Columnist Susan Snyder: ‘Curvaceous’ is all the rage

Tuesday, July 22, 2003 | 8:12 a.m.

Skinny gals, step to the back of the bus.

Curves are in for half the guys in America, according to a survey commissioned by a company introducing a line of lingerie designed for women commonly called "plus-size."

Mind your tongue, however. The survey initiated in May by Curvation shows 73 percent of women prefer something other than "plus-size" to describe those who are large. "Curvaceous" was the term preferred by 40 percent.

The marketing survey also showed 49 percent of men think women with curves are sexy, and 42 percent said they are more attracted to women with a little meat on their bones.

The company is bringing the Las Vegas Valley's curvy chicks samples of its lingerie and free fittings aboard a 47-foot fitting bus featuring images of celebrity spokeswoman Queen Latifah.

The company doesn't really have an overall dress-size threshold for "curvaceous," said Racquel Boothe, spokeswoman for Curvation's public relations firm. It offers brassieres in sizes ranging from 36C to 44DD.

The plus-size clothing industry typically serves women who wear a size 14 or larger. Curvation's survey results show more than 60 million women fall into that marketing category. That's the potential to sell a lot of lacy stuff.

"It's basically for women who have never had the chance to have lingerie that is comfortable and sexy," Racquel Boothe said. "It presents a positive image for curvaceous women."

The Curvation bus will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at Wal-Mart on 8060 Tropical Pkwy. It moves to Henderson on Monday, where it will be open 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Wal-Mart on 540 Marks St.

As the federal court battle heats up over whether the Fremont Street Experience is a public forum, people ought to consider whose money built the pedestrian mall in the first place.

According to figures from the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse, $1.16 million in federal money earmarked for bicycle and pedestrian facilities was used in 1993 for a Las Vegas Boulevard project "formerly, Fremont Street Pedestrian Mall." It was matched with $1.13 million local funds, the organization's figures show.

A pretty sizeable chunk of public money seems to have helped pay for a private forum that is "not for the purpose of promoting public expression."

Public expression may be the least of our worries, if mall security here is as slack as a national security policy consultant says it is back in Washington, D.C.

A report issued by Kerodin International says 12 shopping malls in and around the nation's capital received the worst possible score for measures taken since the Sept. 11 attacks.

In one center, located a mile from the Pentagon, a camouflage-style backpack with two helium balloons tied to it sat abandoned and unnoticed for more than an hour in a busy food court on a Friday night.

Maybe mall security guards were too busy shaking down patrons passing out handbills that offended shopkeepers.

Civil liberties and free speech must be far more dangerous, judging by the amount of money government officials are willing to spend squelching them.