Dear Tim Gunn, Does It REALLY Matter What Size Her Dress Is?

I really don't feel like going back and quoting you countless times. I wish you luck in your weight loss endeavors and I hope that you see that I and others want to support you (I'm not really going to support Kirstie though, she's getting rich off it either way and this is her job and she made her size public business & made money off it for years) but the comments you made about the thin women were hurtful. But I know you don't see that. So, good luck with your weight loss endeavors. Whatever you do. It doesn't affect me any more than Kirstie or Tim do.

Polish Mama on the Prairie, I have never once made this about the emotional baggage of fat women vs. thin women. Show me where I have said that the crap we get as fat people is more worthy of consideration than the crap thin women get?

Tim Gunn wasn't making comments about an actress who went from a size -0 to a 2 and who's claiming she's a size 8. Because in all honesty, it probably wouldn't have been something anyone paid attention to.

You're taking an image I posted that I used to depict unrealistic ideals that society places on ALL women and inferring that I feel my emotional baggage, as a morbidly obese woman, is more important than someone who gets asked on a daily basis whether she's vomiting her most recent meal, or starving herself.

Skeeter Bess, I have never demeaned a thin woman...the point of my comment about the red outfit was that the fashion industry tries to perpetrate the myth (that all too many of us buy into, some of us killing ourselves to do it) that what I depicted by using that photo, was the norm. Those fashions are marketed to women who are often unrealistically thin and because of the industry they are in, they're forced to stay that way, often times to the detriment to their health. The fashion industry tells us that image, the one I posted, is perfect and that's the standard to which we should all attain.

What I did say, in writing this piece, and several times over, is that size SHOULDN'T matter. What mattes (and God, this sounds so cliche, but it's true!), is what's inside. Size shouldn't matter but in our society it does. Society, as a whole places our worth on it, and as long as we sit back and excuse comments about size as "catty" or "it's his job", then nothing will ever change.

Audrey, I have to agree with Skeeter. You do come across as saying that you and Kirstie emotional baggage as heavy people (and Kirstie's a bit because she is in the business of looking good) is more important and worthy of respect and consideration than those who are thin. Perhaps that's not what you mean. But if that is the case, then I would ask that you consider that perhaps Tim Gunn wasn't calling Kirstie a fat tub who was unworthy and then "softening the blow" than you were calling that model a worthless toothpick and making absolutely no apologies for it. It comes across as you attacking her and others who are thin and blaming them for your own issues.

I'm as much against the marketing of unrealistic images of women in the media as the next person, but I really draw the line when the big girls bash the small girls in an effort to make a point. As a small girl, I also didn't choose to be this way. If size is only a number, get your point across without calling the small women "malnurished" "babies" or "starving." I'm far from staving but I give really big hugs.

Oh, Skeeter! HUGS! HUGS!

If you're a fan of Project Runway you must surely know that Tim Gunn's snarkiness is a selling point for his public persona. Don't we all cringe in mock horror when he slices and dices someone's best effort? And isn't it at least a small part of the show's success? Sometimes we agree with his opinion and sometimes we don't, but his comments about Kirstie's dress size(s) merely make me shrug and think, "That's Tim Gunn being Tim Gunn." Can I address another issue, though, that seems to have flown right past you? Most who have joined this conversation are quick to point out that "size doesn't matter" and to defend larger women. I agree: size is not the measure of a woman and should be of concern only to the individual involved. You, audryh68, apparently, don't believe your own words, as evidenced by your comments about the overly-thin model. We are both in agreement that she is not the norm and I deplore, with so many others, the damage that such "ideals" inflict on women, and on young women and girls in particular. But listen to yourself describing her: "While this might be the norm in your world, in the world I live in, I can't figure out whether she's got a role in a movie about third world starvation, or if the outfit she's modeling is being marketed to anyone larger than a premature infant?" Re-read one of the comments beneath your piece: "That poor famine victim in the $10,000 bathing suit ..." Do you see your own prejudices? Believe it or not, there are those of us who hurt when we hear those words, because we know that that shape is the norm ... for us. Not a single person participating in this conversation would dream of saying "That fat woman needs enough fabric to clothe a third-world nation just to cover her butt," yet most of you feel that it's perfectly okay to ridicule those of us who struggle on the other end of the weigh-loss spectrum. At least once a week I hear from a casual acquaintance or even a perfect stranger some snide and biting (or, worse yet, "concerned") comment about my size. A little part of me died the last time I weighed in at the doctor's office because I'd lost ten precious pounds - almost ten percent of my total weight. I have the same problems as large women when it comes to finding clothes that fit - especially when I lose so much that I have to shop in the children't departments. We're more alike than we are different. So could you do me a favor please? The next time you find yourself thinking or saying that size doesn't matter, give yourself a mental picture of one of those medical charts that shows body sizes and shapes from emaciated to grossly obese. Look at all of the shapes and sizes and remind yourself that people do indeed come in all shapes and sizes. THEN remind yourself that size does not matter and is not the measure of a woman. Could you do that for me, please, and for everyone who doesn't come wrapped in whatever you picture as a normal, perfect package? Thank you.

