New plus size clothes designers are finding more and more fashion-aware women who demand the same access to designer clothes as every other fashion consumer in the market. The fashion industry is finally understanding that plus size clothes don't need to have noisy colors, tawdry patterns, and outdated cuts. The plus sized designer market has evolved, and it can never go back.
There are over 30 million women in America who are size 12 or above. This group spends more than $19 billion every year on their wardrobe every year, and have gotten noticed by some of the hottest fashion houses in the trade. And why not? They account for 25% of the TOTAL commerce in the fashion industry.
What does this all add up to? Size should not, and does not, limit fashion.
Still, the further consumers are removed from population centers the more difficult it is to find retailers with plus size designers on their shelves as part of their regular stock. This is where the internet comes to the rescue - it has leveled the field and given specialty retailers all over the world access to the exact market segment they want. And more often, plus size designer clothes are being shown right next to the other sizes in online shops. This may sound trivial, but this was not always the case, especially in retail locations. The online integration of stock is viewed by some as a process-leader in the industry. That is, what happens in online retail leads what happens in brick-and mortar retail. The idea is, why make people feel different if all the data tell us they're not?
Another problem that women of all sizes run into is the shortage of standard sizes in the fashion marketplace. To rise above this, consumers need to pay close attention to both measurement and size. In general, one or the other won't get you the answer that you need, especially if purchasing from a foreign store. Usually, women's sizes have a more merciful cut than miss sizes, so keep that in mind.
Until the fashion business makes amends with all their avowed enemies and standardizes their size charts, make sure you take a look at the measurements on everything you purchase. If you still have questions, ask before you click!. It could save you a daytrip to the post office.
Wherever you do your shopping, plus size designers are no longer kept in the back, basement, or 5th floor. They no longer use the materials that no one else will use, and they're no longer baggy, mind-numbing cuts. But don't take my word for it - go out and see for yourself.
