What's Wrong With This Picture?

This is the New Arrivals front page at Lane Bryant.

Pinstripes and loud prints galore!

What do you see? Besides the obvious answer of a whole lot of ugly.

No offense to anyone who might like these shirts but we have to admit that these are not exactly the most fashion forward pieces. I'm not trying to pick on LB since they are not the only ones guilty of this sort of thing but sometimes I find myself shocked by the sheer amount of ugly clothes that are pitched at plus sized women. Go into any plus sized chain or the plus department in almost any store and you will find a wide array of loud prints and muumuu shapes. Things that aren't only unhip and unflattering but are just plain garish. Either that or the most dull assortment vertical striped button downs you've ever seen in your life. Granted some stores claim they're trying appeal to an older consumer within their plus sized departments but is the older consumer really looking to wear something made out of disco era curtains? I doubt it.

There are a always a few treasures amidst the trash but sometimes its like searching for a speck of gold in a landfill. I know we've talked about designers and stores that don't carry plus sized clothes but why are the offerings so very limited within stores that are meant to cater to plus clientele? Do the powers that be just not care or is there the idea that if you're plus sized you just don't have a clue about fashion anyway?

I would love to hear opinions about this since on the whole I just don't get it.