Lena Dunham is in the news this week because she’s doing a fashion collaboration with 11 Honore, the plus-sized e-commerce site. To promote this fashion line, Lena gave an excessively long interview to the New York Times. Keep that in mind – she didn’t talk to Vogue or Marie Claire or InStyle. She didn’t go to a women’s fashion-focused media outlet for her first promotional interview for this project. That’s because she wanted to make it all about she is the only one to see the hole in the market for plus-sized girls who want to dress like Lena Dunham. The most hilarious part of this is that she must have talked about herself for HOURS to the Times and it was all to promote… five items. This is not a “collection.” This is barely even a capsule collection! It’s five items, one of which is a miniskirt for plus-sized girls!! For the love of God.
Why she did this line: “I am not a celebrity who’s ever been asked to represent a product. I am not a person for many reasons who anyone even wants to represent a product.” She does, however, love clothes. And in the process of wearing a lot of clothes, and getting a lot of clothes “slightly wrong,” and being attacked for the clothes she wore, she discovered a hole in the market. So being Lena Dunham, she decided she was the one to fix it.
She’s taking steroids for her post-Covid partial adrenal insufficiency: “Not the cool kind that make you muscular. Just the kind that make your face fat. I’m trying to roll with that. Trying to be chin positive. I can deal with anything, but a triple chin is a hard place to land.”
Body-hatred: “It doesn’t mean I haven’t felt a lot of body hatred in lockdown,” she said. She is not a fan of some current terminology, of words like “plus” or “curve” or “body positive.” “The thing that’s complicated about the body positive movement is it can be for the privileged few who have a body that looks the way people want to feel positive. We want curvy bodies that look like Kim Kardashian has been up-sized slightly. We want big beautiful butts and big beautiful breasts and no cellulite and faces that look like you could smack them on to thin women.”
A big stomach: “I have a big stomach, I always have. That’s where I gain my weight — especially after early menopause, I have a straight-up gut, like an old man — and that’s not where anybody wants to see flesh. It’s not like if I posted a sensual nude of myself on Instagram, people would be marveling at my beautiful derrière.”
Designers don’t understand plus-sized figures: Ms. Dunham said she spent a lot of time on the fit because one of the things most designers don’t understand is that making clothes for bigger bodies doesn’t mean just adding more fabric or cutting the waist wider. You need to employ darts differently to encompass stomach curves and bottom curves and upper arms that swell in the heat. She really wanted to include a miniskirt because whenever she tried to find one, it would hitch up in the back and, she said, “I can’t wear it because I’m basically showing what my mother would refer to as my pupick.”
No loungewear: “If a thin girl wears sweatpants, it’s kind of cute — like, ‘I’m having a rough day!’ But for a chubby girl it’s, ‘You’ve made a lifestyle choice to give up.’”
Can I vent? I’m going to vent. Most of the time, I’m around a size 12-14 in American sizing, although I have gained some weight in the pandemic year, and much of it has gone to my abdomen. Lena is slightly correct about how most designers of plus-sized clothing just assume that plus-sized women – or just “larger than size 2” women – want to wear bigger versions of the cute clothes thin women wear. This is not the case. People need to design different kinds of clothes for those of us who have a gut or a big butt or yes, big boobs. You would be shocked by how little is out there, blouse-wise, for women with breasts bigger than a C-cup. I would personally love really cute athleisure made specifically for women my size – comfortable, attractive, drape-y lounge pants and V-neck tops which accommodate my enormous rack. Lena has made a five-piece “collection” which only she wants, is my point. This is all just an exercise in her narcissism and it’s not actually about Lena wanting to really figure out what bigger girls want to wear, or what would look good on them. And that’s HER judgment on plus-sized women in sweats too.
Photos courtesy of IG, Backgrid, Avalon Red.
Whew, Kaiser. Your headline though..😂
The headline is a chef’s kiss! The shade of it!
I burst out laughing.
Thank goodness!! I have nothing to wear!
I’m cackling in the kitchen, rotfl.
So, fun story – after years of being a 36H cup and being in constant pain and always having a hard time finding cute tops to wear, I had a breast reduction last year. I’m now around a D cup, I have no more pain, but still can’t find cute tops because I guess a D cup isn’t something clothes are made to fit anymore?? ridiculous!
