Are Brands Failing to Include Plus-Sized People, or Are We Expecting Too Much?
“Should a place be able to do that? To say ‘No, here’s who we’re catering to?’ Or should it be the expectation that every place will have sizes for everyone?” Alexis Irish, a 27-year-old who lives in the Twin Cities metro area, and is a size 14/16/18, asks.
Size range of popular brands
In July of 2022, plus-size influencer Gabi Fresh called out Topshop on Twitter. Topshop, a brand that does not carry above a size 14, had advertised an "oversized" blazer shown on a thin model. Fresh Tweeted "When brands say it’s too expensive to add plus sizes because of the amount of fabric it takes, but then make shit like this lol.” On Instagram, she added: “If you can make a size 22 blazer for a size 6 girl to wear, you can make a size 22 blazer for a size 22 girl to wear.” According to Refinery29, more than 78k people liked the post, and the comment section quickly filled with over 1.4k complaints from women sharing Fresh's sentiments that the plus-size retail space had failed them.
Alexis Irish (podcast episode featured above) is a 27-year-old who lives in the Twin Cities metro area and is a size 14/16/18. In today’s fashion climate, she raised a valid question, what are the expectations? “Should a place be able to do that? To say ‘No, here’s who we’re catering to?’ Or should it be the expectation that every place will have sizes for everyone?” Irish asks. She brings up plus-sized brands like Torrid and Lane Bryant as examples of brands that only sell larger sizes and don’t expect smaller people to shop there.
“When I think of vintage shopping, I don’t think of people my size shopping there (at curated vintage stores.) It isn’t for me.” Says Irish. “Even if there are bigger sizes, I still assume they’re not there for me, it’s for smaller people to have oversized clothes.” The issue of inclusivity in mainstream fashion has continued to be a part of the culture for a long time. Though there have been periods where things are better and more focused on diversity it seems like we are exiting that period with the rise of "Ozempic slim" and "heroin chic.” “If I’m looking for something specific I’m going to go to Cider, I’m going to go to Shein. It’s so much easier, I can guarantee my size will be there.” Says Irish.
The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults 20 and over was 41.9% during 2017–March 2020." According to the CDC. While the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says that "Nearly 1 in 3 adults (30.7%) are overweight." Sharon Maxwell, the practice manager at Eating Disorder Therapy LA, talks about her experience shopping as a fat person. "Growing up, I loved the concept of shopping. But as a fat person, I rarely actually enjoyed it...An invitation to go shopping with friends meant that the message that my body was intrinsically wrong would be reinforced over and over again. And frankly put, I would not be shopping. I might be on the hunt for clothes for the person I was with, but clothes for me? Forget it.”
Emma Welter, owner of the Minneapolis vintage brand Who Called?, argues that the stereotype of larger sizes in vintage being harder to find is “not necessarily the case.” “I have no method to my sourcing, in the sense that I don’t seek certain things or certain sizes out, but the thing that has helped me find larger stuff, and just in general, is the handmade things. I love finding them. Handmade stuff is my favorite because they’re the ghost of a person.” Says Welter. “A lot of people miss out on that. They’re just looking at tags. People in thrift stores tend to miscategorize sizes and items. For example, they might label something a muumuu when it’s just a larger dress.”
“I feel like the future of vintage will be small designers and indy brands from today. I get so excited when I find that. Inclusive brands that are sustainable are the future of vintage and clothing in general.” Says Welter. “I want to encourage people to ‘look for the helpers’ as Mr. Rogers says and by that I mean look for the zippers, snaps, and buttons. There are so many things that I wouldn’t think of as being vintage until I see those.”
