Plus-Size Fashion Is Having a Moment
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Plus-size is a fashion victim no more. As newcomers jump into the space and established retailers expand their offerings with new collections and collaborations, the $20.4 billion category is finally having a moment. And considering the average American woman is 166 pounds and a size 14, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, it’s about time.
“You’ve got retailers giving plus-size women real options in fashionnot just clothes that feel dowdy or oversizedtrendy clothes that are made for her,” said Hans Dorsinville, exec VP-senior creative director at Laird & Partners, a 13-year-old agency that works with a host of retailers including Lane Bryant.
Sales of plus-size apparel have increased 17% to $20.4 billion in the last three years, according to market research firm NPD Group. Last year, Target answered scores of customers clamoring for more sizes in its designer collections with its first dedicated plus-size brand, Ava & Viv. In May, JC Penney debuted its own line, Boutique+, and plans to partner with designers on capsule collection offerings. Online brands focused on the category, such as five-year-old Eloquii, which was formerly owned by the Limited, and Gwynnie Bee, a Netflix-like subscription service that rents out plus-size apparel, have attracted millions in venture capital. Even celebrities including Melissa McCarthy now have their own lines.
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