Business Not Wanted

I just got back from my yearly vacation to my parent's shore house in Sea Isle City, NJ. I walked a lot, fished, sat on the beach, ate ice cream, slept in, read on the porch and can honestly say that a good time was had by all.

While my husband and I were wandering the promenade (it's not a boardwalk in Sea Isle because it's made from cement) I noticed a hoodie sweatshirt I wanted in one of the gift shop windows. It had that appealing blend of creamcicle orange and magenta colors, and was overlayed with a Hawaiian flower print in black. On the chest a simple logo saying "Sea Isle City".

I pointed it out to Ted and he immediately tried to make me go in and buy it (I don't ask for much and very rarely clothes, so when I see something I like he always encourages me). I demurred, it won't fit.

In frustration he pointed out that I can't know that until I try. So... sighing, I went inside and did the obligatory look through the racks. It came in small (size 8) medium (size 10) large (size 12) extra large (size 14) and that's it.

No big shock to me of course, but Ted of course felt bad for getting my hopes up. He further worsened the problem by trying to convince me to squeeze the size 12/14 one over my head.

Walking back to the house, sans shirt, I wondered again why these shops so frequently opt to leave money lying on the table. The thing retailed for almost $30 - it's not worth that much, but I'd have bought it because it was pretty, decent quality and had the name of my favorite seaside home on the front. Walking back, I saw far more people a lot closer to my size 22 than to the sizes they actually had for sale in the store.

So why isn't the store ordering them for the flabby folks like me who are actually walking up and down that promenade?

Or is it not the stores, but the distributors not even offering such sizes for them to procure?

Ted's suggestion was for me to "go all Morgan Spurlock on their asses", and try making a "Supersize Me" style documentary about why the clothing industry isn't, apparently, interested in making money - if that money is coming from fat people.

Their goal is wealth, is it not? So why is my sized 22 money no good to them?

I don't know, Morgan managed to change McDonald's menu and perhaps the face of the fast food industry forever... maybe Ted's idea isn't half bad...