Plus Size Fashion – I have to admit that I had to think twice about writing this post because I really do not want to isolate brands that I have worked with and might work with in the future. But then I realised I couldn’t think like that because my blog started out as my own little corner of the internet to rant and rave about items and I can’t let that change.
Plus Size Fashion
To be honest, I have been wanting to write about this topic for a few weeks now but never found the time – and then the Kelly Brook for Simply Be collection was released this morning! In case you haven’t seen, Simply Be have been promoting this collection for the past few weeks as an inclusive fashion line with sizes 10 through to 32. I was SO excited for this range, even if it isn’t all items I would wear – the idea of an inclusive range was exciting to me! Something for everyone rather than a ‘plus size range’ is a massive step forward and something I personally would love to see more of.
Today, I logged onto the Simply Be website to see what the collection was saying and I was excited to see that the collection had 12 pieces in total – GREAT! Then I clicked on size 30 to see what I could buy and I was met with 4 choices! 4 black choices… Some pretty choices yes, but black! and only 4 choices! No bodycon, no daring red trousers, no bright colours for me because apparently this INCLUSIVE collection only has all 12 items available in 14-26.
If you’re a size 10 you’ll have just 10 items to pick from and if you’re a size 28-32 then you’ll have just 4! To me, a collection that spans sizes 14-26 is nothing new, Asda have been doing it for years!
However, let’s face it Simply Be are not the only retailer to offer such a dramatic drop in style choices when you go up the size scale. If you log onto the New Look Inspire page you’ll see that they have 336 choices in a size 26, 243 in a size 28 and JUST 52 items in a size 30. A massive 284 choices in clothing that New Look have decided I am too fat for.
Last year Pink Clove became one of my favourite go to places – I lived in their tartan dress last year! Go to their website today and you’ll see 48 dress on sale, just 30 of them in a size 30-32. This from a brand who says that they stock sizes 16-32 on all of their main promotional material.
Perhaps I am being mean and have a taste of sour grapes because so many of the items I want are not available in my size. Perhaps every size has the same issues as me and I am just focusing on my own dramas. I understand that not every single retailer can stock every single size (although how amazing would that be!) but when you promote sizes up to 32 and you have just 15% of your items in that size I think something is going wrong here!
If you’re going to advertise that you stock those sizes, you must assume that people are actually looking for them, so why aren’t you stocking them? If you’re going to launch an all inclusive range then make sure it is that, all inclusive! If you have just 1/3rd of items available in all sizes this isn’t inclusive because a majority of the items on sale exclude people who might want to buy them! This trend of less choices in bigger sizes is the same across the board from lots of brands and something I would love to see change!
I LOVE the inroads we’re making with plus size fashion and celebrity collaborations, more choices and bolder styles can only be a good thing! However sometimes I feel like we need to do more to make sure that plus size fashion includes all sizes and not just those that fit a certain bracket!
All of this because I am SO sad I can’t wear the Kelly Brook body con dress, it’s a beaut isn’t it?
Debz Louise is a plus-size blogger based in Yorkshire. Behind many nationwide campaigns such as #WeaAreTheThey & winner of Best Blogger at the UK Plus Size Awards, she talkas about life as a plus-size 40-something woman in South Yorkshire.
I had already planned to write my thoughts on the collection but would love to link you about the sizing issues as you cover it so well. Hope that is cool xx
Well said. There's something afoot in plus size fashion when plus size fashion has a glass ceiling, as it were. x x
I'm so tired of supposed inclusive collections not being such. I am now so jaded about these brands that I would actually be surprised if they did offer the full range to all sizes.
Although I am at the smaller end of Plus Size, I totally agree with you about the sizing and think that it is ridiculous for a company like Simply Be to not make this range properly inclusive.
What also annoys me is that they advertise on the TV as having sizes from a 14 to 32, yet collections like this start at a size 10! I've got no problem with people being a size 10 and think that ALL clothing should be available in ALL sizes, but I don't think that a company marketed at size 14 and above should bring out a range like this and offer it to people well below their supposed target market and then exclude those they allegedly cater for! Clearly they do not think that fat women should be entitled to dress like Kelly Brook but slim women can!
The range itself is OK, but nothing special. None of it jumps out and grabs my attention and I think it is way to overpriced. The Kelly Brook range for New Look was a much more dynamic and fun range and was more than 50% cheaper than this range!