The Plus Size Fashion Industry Needs a Facelift
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Plus size is finally getting the attention it rightly deserves. Recently, fashion weeks around the world have featured women of all proportions and popular retailers have started selling more sizes. But according to one fashion insider, the inclusivity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Rivkie Baum, the editor of U.K.-based Slink, a magazine for women sized 14 and up, writes in The Guardian that while clothes are made past a size 26, the models and faces representing the industry all fall between sizes 12 and 16.
“While many plus-size lines go past a size 26, the models do not,” she writes. “But as much as I love and respect the plus-size models we work with, I see the flaws in the industry, vocalised by consumers of plus-size clothing and our readers.” As Baum points out, the famous models associated with plus size don’t exceed size 16. Robyn Lawley is a size 12, Denise Bidot is a 14, Candice Huffine wears size 12, Hayley Hasselhoff is a size 12 to 14, and Crystal Renn a size 12.
“With the majority of plus-size fashion transactions taking place online, visualizing what that dress will look like on a body shape very different to that of the model wearing it on screen is a conundrum for both customers and brands.” Baum hopes make a change by collaborating with the fashion brand Elvi on a model competition, searching for four women that wear sizes 20, 22, 24 and 26.
But while Baum’s statements are true, the plus size façade is undeniably going through some positive restructuring. 27-year-old plus-size blogger Gabi Gregg, who is a size 18, was featured in a Sports Illustrated-inspired photo shoot for Swimsuits for All. Nicolette Mason, who writes the blog Big Girl in a Skinny World, collaborated with ModCloth on a collection available from size XS to size 4X and even modeled for the campaign.
Kelly Osbourne’s new clothing line, Stories, has been especially designed for women of all shapes and sizes, paying special attention to pain points in fashion that a lot of women face. Osbourne, who has fluctuated in size herself, has picked a diverse range of people to represent her new brand. She doesn’t use any models (but does cast naturally skinny women) and is wide-ranging with her choices of representation. “When it comes to women over a size 12, most people struggle,” the Fashion Police star tells Yahoo Style. “Everybody’s body is different. I wanted to take that shame away from women and make them feel beautiful.”
