'Fat'? 'Jumbo'? Clothing Label Unveils New Sizes

Japanese company may be warning citizens to keep trim
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 6, 2014 3:37 PM CDT
'Fat'? 'Jumbo'? Clothing Label Unveils New Sizes
Shoppers on Fatyo.com will see sizings like this.   (Fatyo.com)

A Japanese clothing company has replaced the usual sizes (think S, M, and L) with ones sure to boost shoppers' self-esteem—like Titch, Skinny, Fat, and Jumbo, the Daily Mail reports. The company, Fatyo, says on its website that it's just trying to make the word fat "cool." But Jumbo? Well, the move is getting attention, although Fatyo isn't the first Japanese brand to create unusual garment sizes. Could be Fatyo is reminding the Japanese (the slimmest people in the developed world) not to get too hefty, Yahoo notes.

Japanese lawmakers were so concerned about weight gain that in 2009 they set maximum waistline sizes for citizens over 40: 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women. Per Japanese health coverage, employees get their waistlines checked annually and are sent to health counseling if the scales tip too far. So, are bigger Japanese shoppers likely to buy Fatyo? Rocket News, which broke the story, says it's "not sure" how the company "expects to drum up sales by calling out its larger customers in the least delicate way." (More clothing stories.)

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