How This Blogger Is Fighting the Plus-Size Retail Problem
Throwing retail a curve ball.
As a size 14/XL fashion blogger, one of my top pet peeves is being denied the experience of brick and mortar shopping.
I would love to spend a Saturday out shopping with girlfriends, but I almost never do it. And here’s why: even though I represent the average size woman in this country, I can’t walk into most brick and mortar stores and fit clothing on my body.
Take J.Crew and Madewell for instance. Two brands that are steeped in Americana and accessibility, unless you wear above a Large in which case you are directed to shop online. Let me repeat, I wear the average size in this country, but I can’t walk into J.Crew and buy a sweater! Does anyone else think that is nuts? My bruised ego aside (and trust me, it is bruised), do these retailers know how much money they are leaving on the table? Jenna Lyons, I love you girl but what are you thinking?!
Looking at it objectively, it’s not hard to see how this came about. As the ultimate luxury good, fashion has always been an industry built on exclusivity. Unless you possess the required means, access and body type, high fashion simply is not available to most.
Maybe the problem is that for too long this high fashion “you can’t sit with us" mindset has trickled down to the retail level, creating a world where average women like myself can’t walk into an average store and shop.
But if the old model is a trickle down from fashion into retail, I think we are starting to see a new model: a trickle up from social media into retail.
"We are starting to see a new model: a trickle up from social media into retail."
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Thanks to social media, body positive women like Ashley Graham, Iskra and their over 6 million combined followers have given a voice to an entire swath of previously ignored women. Women like me who spend on handbags because we can’t walk into a store and buy clothing, or who are too frustrated with shopping to enjoy it as an activity with friends.
Thanks to the influence of social media, we are seeing mass brands start to welcome more of us with open arms. This can only mean a win-win for everyone, retailers included (cha-ching!). Aerie has been at the forefront of this with their popular #unretouched campaign and commitment to inclusive sizing in their brick and mortar stores. At Ann Taylor there are rumblings of a plus line launching this year (yes please!). And while Kate Spade isn't exactly a mass clothing retailer, did you know they carry up to size 16 in store?
I think we all know there’s enough room for everyone in the retail world. And it’s refreshing to see brands starting to wake up! Here’s to hoping the day that I can walk into J.Crew and buy a sweater can’t be far off.
Katie Sturino is a size 12(ish) New Yorker who believes great style can look chic at any size. She started the12ishstyle.com to introduce girls like her who wear sizes 12-18 to fashion forward brands across extended and plus sizes. Click here to read her piece on Turning "Big" Into Business.
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
The Business and Beauty of "Big"
Why rejecting the status quo is smart.
Image credit: The 12ish Style
I’m not small. I'm big. A word I have been running from my entire life. Growing up, all I wanted was to seem smaller, shorter, slighter…anything to blend in with the body types I saw on TV or in magazines.
Before social media, traditional media was the only game in town and there was simply zero interest in showing diverse sizes or encouraging women to be happy in their own skin. Of course, media is different now. And still, sadly, headlines like “Lose Weight” or "How to Get a Flat Stomach in 30 Days” still dominate the messaging; headlines every woman has seen so many times they barely register anymore, leaving behind a general sentiment of “you are not good enough as is."
"I’m not small. I'm big. A word I have been running from my entire life."
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My journey to realizing I am in fact "good enough as is" took place fairly recently. While I've never had overly negative thoughts about my physical appearance, I always felt I wasn't invited to the party. Designers stop at a size 8 or 10. Models are a 0. Any actress over a 6 is considered plus size in Hollywood. The subtext is clear. Acknowledging that I wear a size 14 is not something I would have done four years ago.
But when Man Repeller featured me in an article two years ago on how to dress for a body type that contrasts Leandra's, I saw positive feedback from women across the country and realized I wasn’t alone! I had always assumed a size 4 must be the average (10 years spent working in fashion in NYC will do that to a girl) and that I should try to cram myself into that ideal. But perusing the comments on the Man Repeller story, I could see there must be a whole country full of women like me who wanted to accept themselves but struggled to find a way in.
Boom. That’s when The12ishStyle was born. A place where you dont actually have to rearrange the outfit or hunt for sizes that will fit you because the work is done. Just shop! Accept yourself! Put your confidence on first!
With the average woman in this country wearing a size 16 (turns out it’s not a 4, lol), it’s insane to me that the fashion industry for so long has not only ignored such a huge part of the population, but in doing so, deemed it un-chic to be average. But when Ashley Graham landed the cover of the legendary Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue this past February, that all started to change. Suddenly a whole new conversation has opened up and we are looking at a multi-billion dollar and growing industry that companies are scrambling to join.
"Accept yourself! Put your confidence on first!"
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As for me, I’m thrilled to be on the forefront of this movement. Celebrating my size instead of conforming to existing ideals not only unlocked my own self acceptance but also led to the career I love so much. Of course pushing up against the status quo of any industry isn’t easy or all that comfortable. You might get laughed at or even worse, you might get no response at all. But if you can find an open space and connect with an audience that no one is talking to, it’s worth it.
So many things motivate me on a daily basis. Helping women learn to accept and love themselves is at the top of the list. But so is working to change the status quo. Last year, the plus size industry, valued at $17 billion, made up about 5% of the total apparel market in the US. A glance at the numbers suggests it’s merely a niche market, but with most women in this country wearing a plus size, clearly that’s not the full story. Everyday I see a massively underserved population of women who just want to shop but lack options. As brands continue to wake up, I know this will change over time.
In the meantime, I will be here outside of the mainstream fashion box, continuing to push the envelope. No more running from the word “big” — from here on out I embrace it.
Katie Sturino is a size 12(ish) New Yorker who believes great style can look chic at any size. She started the12ishstyle.com to introduce girls like her who wear sizes 12-18 to fashion forward brands across extended and plus sizes.