The plus size market has become an increasingly topical subject. In today’s society, pressure on body image is considered relentless with diet plans, magazines purely focused on the ‘ideal body’, ‘skinny shaming’, ‘fat shaming’ and size 0 models.
In recent years controversial plus size bloggers and models such as Tess Holliday, have championed the improvement of clothing and less pressure on women to be an unrealistic body weight whilst feeling happy in their own skin.
Whilst France’s recent movement to ban unhealthy models from catwalk shows is an encouraging step, some feel the industry does not cater or represent British women’s average body shape, size 16.
Brands are finally beginning to see benefits by offering a more stylish on trend wardrobe for plus sizes. A recent study by the NPD Group discovered more teenage girls than ever before are buying plus-sized clothing. The groups chief industry analyst Marshal Cohen, denied this was the result of a much talked about obesity epidemic.
Stating in an interview with Fashionista.com, Cohen said, “Teens are reinvigorating the plus-size market,”… “Today’s young consumers know what they want and won’t settle for less. This energy will turn up the volume at retail for the plus-size apparel market overall, which is important but sometimes overlooked”.
The plus size market has often been seen to have been treated as an after thought in the designing process. However companies such as Eloquii and Asos Curve are offering clothing with more awareness of style, which seemed to be an asset previously ignored.
Eloquii in particular is certainly creating a buzz, the brand who grew its volume by 165% in 2015 and specifically focuses on plus size fashion has just announced $15 million funding. It signifies a turn around not only for the company (who were dropped in 2012 by their parent company), but hopefully a positive step for the clothing industry and body image itself.
#Love.Peace.PlusSizeFashion