I will admit, after reading and trying to respond to the comments on my original blog post, and now all the comments over on BlogHer, that I was not aware of the fact that she's had any sort of "history" of being untruthful about her weight. I also didn't know she was touting a weight loss system of some sort. However, that wasn't the point I was trying to make.

Alley talks about her size because in her superficial world, that's what matters, and it sucks that it matter. I can say that I relate [to the suckage] to a certain degree (not just because I'm morbidly obese) because all the years I spent as a DJ at commercial radio stations across the US, I learned that despite being behind a mic, my weight still affected what sort of promotional gigs I was given (that usually pay VERY WELL!) or wasn't given.

I can't even count how many times I've heard, "You're beautiful but you're fat. It's not the image we want for our radio station." Kirstie Alley lives this every single day of her life. It's not a license to fabricate how much she weighs or what size she is, but then I don't really understand why we have to make it our business to begin with, unless she's sitting there touting a system that will enable us to go from a size fat to a size fabulous. Is that what she's doing? I don't know.

When I wrote my post, it was after reading the site I cited in my post. It didn't mention the on-air interview that Tim Gunn gave, where his original comments were mined. So I went back and listened to the interview in it's entirety and it was clearly obvious what the guys interviewing him were gunning for and Tim went ahead and ran with it, emphasizing what she ISN'T and then softening the blow by stating she looked great and aren't we all too size conscious anyways. Why couldn't he have just started and ended with his explanation of vanity sizing, his compliments and left it at that? In answer to that question people have responded that it's not his job. Well, to that I say, his job - or his industry has made far too much of a focus on the superficial and being a "Size Perfect" and look where that's gotten us... look at how are daughters and sons view themselves as a result of all of this and tell me his comments don't matter.

Fat-Shaming and Size-Shaming have already done enough damage in our society and to that end, I'm still not understanding why Gunn even had to "go there" in the first place.

I think it would be easier to see how the whole debate about her size got started if we weren't looking at a picture where she's photoshopped to within an inch of her LIFE. She's a beautiful woman, always has been, but she doesn't look like that, and she is not a size 4 or 6, just like the hotties in the picture probably don't have stomach muscles like that IRL.

No one should focus on weight before anything but unfortunatley we do. There are two factors here however that led to these comments being made about her size, 1. she has been talking about her size for years now, from when she was at her heaviest to her lightest...she put that struggle out there so she has to accept the feedback. 2. As mentioned above, he is a fashion consultant...size is something you talk about when talking about clothes. I agree his comments, in the big picture, are crappy but I think that part of embracing who you are at whaever size is about letting these things roll off your back because if you are truly comfortable with yourself, these comments dont matter. I have worked hard to feel healthy and strong, have my clothes fit the way I want and although I am not a size 3 (in fact I can range from a size 6 to a size 8-10 the way all clothes fit differently these days) and never will be I am 100% confident now with how I look. For me its not about a number on a scale.

It is great she lost so much weight, but Alley is not being truthful saying she is a size 6. We, as woman, know what a size 6 looks like, and she is not it. I hate when celebrities lie about their size. It is always so obvious and does nothing to help regular woman feel any better about themselves. I am a 10, and I am smaller than Alley...I can be honest about what size clothes I wear, why can't she?

I'm going to be the one considered mean here. But his job is to be a fashion consultant. That was part of his job. Gasp. I know. Her job is to be paid for how she looks. Gasp. I know. And really, how does it affect you and I? It doesn't.

your dress size has nothing to do with the person you are! sz 6 or16 beauty has no size, wish folks werent so obsessed with fiitting a cookie cutter mold.

Y'all make an interesting point... she mentioned size to start with and she has a history of not being quite truthful. Maybe that does give others license to comment? Interesting. - Denise

Kudos to her but she always lies about her weight and dress size to the media. At her heaviest she said she weighed 200 lbs. Ahem. I think she forgot the additional 75 lbs on her butt. If she was honest he wouldn't have said anything. Maybe she should be more discreet about her weight.

I think if SHE puts her size out there, she opens herself up to commentary. When I heard her say her size, I thought "no way." I wish Kirstie would own her size instead skewing reality.

WOW, I remember her on DWTS and this photo she looks FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!

I think the fact that he pointed it out just shows that his underlying fear revolves around his physicality. Mentioning someone else's flaws is a way to point out that you don't have them. Snark!

It doesn't matter what size she is. She looks AMAZING! It's just more media pressure and hype to be a size 2 or a size 0 or whatever. Once again teaching women of all ages, races, body shapes and backgrounds that the number on the tag is supposed to determine your self worth. BIG thumbs down to Tim Gunn.

He needs to shut it. Size 10 is size awesome.