I've always pitied slaves to fashion.
It's a chicken and egg - do people buy the clothes because designers and fashion mags say they should or do designers make their clothes to fit with what the masses want?
I see more of a than b. Otherwise designers would be using size 12 models - the average dress size nowadays. Instead they design clothes for young boys and sell them as women's clothes.
LOL!
I do think I am seeing a bit of a revolution in the sense that larger sizes are now being marketed in some of the 'nicer' stores.
Heck, you want my money, you make a dress that won't make me look like crap!