Why plus-sized fashion options are declining

It was fashion designer Lucy Rao who once told me that the average Kenyan woman is a size 16. You would think, then, that there would be a vibrant plus sized market. You would be wrong. In 2013 only nine per cent of the money spent on apparel, an amount valued at $190 billion, was spent on plus sized clothes in the US.

There are several curious reasons as to why the plus sized fashion market has not made a splash as it ought to, despite the numbers. It is, for one, steeped in the idea that plus sized women do not want to dress fashionably. That they do not want to spend a whole lot to look good or stand out. The mainstream fashion industry presumes these women wanted to blend in and camouflage.

There is some truth to that. The shift, however,  started with the rise of wealthy, powerful, visible, attractive plus sized celebrities and role models. Women like Oprah Winfrey, Jill Scott, Queen Latifah, Chaka Khan and Christina Hendricks. The global fashion industry has made some strides in recognishing the plus size fashion.

There is the Full Figured Fashion Week which is in its 7th year, but even then, it is still not as widely celebrated as it ought to be, and along with it the UK Plus Sized Fashion Week launched in 2013. The latter is the biggest plus sized fashion platform in the UK.  

Plus sized according to the fashion industry is said to fall anywhere from sizes of 10 to 26. This can be partly accounted for by the variance in international sizing. US sizes are smaller than UK sizes.

Which is another reason plus size fashion is not vibrant. Vanity sizing where numbers have been fiddled with so much the typical size does not mean the same thing anymore, means sizing changes depending on the retail outlet.

These outlets are where the plus sized woman is likely to find her outfits. Big brands, unless they are Lane Bryant that dates back centuries, don’t stock clothes for full figured women.

Plus sized fashion will also not work when you upsize a smaller sized dress to make it bigger. That will alter its construction changing everything from the cut, fit to design. It also serves to make the plus sized woman an afterthought. This reason is why there is such a huge call for plus size fashion houses.

It requires the same attention to detail as is paid to mainstream fashion. As it is, the plus sized industry with its models, bloggers, designers and sponsors is practically underground.

Modelling agency

We only get glimpses of it when a newsworthy item spills out of the typical glut of fashion magazines and maybe even making it into the business pages as was the case in January with the signing of one size 22 model by a modeling agency.

Plus sized fashion gets shafted because thin is regarded as aspirational in an industry where image and looks count.

The Kenyan plus size woman suffers as a result of this attitude, and have to forge a relationship with the tailor, who is limited to African print and models her outfits on a narrow scale.

It limits stylish options. There is less playfulness seeing that most of what is available is bespoke or customised and made for special occasions. Access to functional day to day wear is not as varied.

It would seem that while there are more and more plus sized celebrities who are happy as they are, there are many others who are apprehensive about being noticed.

Ultimately the plus sized market is like any other market. It has sensibilities. It needs those catered to. No one is holding their breath big brands will be coming on board. For now, the plus sized market is doing what the plus sized women learnt to do best – be resourceful.