It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I was always led to believe that a D cup was a really large breast size. And…I now wear a D cup and I don’t think I have a particularly large chest at all. D cups are very common! And yet a lot of tops just don’t account for my size at all. It’s so absurd.
Well, being 30 and still having a ridiculous B cup, I consider D cup to be quite big. But not too big, rather like goal size biggy boobies.
I consider having an augmentation, and dunno if I would go for a C or a D. But finally, I’m still a bit reluctant precisely because of what you all said about the difficulty to find fitting clothes for those racks. I can’t imagine the struggle when you’re over D, which is a total nonsense since a lot of woman have even bigger sizes.
Lena Dunham is the last person I would choose to design clothes, and for whatever body type. She simply has bad taste, and the problem is not her body, lot of women are apple shaped. She simply doesn’t get fashion and moreover for her body type.
And with the help and money she has, there is no excuses.
And mini skirts on plus sized women over 30/35 is just tasteless imo.
Not sure why miniskirts have to be reserved for the young and skinny?
I find mini skirts can be great on plus size women. short skirt/long jacket or top often looks good. it’s a fun way to play with proportion.
age has nothing to do with it.
As a DD, I’ve found that Nine West makes some cute tops for business or casual wear that I really like. Not sure if it’s your style, but it’s an option:
https://amzn.to/2Q7iP8a
https://amzn.to/3s1nfef
Also, eshakti.com allows you to customize for a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including changing for height, sleeve length, neckline and length of all kinds of clothes. Matching masks, if you’re into that kind of thing. Pretty decent pricing for customizable clothing.
Yep. I haven’t been able to wear a button blouse since high school, unless I buy it too big and have a strategically placed safety pin to prevent the dreaded gap at the bust.
I feel you. I only wear button down shirts from New York &company, since those have a hidden snap at bust level to prevent gapping
OriginalLala. Could you walk me through a bit of your experience. I am seriously thinking of having a reduction after years of thinking about it. I have a small frame and large breasts. They really get to me in terms of sport. They don’t cause me pain but I’m fed up of the weight of them and actually being defined by them in a way – I can’t just wear a T shirt for example unless I want to look vampy and attention seeking. The surgeon I am considering opts for a four hour operation and six week recovery plan, ie wearing a sports bra for six weeks. How was your recovery? Did you have drains? Were you in a lot of pain? Did you feel really sick directly after the operation? I suspect you couldn’t wash or shower properly for weeks afterwards because of the 24 hour every day surgical bra situation. Any info you could give me would be so appreciated. Even down to which season you had the operation. Would summer be easier, because of wearing sport bras and being able to just have one layer on top, or would winter be better because it’s not so obvious you’re wearing sports bras all the time. You don’t have to reply if you think any or all of that was intrusive. Thank you. Robin.
I had one way back when I was 20. I am short and a size 4 with size E. Since I was in college I did it over Christmas break. It takes a while to heal and I think it took about a month to lift my arms all the way. You also can’t have sex for the first month because breast swelling can tear the stitches. The stitches dissolve in a month or so. I’m 44 now and it was still the best decision I ever made. I went to a small C. Over the years I’ve gains and lost weight so I’ve went from a large C to B to small C. But at 44 my boobs are still pretty perky (I also never birthed a child so that helped)
I’ve had breast reduction twice, 20 years apart. Be really careful chosing your surgeon. If they don’t have photos of their work that’s a huge red flag. Google them. There might be some bad reviews because of unrealistic patient expectation but there should be many many more positive reviews. I had one very positive experience and one poor one that required reconstruction.
@Originallala, I’m seriously considering breast reduction post-pandemic and have a quick question regarding how you landed at D cup? Was that your request or the surgeon’s suggestion? I wonder if like with augmentations, a qualified surgeon will steer you away from going down to too small a size if they feel that it wouldn’t look natural with your body type.
Last time I was measured I was between a 32 and 34 E or F, but that was premenopausal and pandemic weight gain so I’d hazard a guess that both my band size and my cup size have gone up, like maybe a G or H for cup and closer to 36 band size. But in my ideal world, I’d love to be as small as possible, perhaps a B, no larger than a C cup and I’m wondering if I’ll get some pushback as to whether that’s too small a size for me.
