A Little Less Robot Love
If you enjoy geeky pop culture, then I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending a stop by Robot Love in Minneapolis. Whether you like quirky figurines, steet art, or books that are a little off-kilter, this is a good place to hit up should you find yourself in the Twin Cities with time to kill.
I write all these complementary things, but really, I wanted to say: “Robot Love, you let me down this weekend. I saw so many deliciously decorative hoodies, sassy t-shirts, and dazzling belts, but I couldn’t enjoy any of them. They wouldn’t fit me. Not even close. Not by a mile. And even though you don’t design the products in the store, you choose to stock them, and in doing so send a message that chic and geeky are the territory of the thin.”
Not cool.
Sometimes I’m not at all surprised by my preoccupation with thinness. Not. At. All.
Bumble Candy figurine by Julie West
4 Responses to “A Little Less Robot Love”
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Gawd, this happens to me ALL THE TIME. While my thin friends get to enjoy the awesome dorkyness of many alternative (however you define that) clothing stores, I’m lucky if I can find a mens t-shirt that I can get on without hearing seams pop.
I nearly hit the roof with joy when I found a “Strictly for my Ninjas” shirt that fit me, and it’s even a girl shirt! I think…
Write to them & tell them that. Point out that they’re missing a number of people who would be thrilled to buy their stuff if it just *fit* and suggest that they stock larger sizes.
I don’t agree. Robot Love isn’t willfully or inadvertently fat shaming because they don’t carry plus sizes, just like they’re not tall shaming because they don’t carry extra long inseams. I don’t think tall people are walking out of the store miffed because they think they’re being told that they can’t be geeks, because they can’t buy their pants at the geek store.
It’s a niche store, and the thing would go out of business if it tried to cater to every niche within the geek niche. So no, everyone is not out to get you. They’re just trying to make money. And as much money as there is to be made in making plus sizes, it’s not at Robot Love.
You’ll get no argument from me on that one, Anne. Robot Love is definitely a niche store. Otaku of all colors of the rainbow flock to its promise of geekery and delight. But Robot Love is hardly alone in its hawking of wares in very limited sizes.
So my question is this: When does the “niche market” excuse finally cross the line to culpability?