Plus-size clothing is
clothing
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
proportioned specifically for people above the average clothing size. The application of the term varies from country to country, and according to which industry the person is involved in.
According to ''PLUS Model'' magazine, "In the fashion industry, plus size is identified as sizes 18 and over, or sizes 1X-6X and extended size as 7X and up".
The article continues "Susan Barone
..shared, 'Plus sizes are sizes 14W – 24W. Super sizes and extended sizes are used interchangeably for sizes 26W and above. Sometimes the size 26W is included in plus size'."
Such clothing has also been called outsize in Britain, a term that has been losing favor. One example of this is the renaming of "Evans Outsize" to simply "Evans",
as well as losing their advertising slogan "Evans – The Outsize Shop", which also featured on their clothing labels. A related term for men's plus-size clothing is big and tall (a phrase also used as a trademark in some countries).
A relatively new alternative term for plus size (or large size) gaining consumer and editorial favor is curvy. In a euphemistic sense, curvy is regarded as less offensive to those that wear larger sized clothes. There is evidence of this term gaining media and market traction. In current media use, while 'curvy' can appear less offensive, it appears to associate with a younger style of dressing than plus size or larger size when used as a general reference term.
History
Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant Inc. is an American women's apparel and intimates specialty retailer focusing on plus-size clothing. The company began in 1904 with maternity designs created by Lena Himmelstein, Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin. Lane Bryant, Inc., is ...
began trading in the early 1900s as a producer of clothing for "Expectant Mothers and Newborn"'.
By the early 1920s, Lane Bryant started selling clothing under the category 'For the Stout Women', which ranged between a 38-56 inch bustline.
[ ]Evans
Evans may refer to:
People
*Evans (surname)
*List of people with surname Evans
Places United States
*Evans Island, an island of Alaska
*Evans, Colorado
*Evans, Georgia
*Evans County, Georgia
*Evans, New York
*Evans Mills, New York
*Evans City, ...
, a UK-based plus-size retailer, was founded in 1930. In the 1920s, small boys' clothing store, Brody's in Oak Park Mich (now Bloomfield) started the "Husky" size clothing.
The large-size fashion revolution of 1977–1998 in the US began after the Fashion Group of NYC
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
released a study predicting the demise of the Baby Boomer Junior Market, as the Boomers were coming of age. Mary Duffy's Big Beauties was the first model agency to work with hundreds of new plus-size clothing lines and advertisers. For two decades, this plus-size category produced the largest per annum percentage increases in ready-to-wear retailing.
Max Mara
Max Mara (Italian aks 'ma:ra is an Italian fashion business. It markets up-market ready-to-wear clothing. It was established in 1951 in Reggio Emilia by Achille Maramotti (7 January 1927 – 12 January 2005). In March 2008, the company had 2,2 ...
started Marina Rinaldi
Marina Rinaldi is a ready-to-wear, plus-size women's clothing brand of the Italian Max Mara Fashion Group, one of the best known of the company’s 35 different labels.History & Philosophy’, Marina Rinaldi. It has more than 300 stores worldwi ...
, one of the first high-end clothing lines, for plus-size women in 1980.
The first plus-size fashion line to show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a series of international fashion weeks sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, a brand of Daimler AG. Designers featured during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks include notable designers such as Rosenthal Tee, Mary Katrantzou and David ...
was Cabiria, featured in the Fashion Law Institute fashion show in the tents at Lincoln Center on September 6, 2013.
On February 6, 2019, luxury e-tailer 11 Honoré, which sells designer clothing in sizes 12 to 24, opened New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...
with a fashion show focused on size inclusivity. The runway show featured looks from Christian Siriano, Prabal Gurung, Cushnie and Brandon Maxwell. Actress Laverne Cox closed the show wearing a custom dress by designer Zac Posen.
Consumer reports
Plus-size clothing patterns have traditionally been graded up from a smaller construction pattern. However, many retailers use statistical data collected from their own measuring projects, and from specialized Body Scan Data collection projects to modernize the fit and construction of their garments. U.S. companies Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant Inc. is an American women's apparel and intimates specialty retailer focusing on plus-size clothing. The company began in 1904 with maternity designs created by Lena Himmelstein, Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin. Lane Bryant, Inc., is ...
and Catherines teamed up over a three-year period to source data to modernize the companies' garment construction. 14,000 women were measured in what was the most extensive female sizing study in the U.S. in more than 60 years.