I had a breast reduction. The doc talked me into small implants “for good shape”. When he walked out, the nurse whispered, “you may not want implants, most ppl are not happy w them”. I actually GOT the implants because he kept insisting “they’d look misshaped w out”.
Fast forward, I did get implants that both hung low & burst… of course removed. I wish I listened to the nurse. Without implants they are great, much more manageable & the best money I ever spent if you minus the implant debacle. I’m a C now.
Hi Maxime duCamp. As you’ll see from the above I am also thinking more and more about a reduction, which I’ve put off for years because I think it’s a serious undertaking for something that isn’t life threatening. I know this is stupid, it’s just a stalling technique. So I haven’t done it yet, but did start the process briefly before lockdown by having a first, very quick meeting with a surgeon. I had a lot of questions still to go but did get to ask about the size I could reduce to, thinking like you that I would be advised against being dramatically smaller. The surgeon was absolutely fine. Didn’t seem surprised. Didn’t talk about implants. She did start talking about a mesh they could insert to keep things “perky” but I can’t say I’m even interested in that. I just need to get the courage together to get on with it, because I’ve heard it’s one of the most positive surgeries people go through.
Thanks to all the celebitchy help with my question above.
I’m doing a reduction in June and I can’t wait. I’ve had these misshapen breasts since I was young, and since the last ten year or so from weight gain, they’ve gotten huge. I’ve always felt embarrassed of them (and that’s not an invitation for commenters to tell me I shouldn’t be, they’re my boobs, I’ve lived with them for 35 years). At first due to family history, I wanted a double mastectomy but when I did genetic testing and found out I had a low probability of breast cancer (biggest relief of my life) but with a very large benign tumor that must be removed, I decided to go for as close to an A as possible, most likely will end up with a B, no implants. I cannot wait!!! Finally. No more flopping. No more sweating. No more constant, every second adjustments and worries they’ll flop out any moment. No more trouble with bras, as if the large size wasn’t enough, try having two breasts more than two sizes different. No more migraines. No more pain from the tumor. I’ll be able to run again. Omg. In the midst of pandemic, this has been a ray of hope looking forward to new boobs.
with a price point of $800 per dress, its not exactly “every woman’s” fashion line. *shrug*
I didn’t see any of those, but $100 for a very basic white tank top? How very Goop.
Lena needs to produce the actual humans who want to dress like her because I don’t believe they exist.
This. I do not know if many people who even remotely want to be associated with her, in fashion or otherwise.
So body-shamey even though she’s pretending she’s not. Blech.
The caption under the header photo in the NYT article (nope, couldn’t read it) quotes her bitching about society dissecting her body, not considering that she wanted to be an actress, and one who willingly got nude on the series she created and wrote. Did she think it wouldn’t generate commentary?
What a grade A narcissist. I just can’t with her. She may be the most annoying woman in
Western society.
At first I thought I had read this wrong in the NYT (which thank you was way too long and about a handful of items, so odd and so many other important style things to cover..)—because I can’t think of anyone I want to dress least like than Lena Dunham. She wants to change conversations about what is fashion and/or beauty guessing by how she outfits herself in public, and challenge conceptions of body size—but it’s a fail for me all round. She reminds me of one of those theater kids in school who dresses outrageously and “look at me, look at me” and she’s way beyond the age where that is fun or interesting.
So many other plus-size women dress gorgeously, I’m plus-size and I still miss Melissa McCarthys fun collection that she did.
+1
Lena Dunham dresses like she shares a room with a messy younger sister and she gets dressed in the dark every day, pulling random wrinkly clothes off the floor with no regard for season or event. But not in a cool way lol
Oh man, this is such a minefield. I get it, I really do. I’m plus-sized, whatever the hell that means. Because I currently fit into clothes between 12 and 18, depending on the brand so in my book, sizes mean nothing. The problem is that women, no matter their weight, have such different body shapes. I know which brands fit my body so I buy those and rarely even try new ones because … why bother. I’m not super into clothes anyway, I just want to look put together and cute most days.
