To retailers who do not carry plus size clothing,
Since the 2006 interview of Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries, where he openly said that the company excludes women and men of bigger size, the topic of plus size clothing has been hotly debated and brought into the spotlight, now more than ever. Many people on the internet argue back and forth over embracing plus size. some think it;s a great way to celebrate all different types of people, while others think it promotes obesity. While some brands have gotten the memo to carry plus size clothing, such as Forever21, others still seem to only cater towards smaller people. I’ve grown up pretty much in-between the line of normal and plus size clothing most of my life. As a little girl I always had to shop in the “big girl” section of the kids clothing. And as I got older and older, I saw how much harder it was to even find a pair of well fitting jeans for a decent price. Most retailers refuse to carry shoes in sizes larger than a 10!
According to cleveland.com, the average American woman wears a size 14. You’d think that more retailers would carry bigger sizes to boost sales, but in fact we stores just the opposite. Take Brandy Melville for example. This brand takes a “one size fits all” approach on clothing. This actively excludes more of the consumers they are trying to reach, while giving the impression that it’s being inclusive.
Stores who choose not to sell plus size clothing are only missing out. If the most common size for a woman in America is a 14, than why do so many retailers exclude themselves from that? Looking from both a consumer and retailer standpoint, it seems to be a win-win! Companies will profit from the sales from clothes, and consumers will be able to feel confident in clothes they enjoy wearing.
Every single person deserves to dress themselves in a way that makes them feel good. And if retailers choose not to carry plus sizes because they “don’t cater to that body type”, then shame on them. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has wished for more clothes to be made, and I know I’m certainly not the last one either. And the companies who charge extra money for a size that uses a little more fabric than average? That’s robbery. There is no way an extra couple of inches of fabric can really be worth an extra 10 dollars. Regardless of how or why someone ends up being the size they are, they have just as much of a right to feel confident as anyone else. The retailers that are truly making an effort to become more inclusive, such as asos.com & jcPenney, will become the stores that people will shop at.
Even the stores who just stock plus size online. although it is a huge advantage to try clothes on before you buy them instead of ordering, paying shipping fees, and sometimes returning, its still effort. All in all, the world has come a long way, and many people are embracing their sizes, regardless of the numbers assigned to them. But I encourage you, the retailers, to reconsider. The only people who won’t benefit from the sales of plus size clothing are you, if you decide not to sell it.
Sincerely,
Carolyn