Market
Australia
The Australian plus-size clothing market has been growing since at least 1994, with major department stores such as David Jones, Myer
Myer (stylised MYER, sometimes known as Myers) is an Australia, Australian mid-range to upscale department store chain. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of ...
, and Target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
producing their own brand ranges, and an increase in the number of individual boutiques and national chain store outlets across the country. Sizing in Australia is not synchronous with the US; plus-size garments are considered to be size 16 and upward, which is the equivalent of a US size 12. A recent study conducted by IBISWorld that "65.2% of the population aged 18 and over are expected to be overweight or obese in 2017-18." This is resulting in more interested and competition in the wider fashion industry resulting in more department stores that stocking plus-size clothing.
Notable Australian chain store brands for plus-size clothing include Plus Size Clothing Co, Maggie T, Autograph
An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...
(formerly 1626), Free People
Free People is an American bohemian apparel and lifestyle retail company that sells women’s clothing, accessories, shoes, intimates, and swimwear. It also has a beauty and wellness category, which includes products such as cosmetics, skin, a ...
and City Chic
City Chic Collective () (CCC), founded as Miller's Retail in 1992, and rebranded in December 2006 to Specialty Fashion Group, is an Australian retail clothing company. It is headquartered in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria.
Miller's Retail
Mi ...
(formerly Big City Chic). There is also a boom in Australian designer independent plus size labels such as Camilla Jayne, Curvy Chic Sports, Hope & Harvest, 17 Sundays, Sonsee, Lowanna Australia, and Harlow.
United Kingdom
In the UK there are more than 60 brands for plus-size women's clothing; however, only a small number of these brands are manufactured or owned by UK-based companies. High-street stores such as Yours Clothing __NOTOC__
Yours may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Yours'' (Nathaniel album), a 2015 album by Nathaniel Willemse
* ''Yours'' (Russell Dickerson album), a 2017 album by Russell Dickerson
* ''Yours'' (Sara Gazarek album), a 2005 album by Sara Gazarek
...
, Elvi, Evans
Evans may refer to:
People
*Evans (surname)
*List of people with surname Evans
Places United States
*Evans Island, an island of Alaska
*Evans, Colorado
*Evans, Georgia
*Evans County, Georgia
*Evans, New York
*Evans Mills, New York
*Evans City, ...
, Ann Harvey
Ann Harvey (1811–1860) was a fisher and rescuer born near the small fishing community of Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland. Harvey, called the " Grace Darling of Newfoundland", is known for her bravery at the age of seventeen for rescuing, along w ...
, Dea London
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic enf ...
and BeigePlus sell only plus-sized garments, while many other brands and department stores carry extended sizes in their shelves, such as Debenhams
Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...
, River Island
River Island is a London-based, multi-channel fashion brand, founded in 1948 by Bernard Lewis. The retailer has a presence in over 125 of worldwide markets, in stores and online.
Best known for its trend focused womenswear offering, River Isla ...
, ASOS, Fenwicks
Fenwick () is an independent chain of department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1882 by John James Fenwick in Newcastle upon Tyne, and today consists of nine branches. It was a member of the International Association of Depart ...
and New Look. More recently, stores specifically supplying plus-size sportswear, fitness wear and bras have opened such as State of Mind, Charlotte Jackson
Charlotte Louise Jackson (born 29 June 1978)In the closet with Charlotte Jackson ''Sunday Express'' magazine supplement 23 October 2011, p.33 Accessed 9 January 2015 is an English journalist and television presenter, who was formerly a prese ...
, Eve Activewear, and We Fit In. Notable online sites also include ASOS.com
ASOS plc ( ) is a British online fashion and cosmetic retailer. The company was founded in 2000 in London, primarily aimed at young adults. The website sells over 850 brands as well as its own range of clothing and accessories, and ships to al ...
