Comment of the Day: 'Women's Body Types Are Ignored By the Mall'

In a discussion about the former Sway clothing store in Todos Santos Plaza and what should replace it, a Concord Patch reader suggested the following:

"Perhaps a stylish and interesting clothing store for women whose age and body type is underserved (read ignored) at the mall?"

The Sunvalley Mall has 27 stores categorized as "women's fashion," including two plus-size clothing stores, Torrid and Lane Bryant.

But despite the choice of retailers, the sizing and shape of the clothes being offered poses a problem for some women. 

Put simply, "clothing sizes don't make sense," says Julia Felsenthal for Slate magazine. Felsenthal explains the problem for retailers trying to cater to a wide variety of body types.

"When manufacturers in the early 20^th century began to produce women’s clothing, they based women’s sizes exclusively on a single measurement: the bust," said Felsenthal. "The only problem? Bust measurements on their own are not particularly accurate indicators of a woman’s size or of the rest of her proportions."

Does Concord need more clothing stores to accommodate different body types? Or do retailers need to change the way they size clothing? Share your opinion and experience in the comments below.