Many Consumers Are Poorly Served

Dear Ann Landers: “Frustrated Consumer” is on to something. She is absolutely correct about getting the message across to clothing manufacturers that overweight females want decent, affordable clothes.

Full-figured women are sick of large floral designs and bold prints. Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that large women avoid them like the plague. And tell clothing designers to stop making everything in clingy knit materials. We do not need a fabric that hugs every bulge.

I have read several surveys that say more than half of the female population in the United States is overweight. So, please, Ann, tell the manufacturers they are missing a big market by concentrating on thin women only. - Mad in Missouri

Dear Missouri: You told them, and millions of readers are applauding. Keep reading for more comments on today’s styles:

From Evans Mills, N.Y.: I couldn’t agree more with “Frustrated Consumer.” Here’s another pet peeve of mine to add to hers: Why do shoe manufacturers expect us to jam our toes into pointy shoes and cripple our feet? Until they start to offer dress shoes with rounded toes, they won’t get a dime from me.

Colfax, La.: There seem to be no clothes in the stores for older people. I’m 79 and have trouble finding a dress in size 14. They all look like something a high school girl would wear. What happened to the pretty classics?

Jackson, Miss.: Big hair killed the women’s millinery business. Too bad. A stunning hat can make any woman look elegant.

Three Rivers, Md.: We need clothing that doesn’t need ironing and we need pockets. We still carry keys and lipstick. Also, baby boomers will be hitting 50 soon and they will develop knee, hip and back problems. Let’s get the retailers to put chairs in every section of the department store so we can sit down. Many of us want to watch our spouses and children try on clothing. This year, I did more catalog shopping because I can’t stand up long enough to walk around a store.

Detroit: I work in a clothing store for men. I love to see a wife come in with her husband. Women know better than men what looks sharp and how a garment should fit.

Dallas: I’d like to add my two cents’ worth to “Frustrated Consumer.” Clothing sales will continue to decline as long as the “experts” do not recognize that older people have money to spend. I am a 60-year-old working woman who has been looking for a decent suit for two years. I’ve found beautiful jackets, but the skirts are too short. And I don’t wear trousers. Retail merchants are foolish to ignore women over 60 because millions of us are style conscious and we have serious money to spend.

Bethesda, Md.: May I add something to “Frustrated Consumer’s” comments about the decline in clothing sales? A lot of sportswear is now made in China, Korea and other countries with low labor costs. The garments are poorly made and poorly finished, and they look cheap. No wonder sales are declining.

Richmond, Va.: Tell women who work in offices it is politically incorrect to wear sheer blouses and plunging necklines. They look like hookers.

Hackensack, N.J.: What do you think of a woman who wears not only a padded bra but a girdle with built-in “cheeks” to give her a really sexy figure?

Dear Hack: The add-ons may help her clothes fit better, but some guy is going to be very disappointed.