, Dearcurves.com and Style908. Anna Scholz has been creating clothes for the high end market since 1995. Another notable online retailer which specialises in manufacturing and retailing plus-size clothing is Love Fashion. Opened in 1985 and based in the Midlands, they are global suppliers of all plus-size women's apparel.
Specialist plus-size brands (found in independent plus-size shops) known to be active in the UK (2010) include: Hebbeding (the Netherlands), Dearcurves(UK), Escaladya (Germany), Martine Samoun (Belgium), Marina Rinaldi (Italy), Persona (Italy), Elena Grunert (Germany), Elena Miro (Italy), Verpass (Germany), Chalou (Germany), Kirsten Krog (Denmark), Wille (Germany), Jomhoy (Spain), Yoek (Netherlands), Be The Queen (France), Alain Weiz (France), Tummy Tuck Not Your Daughters Jeans NYDJ (USA), Anathea by Didier Parakian (France), Fred Sabatier (France), Tia (Denmark), Rofa (Germany), Jorli (Denmark), NP (Finland), OpenEnd (Germany), A Big Attitude (USA), Terry Precision Cycling (USA), and Carmakoma (Denmark).
In November 2013, the Debenhams department store chain indicated that it plans to add Size 16 plus-size mannequins in all 170 UK stores.
United States
Notable women's specialty plus-size clothing retail market include Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant Inc. is an American women's apparel and intimates specialty retailer focusing on plus-size clothing. The company began in 1904 with maternity designs created by Lena Himmelstein, Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin. Lane Bryant, Inc., is ...
(ascena Retail Group), Avenue
Avenue or Avenues may refer to:
Roads
* Avenue (landscape), traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees, in the shifted sense a tree line itself, or some of boulevards (also without trees)
* Avenue Road, Bangalore
* Avenue Road, ...
(Avenue Stores, LLC), and Ashley Stewart
Ashley Stewart is an American plus size women's clothing company and lifestyle brand, which was founded in 1991. The name Ashley Stewart was inspired by Laura Ashley and Martha Stewart, who the company saw as icons of upscale Americana.
The S ...
(Ashley Stewart, Inc.).
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
also offers a limited but inexpensive plus-size apparel line. The department stores J. C. Penney, Kohl's
Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Hawai ...
and Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
also offer plus-size apparel. Torrid (Hot Topic) is a retailer geared toward plus-size young adults. International online retailers, such as Simply Be
Simply may refer to:
* ''Simply'' (Blossom Dearie album), 1982
* ''Simply'' (K. T. Oslin album), 2015
* "Simply", a song by De La Soul from the 2001 album '' AOI: Bionix''
* Simply Market
Simply Market is a brand of French supermarkets formed ...
(N Brown) from the UK have started marketing in the United States. Part & Parcel, a social commerce company focused exclusively on clothing for plus-size women, launched in May 2019.
On the men's side, Destination XL Group
Destination XL Group, Inc. (DXLG) is a leading retailer of Men's Big and Tall apparel with 290 retail and outlet store locations throughout the United States operated under the business subsidiaries DXL and Casual Male XL. The company also opera ...
, Inc. is a major specialty retailer of men's big and tall apparel, with over 300 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada and London, England.
See also
* Plus-size model
A plus-size model is an individual size 12 and above who is engaged primarily in Model (person), modeling plus-size clothing. Plus-size clothing worn by plus-size models is typically catering for and marketed to either Big & Tall or Tall or Overw ...
* Fit model
A fit model (sometimes fitting model) is a person who is used by a fashion designer or clothing manufacturing, manufacturer to check the fit, drape and visual appearance of a design on a 'real' human being, effectively acting as a live mannequin. ...
Notes
The purpose of the study is to determine the current average clothing size of adult American women. Secondary data of average body measurements from the most recently published National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys were compared to ASTM International industry clothing size standards.[Christel, D. A., & Dunn, S. C. (2017). Average American women’s clothing size: comparing National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (1988–2010) to ASTM International Misses & Women’s Plus Size clothing. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology & Education, 10(2), 129–136. https://doi-org]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plus-Size Clothing
Sizes in clothing
Fashion articles needing expert attention