Size does matter

Recently, I was shopping at H&M with my mom when she pointed out that the store had completely removed its plus-size section. We lamented the loss, and I decided to look around the rest of the store. To my dismay, most of the tops only went up to size large. After we returned home, I checked online to see if there was a better selection; H&M carries XL and plus-sizes for many items, but they can only be purchased online. I was frustrated! Why do so many trendy stores only carry up to size L or, if you are lucky, XL? Yet when I go online, the very same store may carry up to an XXL?

There are three types of stores that I have noticed while shopping for plus-size clothing. One type is the store that refuses to carry plus-sizes. Abercrombie & Fitch only has up to XL in women’s sizes; it does carry XXL for men’s clothing though. The former CEO Mike Jefferies stated that “A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.” Most plus-size people know that sentiment all too well. Not being able to fit into trendy clothing, especially when it relates to specific brands, can hurt self-confidence and social acceptance.

A 2012 Business Insider article noted that the average American woman wears a size fourteen. If the market exists so readily for plus-size clothing, what exactly is holding these brands back? By refusing to sell plus-sizes, the brands appear to agree with Jefferies’ point of view.

Another type of store is the one that occasionally carries plus-sizes in store but always online. Often, these stores set up corners or specific sections to display the clearly labeled plus-size clothing. Forever 21 has plus-size sections in this sort of format. While this is certainly better than not carrying the sizes at all, there is a certain stigma here that is hard to escape. In a dream world, all clothing would be size-inclusive, and plus-sized shoppers would have access to the entire store. For now, shoppers just have the possibility of a small in-store selection and online ordering where you cannot try anything on.

Stores like Old Navy and Target regularly carry plus-sizes, usually up to XXL. Both stores provide even more sizes online. Being able to comfortably shop through a store is something plus-size shoppers do not take for granted. While I would not say fitting rooms and I have a good relationship, it is an important oportunity to actually try on and fit into clothes in stores!

As anyone who grew up “plus-sized” knows, these store phenomena are not new. Limited Too was one of the most popular stores in the mid to late 2000s. There were plus-size clothes, but I remember the clothes often being placed in a corner or separated from the rest of the “normal” clothes.

Growing up, I was ashamed of needing to go to a specific corner. I really wanted to be able to wear the fashionable clothing that all my friends were wearing. Now, as a more body-positive young adult, I would give anything for a return to the corners if it meant actually having options. Hopefully, the plus-size corners will live up to their own names and grow in size.