The Sante Grace Edit Is Now on Medium

He’s Just Not That Into You


I was at the mall the other day, and it was a ghost town.

This was the Beverly Center — a place where there used to be a line just to park. Stores had waitlists. Energy. Demand.

Now? Empty.

The food court, the movie theater, the stores — quiet. Even Sephora wasn’t busy.

And it makes you wonder: if traffic is this low, if retailers are struggling to get people in the door, why are plus-size women still being treated like an afterthought?

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:

They’re just not that into us.

For years, we’ve watched brands come up with a thousand reasons why they can’t extend sizing past a 16 or 18. Why they can’t feature a model above a size 10. Why it’s “too complicated,” “too expensive,” or “not aligned with the brand.”

But let’s be honest.

When they imagine their clothes on a runway, they don’t see us.

They see Kate Moss — not Kate Upton.
And in many cases, their vision doesn’t stretch much further than that — whether we’re talking about size, race, or ability.

It’s not always hostility. It’s something more passive — and just as limiting.

Indifference.

They don’t mind if we find a way to wear their clothes.
They just don’t care enough to design for us.

And still — I see my plus-size sisters begging.

Asking to be included.
Campaigning for visibility.
Trying to convince brands to change.

Stop.

If a brand has to be convinced to see you, it will never fully serve you.

Instead, look at what already exists.

There are brands — talented, intentional design houses — that understand curves. That build garments for our bodies from the ground up. That think about fit, fabric, movement, and real life.

There is an entire ecosystem forming around us.

Follow platforms like The Curvy Fashionista. Ask the question on Threads, TikTok, or Instagram — and watch how quickly your feed fills with options.

Support them.

Because right now, many of those brands are fighting to stay alive — while we’re still trying to convince legacy houses like Dolce & Gabbana to care.

Ending

So maybe it’s time to stop asking for a seat at someone else’s table.

And start building — and protecting — our own.

Because we do have a plus-size economy. It’s not perfect, but it’s real. And it will only grow stronger if we choose it.

If we don’t?

We risk losing the very brands that see us clearly.

And that would be the real loss — not being excluded by them, but failing to support the ones who were already here, designing with us in mind.

The shift is simple, but it’s powerful:

Go where you are valued.
Spend where you are considered.
Support who already chose you.

Because the moment we stop chasing —

is the moment things start to change.

Continue the conversation and follow Tracy Christian on Medium for more reflections on fashion, confidence, culture, and the plus-size industry: https://medium.com/@santegrace