July 20, 1939-June 10, 2011
I was saddened to learn over the weekend that someone who I have admired, laughed with and loved, left us on Friday, June 10, 2011, and has gone to The Next Place. Jeanne Bice was the size 12+ woman’s best friend! She was old enough to be my mother and for 16 years, she lovingly dressed me. She was the Big, Beautiful Woman’s Coco Channel, with the added flair of whimsey and a huge dose of fun tacked on for good measure. I adored her, because she made me feel good in the clothes I wear and will continue to wear despite her recent exit from this playground.
It’s not only that she made beautiful and playful clothes for plus-size women, as well as the regular gals. Jeanne Bice brought style, color, and chic to us bigger ladies, when the fashion industry seemed to forget about us. She did it with sparkle and shine. She did it with grace. And, most of all, and most importantly, she did it with good humor. Her philosophy about clothes pulled me to her like a bee to honey. Basically, it was the thought that we should never take ourselves too seriously, because life is serious enough as it is. She wanted us to have fun with our clothes, and boy, have I! I’ve been out in restaurants or on vacation, when a lovely woman whom I’d never met before came up and whispered gently into my ear: "Quack! Quack!" And, with a wink and a laugh, I knew she was part of "the sisterhood". She knew the secret handshake. She was part of the private joke, and it was delicious to share that with someone you didn’t know except by the shirt on their back. And, because of that particular shirt on their back, you did know them! That is the magic of Quacker Factory!
I think one philosophy that I appreciated most from Jeannie is that she conveyed to the world that big girls could look nice in their clothes and feel special in them as well. With her loving assistance and guidance, she helped so many of us feel that way! She gave us our battle cry: "if you can’t loose it, Honey, slap some sparkle on it, and stick it out there to shine for all the world to see! Be proud of yourself because you know you look good!" Thank you for that, Jeannie! It has been my mantra for many a year now. I’m more confident being a plus-sized woman because of you!
This is not to say that my quest to get back to my "fighting weight" isn’t still a burning desire within me. However, Jeannie made it okay for those of us who have a + sign next to our size number, to still feel good about ourselves no matter what. Whatever the number on the scale reads, one way to interpret it, as we go through whatever process we are going through regarding our weight issues, is this: there’s a lot of you to love! Don’t ever forget it! You are special just as you are! Always remember it!
Jeanne in no way endorsed a lifestyle that promoted being overweight. What she did was make it alright for the overweight woman to accept herself regardless of her size. She made it okay for us to splash loud patterns and bold colors on our oversized frames, because she wanted us to be proud of who we were as women, no matter what the scale said or the dress size read. It’s a liberating philosophy, because it allows us to accept ourselves in all of our grandeur, and make NO mistake: where Jeannie Bice was concerned, plus size women are grand! We’re fierce; we’re beautiful; we’re fun, we are no less than because we weigh more than...
Her life was not always an easy one, but she was truly an inspiration. She lived the words of Thoreau: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life that you have imagined."You did that, Jeannie Girl! Now, rest peacefully among the angels and know that you left us looking good! "Quack! Quack!" and love for always...
Quacking Through Eternity
Jhill Perran
June 13, 2011
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