Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. While social media may often project an ideal body shape and size that leaves most women unsatisfied with what they look like and resort to unhealthy eating habits, long gone are the days when women were body shamed for having natural bodies. 2022 is all about body positivity, and fashion brands and designers have increasingly begun to realize the importance of inclusive clothing.

A majority of women in the United States fall between a size 14 and size 34, which makes the need for plus size clothing a growing necessity. In addition to the obvious social reasons associated with it, selling plus size clothing poses obvious financial benefits for businesses, and given below are five reasons why we need more plus size clothing stores around us:

  1. The growing number of plus size women

Almost 100 million women in the United States fall under the bracket of plus size clothing, and just like everyone else are always on the lookout for clothing that flatters their body shape and size. While there exist many competitors, an ideal boutique with plus size clothing should feature multiple colors, cuts, and fabric options rather than selling one or two color choices and maternity cuts. Hence, the very first reason why we need more plus-size clothing stores is the sheer demand associated with them.

  1. You can charge higher margins for it

It is difficult to find trendy plus-size clothing, and retailers who do offer plus-size options simply increase measurements and lengths for basic styles and call it plus-size. Hence, if your brand offers trendy plus-size clothing, you should know that your brand will be coveted amongst the masses and hence you can charge considerably higher profit margins. Many surveys by fashion enthusiasts and market gurus support how plus-size women are willing to pay more for trendy clothing, and this should be a big motivation for more plus-size stores to be opening up.

  1. In support of inclusive sizing

Inclusivity and body positivity is a  growing social movement that has taken the world by storm. Big brands that refused to bow down to this movement saw massive losses and closures, and the lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret is a great example of the above. Hence, whether you want to stay relevant in the fashion scene or want to capitalize on a growing trend, supporting body inclusivity is huge right now and hence presents yet another reason why we need to have more plus-size stores opening.

  1. For the creation of a loyal customer base

Before this social movement, plus-sized women have always faced difficulty finding trendy clothes for themselves. They were often seen resorting to functional or casual wear, with very limited options in trendy silhouettes and evening wear. Everyone should have the right to look and feel a certain way, and nothing is a bigger disappointment for plus-sized women than not finding their size in a dress that caught their eye. Plus-size clothing stores can now create a loyal customer base by giving their customers exactly what they want. 

  1. Simply because representation matters

Research suggests how businesses that associate a social cause with them tend to have a loyal customer base in addition to them being able to charge higher profit margins. In recent years, big celebrities such as Ashley Graham and Lizzo have been at the forefront of promoting body positivity, even when they have had health concerns thrown at them. Businesses should realize the importance of representation in fashion, and this marks yet another reason why we need more plus-size clothing stores. It is to be noted that selling maternity clothes isn’t the same as plus-size clothing. To accurately represent and display plus-size fashion, many stores are turning to custom mannequins that reflect a diverse range of body shapes and sizes. They can also look at the use of mannequin alternatives instead if they are having trouble sourcing mannequins. 

  1. To establish relevance among newer generations

Newer generations such as Gen Z are all about owning what you are and being comfortable in your skin. They exercise nonconformity with all things standard and uniform, and their chosen clothing preferences are no different. In addition to plus-size clothing, this generation is on the lookout for gender fluid clothing and non-binary styles which appeal to both men and women alike. They believe fashion is fluid, and hence to appeal to this growing generation who believes in statement pieces, we need to see more plus-size fashion stores opening up.

  1. To counter size elitism

In many fashion streams, especially in couture, there exists size elitism. Many designers tend to be snobs when it comes to going above vanity sizing and blatantly practice size discrimination thinking they are invincible. Famous designers such as Karl Lagerfeld have gone on record to let their distaste for normal body sizes be known and glorify insanely thin fashion models. To counter this snobby size elitism, we need more fashion brands lining up their stores with plus-size and inclusive clothing. Not only would they be doing social service, but they would also be raking in the profits in no time.

Conclusion

Body positivity and inclusivity are all the rage this season, and if you aren’t jumping on this bandwagon, your fashion brand is likely to become irrelevant in a matter of years. Hence, instead of focusing on vanity sizing, all fashion should change their approach and focus on body inclusivity to create styles and cuts that flatter all body shapes and sizes.