Sausage casing girls – A phrase that is insensitive yet garishly visual phrase used to describe young women and girls who are overweight and wear clothes that are far too small for them. The clothes emphasise giant love handles and letting it all hang out in an ‘unsightly’ manner. You may have heard the phrase ‘muffin tops’ used as well for the overhang of fat between a cropped top and the trouser waistline.
Both phrases are uncharitable in nature. However they are at the centre of a number of debates:
- The debate rages on whether they are fashion victims needing to wear the latest slinky tops and hipsters. If so why aren’t clothes manufacturers providing them with clothes that actually fit? I think that there is a wider debate to be had about making fashion work for consumers rather than designers. Fashion assumes that the people who wear their clothes are tall and rake thin. So the fashion industry is partly responsible for the sausage casing girls fashionistas look down on
- Are they in denial about their size or showing body pride? Which brings back into focus how media, social media and advertising messages affect women’s self image and diet?
There is one great line from Letting it all hang out (July 5, 2006) by Robin Abcarian of the Los Angeles Times: “Fat or skinny, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “The guys in there will look at you if you’re wearing a little skirt and hoochie tank top.”
I think this quote is interesting because it says a lot about prevailing beauty standards, where perceived sexual availability trumps the beauty conventions that the media and society dictate. We’ve known this for decades, film star Mae West was far from being a conventional beauty. Its also interesting that Unilever brand Dove has explored this territory for a number of years now.
More jargon related terms here.