I mean really, REALLY? I'm a tall fat guy with so damn few options when it comes to trying to dress well that I really, really wonder if this kind of criticism is warranted. Because it isn't for women also? Are you also going to write to the fashion chain Torrid to complain that they don't carry big sizes for guys?

Please, disabuse me of any misconceptions I may have, but in Southern California it seems to be a LOT easier to find fashion for plus sized women than it is to find it for plus-sized men. As a big and tall guy, I DON'T WANT TO DRESS MYSELF IN GEORGE FRICKING FOREMAN CLOTHES to look good.

Initial reaction aside, I guess there is one positive I can take from your article. Thank you for at least introducing me to a new option for clothes. I simply am not convinced that there is a "no fat chicks" attitude in this company. Sorry.

if it is dudes-only? they're (the creators) dudes themselves, right? at no time do they refuse to consider a similar line for women or anything like that.

its clear what the issue is: the clothing is desirable, but the owner is a douchebag. so rather than simply boycott the line, the author wants to force the designers' hand. get a life.

In addition to what the other posters previous to me have said, isn't this a bit different because they are absorbing a already existing company? It's a lot easier to adapt a company than create a whole new one. Maybe there is another part to the AA empire that's going to do plus sized clothes, but they have to build it from the ground up. I think that this is much too premature to be upset about.

That Lane Bryant doesn't carry clothes for men?

Both men and women are fat in this country, if some guys at American Apparel see a market for nice hip clothes for tall and or fat guys I don't see why women need to be included.

Not all clothing stores have to be bi-gendered.

Plus really, how many women are going to want to walk into a store called Colossal Clothing?

IF their "guys only" plus clothing line is really a slam against heavier woman, how is your last sentence any better?

"As feminists, this leaves us with a strange dilemma: Do we consider it a good thing or bad thing that we won't be seeing two-story billboards of size-20 women bending over in knee socks and boy briefs?"

Guess you're now agreeing that we need to be protected from looking at "Fat Chicks" ...

I used to buy at American Apparel, but stopped because I found other stores and designer that I could fit into. I'm still considered plus-size, but devoted to a low caloric diet and hard exercise and losing weight. I haven't reached my goal yet, but I doubt I'll be buying anything as a thin girl from American Apparel anyway. Douchebags aren't appealing.

So the guy's a douchebag? Then don't buy his stuff.

Because I'm sure all those Italian designers that women lust after – who also happen to make zero big and tall clothes - are simply the paragons of progressive thought and action, right?

And are you really complaining about the lack of choice in women's clothing? As a short guy all I can do is quote Danny DeVito in Taxi. "Ever shopped for clothes in the husky boys section?" Sure he was trying to excuse being an ass, but my point is that there are an infinite number of clothing options for women. Far, far fewer for men. And if you fall outside the 6' athletic build, almost none. Let the big dudes have their store.

Maybe every decision made isn't about you.

They were already pretty darned offensive. This is maybe a bit insensitive, but how much do we really expect from AA, given what we already know?

And it's not like there aren't clothing companies for plus-size women. I actually do see fewer options for men.

I don't see that they claimed that. I don't know what their plans are -- they're doing a collection for fat men now, they may do one for fat women later. It might all just depend on the market (which as far as I recall my Texan experience already has a number of options for fat ladies).

LL Bean carries some plus size clothes for women, up to 3XL or 26/28. They carry nothing for men above XXL. This is a business decision. Some companies don't want to become known as plus size clothing stores.

During an interview a few years ago, actor Jack Black was asked if he was offered any clothing endorsements. "They don't want my fat ass in their clothes," he replied.

Big sexist douchebag makes large women invisible in his clothing line as well as his ads and you think this is feminist news?!?!? Pshaw.

In Am Aps defense, it would be difficult to find models with the trademark quality of "cracked out and/or on heroin" who are ALSO curvy enough to model a plus size ladies line . . .

csnavely -- I can't imagine what you're talking about. As someone with a 6' athletic build, I can't buy clothes that fit anywhere in the United States outside of a bike shop. We are a nation of fat people, and the clothing selection reflects that. In the past decade I've found pants that will fit me in two places: one pair, once, in Filene's Basement, and in France.

It's a combination of things.

1. This company is an offshoot of a company that makes clothing for both genders, it's not a big-and-tall version of a men's clothing company.

2. The parent company is notorious for its bad women's sizing, to the point where I once owned an American Apparel t-shirt in size XL that I found uncomfortably snug as a 5'8", 140lb B-cup at the skinniest point in my adult life. The men's line is not known for running anywhere near as small.

So, basically, they're launching a brand-new enterprise to fill a perceived need, and that's great. But people have been complaining about the women's sizing for ages. Now that I *am* plus-sized, I don't mind shopping someplace that gears more plus-sized, and I'm usually more happy doing it. But at that point, I was *not* plus-sized, and they still couldn't size large enough for me to wear comfortably.

And yes, that says bad things about the company. It's one thing to start with one specialty line instead of branching out all at once, I'm okay with that. It's another thing to start a specialty line catering to larger men at a time when your regular line still implies that totally BMI-normal women of utterly average proportions are too fat for your clothes.

But I'm not sure it's just anti-woman. Notice how this new website seems to prefer emphasizing how their clothes are suitable for NFL players than for fat guys. They're more tolerant of fat guys because, hey, in a loose shirt you can pretend you're just built like a tank. Not because it's any more okay for guys to be fat.