Big Summer

by Jennifer Weiner

It’s almost religious, that belief, that faith that a piece of silk or denim or cotton jersey could disguise your flaws and amplify your assets and make you both invisible and seen, just another normal woman in the world; a woman who deserves to get what she wants.

When readers started talking to me about BIG SUMMER, I thought they’d have questions about friendship, about the themes of transformation and revenge, about the way the Internet can help and hurt us on our quest for self-esteem. Instead, the number one question by far is, “Do the clothes you describe, the ones that Daphne gets to wear, actually exist? And if they do, where can I buy them?” The short answer is that the clothes aren’t real. I made them up. I thought about what I’d most like to wear, the clothes that I most wish existed (pockets are, of course, the Holy Grail, and who doesn’t love polka dots?) I stewed over why those clothes don’t exist (are fat women really so hard to dress? Don’t these designers know we’ve got money to spend? WHY DOES THIS DRESS HAVE NO POCKETS?) Then I thought about why clothes matter, about how you can feel in a dressing room, the way you can believe that every outfit has the power to transform you, to serve as armor and a lens that shows your best and truest self. Clothes that can make you both invisible and seen are what I think every plus-size woman wants. Maybe they’re what every woman wants. Finally, this is not spon-con, butI should also add that the closest I’ve come to Daphne’s imaginary wardrobe is eShakti, where you can customize dresses, and choose the neckline and the sleeve length. And add pockets!