But I actually don’t carry much weight around my stomach so her clothes probably wouldn’t fit me? I have a big butt, big boobs, and rather chubby legs which makes jeans shopping a recurring nightmare. I usually buy 3 of every one that actually looks good.
I think brands need to stop thinking in sizes and start thinking in shapes, THEN sizes.
On a side note, are we supposed to think she didn’t get endorsements because of her looks? Honey, no. It’s your personality. No brand needs that headache.
She will never go away, will she? Twenty-five years from now otherwise reputable news sources will be slobbering over her supposed genius when she natters on and on at them about her eponymous brand incontinence underwear.
This is truly exciting. Just yesterday I told my husband I wish there was a muppet in my size.
Hahahahaha!!!!!!!
Lol that’s truly gut wrenchingly funny 😂😂😂
I am also one who gains weight in my stomach and its hard, low waist pants just have my belly hanging out and high waist pants are hard because I have to go up several sizes to get over my belly and then they are too big for my legs and waist. My SIL gains weight in her butt and I’m jealous, lol.
Anyway for me this is funny bc out of those pictures posted of her, I think she looks the best in the one with the sweatshirt and leggings – like I think she legit looks cute, not like she has given up or anything. The other ones…not so much.
I’m big bellied too, and yeah, finding pants is so hard. They might fit my belly/waist, but then they are baggy in the legs.
I agree, she looks cute when she isn’t trying.
I love how she also has to namedrop Glenn Close right at the end. Also, in the photos above (and in pretty much every photo of her) it’s like she tries to a) dress in something unflattering or strange and 2) stand or sit in the most awkward, unflattering, frumpy way possible to look even more odd – and this of course is all designed to get attention and whine about being bodyshamed etc etc.
The outfit at the top is nice, but you can’t tell because she can’t be bothered to sit up straight and in a way that doesn’t make the clothes look bunched up and blobby. The thing with the boa just needs to be pulled down (and again, posture!) and so does the black dress. “I fell out of bed and came here” is not a look, Lena.
All in all, she is still insufferable and up her own butt.
This.
She picks the wrong outfits time and time again: wrong cuts, wrong colors, not tailored for her body type. She often had terrible hair and make-up as well, stands in an awkward pose and looks just bad – plain and simple. It’s like she has seen those poses on others and thought it looked cute, but it isn’t working for her at all.
I think she does it on purpose, to seem as if she is only concerned with geniuses things and not clothing
@Ana Maria Spot on. And it’s so annoying.
She dresses like she has been forced to listen to herself.
She got picked apart for her fashion because it’s terrible. Lena is a shitty person to the core so putting ugly clothes on her is basically just adding more garbage to the heap.
And sweet Jesus the open mouth pose. I hate it a lot but Dunham is the worst offender and she does it all the time and it always looks so dumb! Just shut your trap woman!
As someone who is on the slender side, I recognize my privilege to be able to find clothes more easily in my size. But I have never seen Lena Dunham in a flattering outfit ever and I don’t know if it’s because she refuses to buy clothes that look good on her because she won’t conform to society or if she genuinely doesn’t understand what kind clothes and what fit look good on her. I also wonder if it’s also down to the fact she isn’t photogenic at all. I don’t mean that in a mean way but I’ve never seen her smiling naturally, she’s always making these weird expressions that make me think she’s making fun of runway models and I don’t know if that’s part of her shtick or not.
Ok..I am all for designed (in the purest definition of the word) clothes for plus sizes. I, too have a large rack on a short curvy middle aged bod ( think Donkey from Shrek) and V-necks are my saving grace. I would love to see some stuff that worked for me. This ain’t it. And the fact that it’s Lena only makes it less desirable.
Honestly, that poor delusional girl has the worst taste in clothes and general styling.
The fact that she is obnoxious on top of it, makes it an easy choice to not buy her brand.
The ‘micro-collection’ she ‘collaborated’ on, is hideous. Though I must say, whoever styled her in Girls was on pointe. Loved it all.
It was costume designer Jennifer Rogien🤩
Thank you!
Years ago my friend and I decided we wanted to buy the licenses from all the good regular sized clothing brands and hire really good pattern makers to size the patterns for, well, the rest of the female population. Then use a variety of body types for fit modeling.
Then we both had babies with neurological issues and we did not do it.
