Category: Blog

Market data indicates an increase in demand for “plus size” bags. Clutches are giving way to totes and shoulder bags. Experts attribute this jump to the need to carry more personal hygiene effects like sanitizers and wipes.

Stacey Widlitz, an executive at Coach fashion, makers of the Kate Spade brand, says there is a continual demand in bigger bags over the years as women find the need to store more in their personal bags. The 25% increase in sales for the company is partially attributable to this need.

This occurrence is paradoxical because hitherto small bags had been more routine for most women. The ideal accessory was a small bag and the smaller it was, the better one looked but all that may be changing due to the pandemic.

Covid has been a sorrow story but it has left in its wake the positivity of “plus size”. So for safety reasons, the bigger, the better.

Lynn Boorady, head of the department of design, housing and merchandising at Oklahoma State University, has stated that fashion houses should continue to improve availability of plus size dresses in stores at same prices as smaller sizes so as to help balance the existing underrepresentation of that category of clothes on the market.

Lynn admits that larger clothes cost more but equally suggests that manufacturers should endeavor to provide size inclusivity at equal price so as to reach more consumers who had been historically excluded from that market segment type.

Her remarks seem to follow a suggestion by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg at the just ended Future of Everything Festival where she is said to have remarked that plus size dresses should cost more because they require extra fabric. Diane explains that her suggestion is both controversial but worth considering for economic reasons.

Rising costs in manufacturing brought about by Covid 19 and a global economic downturn are two major factors that may prompt manufacturers to seek higher pricing for plus size clothes but that decision may be unfair to plus size consumers. For decades the plus size market has been unduly underserved so hiking prices for that segment of the market exacerbates the feeling of isolation and demoralizes the huge plus size advocacy community.

Generally, adult clothes are made from about the same size of fabrics despite definite ranges. The differences in cloth length apportioned to different sizes are marginal. So charging extra for plus size dresses is likely to connote a discrimination against people of a certain body type especially when the call for price increase is targeted at women clothes. Male adult clothes are sold at same price regardless of size so why would women’s apparel be different?

Henning, a plus size company, decided to launch its 2020 Spring collection despite a prospect of low sales due to covid19. The brand says it took that decision because it felt plus size clothes would be underrepresented as major retailers close shops or limit production amidst the pandemic.

The covid19 crisis is adversely impacting clothing lines including Asos. Vendorship routines like photoshoot for new clothes have been curtailed in order to comply with health.

Scarlett Hao, a China-born PR Expert, makes interesting revelations about plus size clothing. She says, to look our best, size does not matter. We only need to pick what works best for us. Scarklett believes that many people think Asians are all skinny but there are actually real curvy Chinese.