a straight size by most retail institutions.” is wrong. While some retailers might STOCK up to a 14, you would be hard pressed to find one who wouldn’t consider it plus sized.Second, it seems like there is a vehement lack of understanding going on about this contest. When has AA been anything but a semi-sleezy brand, showing half naked girls of questionable age? Why are we okay with it when it’s skinny girls, but when it’s plus, it’s all shock and horror? If you understand the AA brand at all, and you chose to enter the contes (as I did) then it’s not like you’re walking into something blind. As a plus model, I’m interested in the opportunity to be the face of a national/international brand. No more, no less. When a model works for a company that uses fur, does it mean she automatically condones the practices of the fur industry? Of course not. How about a new lawyer who works for a firm that defends big tabacco? Does she want to sell cigarets to babies? Unlikely. It’s a job. Why people don’t endeavor to try and understand that is beyond me.
Plus size guest

Since when is a 14 plus size? Maybe I am just shopping in the wrong stores, but every store I have been in, 14 is with all the regular sizes.
Guest

If you sell out your values because you don’t think it’s your problem, you deserve as much scorn as the companies who commit the morally unethical practices.

American Apparel Launches Awkward Plus-Sized Model Hunt

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