The fashion industry has struggled due to covid but I still think our concept is needed-
Sizes beyond 8/10 require different construction and beyond that, pattern grading (the process of taking the sample size and making all the other sizes from it) simply does not work. Each size needs to be completely remade because the proportions change in a less linear way.
Yes!!!! So many patterns are terrible on people with big boobs. I tried on a shirt once that had diamonds right across the boobs…..no just no. Such a great idea.
Meanwhile, the 5 pieces Lena “designed” hahaha ,including a suit jacket and suit skirt and shirt to put with said jacket and skirt, is hideous. The suit jacket looks like dictator castoffs and the miniskirt is wretched. Scallop edges are fine if the skirt is long enough that the scallop don’t provides little windows to the top of your thigh fat but ummmm. The dress could be from Walmart (not an insult to Walmart they have some cute dresses) but I would not spend hundreds of dollars on any of her messy items. Now…if I could get that hot little mustard number and strut down the hallway of my office shaking my feather boa in my sensible lawyer shoes well….hahahaha HR would send me for emergency counseling
Lena Dunham has bad style and doesn’t know how to dress her body because SHE DOESNT UNDERSTAND FIT. This chick who can’t ever get anything tailored properly is trying to pitch herself as a fashion icon? Offensive. But i’m sure that was the point. Congrats Lena! We’re talking about you. Now go away
No, just no. Lena Dunham is the worst and I wish she’d just fade into oblivion, but she’s so thirsty that she’s not going to go without pathetic fights.
I have visions of pathetic fights in which girls passively aggressively make snide comments until someone snaps and starts hair pulling….you are 100% right. She isn’t going anywhere without a fight but lord I am tired of her
As a short, plus size woman, clothes shopping is a nightmare. Most plus size clothing assumes you are tall. The v neck on plus size clothes ends at my navel and the pants are all massively too long and huge in the thighs.
I finally realized that I need to buy XXL clothes from a regular store and avoid plus size clothing. Unfortunately only a few stores offer that size and never in the store. They make heavy women shop online only.
Yes!!!! I am a 5’4 proportional plus woman. I will pull out a shirt and hold it up and the arms drag the ground. A v neck will go to my belly button. It is insane. XXL is the holy grail. If pants fit me I buy 4 pair because it may be 2 years before I find another pair.
I’m 4’11 and thick and curvy. With the extra pandemic weight, it has been a crapshoot finding anything that fits right. I’m not tall and leggy with curves I’m pear-shaped woman with lower belly fat. Oh vey! It’s the worst. I now am stuck in XXL or XXXL tops that don’t fit right AT all. If it has a v-neck guarantee that the shirt will show all of my chest. If it’s boat cut, it will not be enough width for my chest and makes me look like a square box. It’s the worst.
I do not find this to be true (or, at least, tall like me). I am 6 feet tall, long-waisted, and large-chested. I usually wear xl/12 in American sizes, but more than half the time the items are just wider, not longer. It’s gotten worse in the past few years, too, when all the sudden even shirts labeled “boyfriend” style are suddenly barely 22 inches long. And the models keep showing shirts that float around their hips, but when they arrive they’re a freaking crop top.
Crop tops need to burn. For plus size folks a crop top is basically a bikini top
The biggest gripe with Target’s plus-size collection is that they make the same clothes as the regular line but in larger sizes; therefore, shirts are still mid-drift, or at the waist but cut/shaped as a box. Box for plus-sized women with boobs, a pouch, or hips is a horrible cut. Their skirts are all minis without consideration of chub rub or wide hips and a pouch. Most people are doing this now for “plus-size”. It’s really their way of having a better collection for average size women but slapping plus size on the label so they can charge the exorbitant price. Torrid, Lane Bryant and believe it or not Shein, seem to be the best for plus size clothing. Lane Bryant, unfortunately, decided to double and even triple their prices and they are more classic than stylish. Torrid cuts very well for all types of plus size but their prices aren’t the best for this market. Shein is a fast-fashion house with questionable quality but when you find a diamond in the rough it’s perfect for the price.
