By Kevin Boateng
How much has clothing brands improved to incorporate plus sizes for customers?
As we continue to painfully observe the rush of retail stores catering for plus sized customers, major US brand Reformation have finally collaborated with Ali Tate Cutler to produce their first collection that ranges between the UK sizes of 4 to 26 and XS to 3XL.
It seems unjust to believe that in 2018 brands are just only just dipping into the plus sized market. However the growing consensus seems to indicate that plus sized customers feel they’ve been mistreated unfairly and have been made to feel left out by major brands.
In response to Reformation releasing their new collection, their press release read ‘Sorry it took us so long’. This seems to be an acknowledgement of their naiveness towards the plus sized community in recent years. While flattering to the eye for some customers, could this be seen as ploy for brands to enter the plus sized market in search of monetary gains, or do brands genuinely care to cater to everybody in love with their products?
With statistics boasting a percentage of 20% spent on plus sized fashion, more and more retailers seem to be jumping onto the plus size bandwagon. British high street brands such as ASOS curve, River Island Plus, and Curve by Marks and Spencer have all established themselves within the market in the past year. Conversely competiveness between brands may not be as fierce as it should be as other major retailers such as Topshop have continued to not provide a range past the size of ‘18’ when announcing their new in-between denim range which could have been seen as the perfect introduction for them to cater to plus sizes.
As a result, the massing plus sized customers and influencers have caused an outrage across the UK including plus sized blogger Lottie L'amour. We managed to speak to her regarding her issue on the expansion of plus sized clothing. She stated that:
“For somebody that is plus sized, there’s nothing more satisfying than going into a high street store, and being made to feel as if you belong inside like everybody else. Whether it’s for monetary gains or whatever, the most important thing is that we have more and more stores that contribute to ranges for plus sized women, in order for us to feel as if we’re as beautiful as everybody else in the same clothes.”
Despite the mass amount of growth building within the plus sized market, it’s still clear to see that brands are still finding ways to exclude their plus sized customers by making them feel like an outcast while also being betrayed by the promises of brands. Although with every pain comes positivity, we shouldn’t disregard the fact that more major brands in the ilk of Reformation & ASOS are starting to put their customers first, and it’s only a matter of time before everybody follows suit.
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