I don’t watch this woman’s programmes or read anything she writes, but she annoys me. I feel really bad about that. She just looks like someone I wouldn’t want to watch or read or hear from. Also, the inward pointy toes stance. I wish women would stop doing this. Is it meant to look little-girly and coy, or sexy? It looks really infantile.
“Oh God”…hits the nail on its head!
I’ve long held the theory that she has intentionally dressed in things that are unflattering or oddball, just for the attention, and the opportunity to get on her soapbox and whine. She’s a perpetual victim.
I would love there to be more fashion choices for women of all body types – this “collection” ain’t it. And even if it were the most gorgeous collection, I would never, ever purchase something attached to her, especially after her #metoo debacle. No way.
Also…wear sweats if you want to (where appropriate). If some rando on the street thinks you’ve given up…who cares? Why should a stranger’s opinion you didn’t ask for have any impact on your choices?
Wow I know it’s super cool to hate her and you guys made it clear you think this is terrible, but can I say I actually really like the mini skirt and would wear it to work (with leggings tho)? I guess that means my style is terrible but I think it’s fun. Like something Zoey Deschanel would wear to work if she was going neutral.
yeah some of the clothes are actually cute! I like the dress and the skirt.
I don’t think that it is ‘super cool’ to hate her. I object to her because of her comments about Odell Beckham Jr, her descriptions of sexually abusing her younger sister, and the fact that she, despite being mediocre at everything she does, continues to have a career because of nepotism. It is really frustrating to see her being given a platform by the NY Times.
Thank you!
Oh, Lena. When I think of “how not to dress”, I think of you. The pap pics of Lena in blue pants and red top are the epitome of “needs help dressing herself”.
Her fashion sense is almost as annoying as her personality.
I’d say it’s the equivalent of Trump launching a hair color collection.
A mature Elizabeth Taylor dripping in jewels and draped in a kaftan was my style inspiration after I gained weight. She’s iconic and dressed beautifully regardless of her weight fluctuations.
…
Lena Durham has never been inspiring for me style wise. The way she talks about weight and her relationship with her body is centred on negativity as well. She sounds like she feels miserable and wants validation for her personal style.
Idk I swear I’ve read upbeat interviews with celebrities like Melissa McCartney, Lizzo and Queen Latifah. Where they discuss fat shaming while still acknowledging positives… like how sexy they feel, what food they enjoy and how grateful they are to have a career in a fatphobic industry.
My fashion confession- I’m considering ordering a customised leather jacket. I just want one cinches in at the waist and zips it up over my G cup breasts.
I find this woman aggressively unpleasant. She is a black hole of attention and sucks all the air out of the room. I don’t want to dress like her, look like her, or be like her. I rarely have strong feelings by a about celebrities, but she is an exception.
She has the worst fashion sense. She has no idea how to dress for her body type. I would never buy an item of clothing from her.
The only thing I like is the dress, and that is solidly mediocre. The blaser could be cute, but it would totally dwarf me around the middle. The mini skirt could be cute, too, but it needs way better construction. I see zero difference between her “collection” and Lane Bryant clothes. She also is her worst model–everything looks ill-fitting and is styled poorly. It’s not her body, it’s her taste, complete unawareness of fit, and poor taste.
I guess she’s got money to throw away because can’t imagine anyone investing in her designs. She can’t dress herself. Why would anyone pay money to buy her clothes?
In the photo of her wearing the dress she designed in The NY Times article, the dress is gaping apart between the buttons on her stomach. How is that a good advertisement for this collection that is supposedly designed specifically for women with a stomach? Isn’t that one of the main complaints that plus size women have with any type of clothing that has buttons? It’s one of my biggest complaints. And yet here she is, with her buttons gaping apart, in the dress she designed *specifically* to combat the issues that come from clothing just being sized up from the smaller sizes as opposed to being designed specifically for plus size women so that issues of fit, like gaping buttons, would be combatted.
As she has no taste in fashion to begin with there is now way I would ever consider anything she offered.
I’ll stick with Land’s End or LL Bean or other options.
Does she not know of Lizzo? Meg the Stallion?There are loads of women above a size two that can and do wear sweatpants and look awesome.
She is, and always will be, quintessentially not someone I would seek beauty or fashion advice from.
She is, and always will be, quintessentially not someone I would seek beauty or fashion advice from.