I expected shopping for a formal dress to be a challenge, but I aimed to make it a fun experience. I gathered three friends, left the kids with their fathers, and turned it into a girls’ night out. However, after two hours of searching store after store for dresses that fit my size 14/16 frame, I was on the verge of tears.
My friends tried to boost my spirits, and when we finally found a dress—a gaudy black sequined number that felt more suited for a ’90s soap opera—I reluctantly bought it. The mirror reflected back a look I despised, yet I paid over $200 for something I’d wear just once. The whole ordeal left me eager to escape.
Despite the average American woman being a size 16, as reported by Today citing research from the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education, options for plus-size clothing keep dwindling. The racks seem to shrink every season, leaving many women struggling to find stylish attire.
Many women accompanying me knew this struggle all too well. They had lived the plus-size clothing experience: demeaning, costly, and often exploitative. If you wear above a size 14—sometimes even at a size 14—you’re often left with very few fashionable choices.
After gaining 50 pounds due to a prescription medication, I found myself in the 16/18 category. Frustrated with in-store shopping, I turned to online platforms to hunt for gently used designer clothes. My local Target only offered the dreaded XXL, which often felt like a small size just scaled up without consideration for a plus-size body. Their new Ava & Viv line hadn’t launched yet, and even then, it mostly catered up to 3X, with a sharp drop-off in options for sizes 4X and above.
Take Mia, for example, a vibrant 31-year-old who wears larger than a 4X. She’s a wonderful person, yet the fashion industry seems to overlook her entirely. She expresses frustration at the norm of simply scaling up clothing without considering how different body types fit into garments. “Most stores just increase measurements without understanding how a curvy body differs from a slimmer one,” she explains.
Lily, 35, echoes this sentiment: “Many brands would just enlarge straight sizes instead of creating fit-appropriate plus-size clothes. Thankfully, Torrid has started using multiple fit models for each size.”
An additional challenge many women face is the exorbitant pricing of plus-size clothing. It’s as if these garments are woven from unicorn hair and troll fur, as the costs can be outrageous. Mia states emphatically, “Plus-size clothes are EXPENSIVE!” Lily concurs, lamenting the rare occasions when she finds something stylish, only for it to come with a steep price tag.
Even in the resale market, used plus-size clothing often costs more than standard sizes. It’s as if retailers know that plus-size women are desperate to find clothes that fit well and look good. “So often, nothing fits, or if it does, it looks like a tent. My curves deserve to be celebrated!” Lily adds.
There are retailers like Lane Bryant, which goes up to a U.S. size 28, yet many plus-size options remain exclusively online. Mia shares her frustration with her local Torrid, saying if she dislikes what they offer for the season, she’s basically out of luck. Online, Lane Bryant and its intimates store, Cacique, claim to offer sizes up to 32, but they might be the only brick-and-mortar options available.
Lily recalls a birthday when her husband searched locally for clothes for her. He found one set of capri leggings and a matching top; the top fit her chest but was overwhelmingly large everywhere else. Finding decent sportswear is a nightmare unless you order online, where fit and quality often become a gamble.
So why the seeming neglect of plus-size women? As Mia points out, even as clothing becomes more accessible, those of us beyond 3X are often left out. Mallory, 31, emphasizes, “Not all fat people want to dress like they shopped at Kmart.”
The most disheartening aspect? The feeling of being sidelined. The fashion industry’s focus on slim silhouettes leaves many women feeling invisible and self-conscious. “Shopping is a nightmare,” Lily admits. “It triggers all my body insecurities. I know I’m ‘normal,’ yet the clothing industry doesn’t reflect that.”
When I visit stores like Target, I feel inadequate, too big for the cute styles that don’t come in my size. It’s a painful reminder that the fashion world often ignores those of us who wear sizes 16 and above.
As Susan Dunn, a lead researcher from the International Journal of Fashion Design study, states, “We want the industry to recognize that women wearing size 16 and up are here to stay. They deserve clothing that fits well and reflects their style.”
Why should women like Mia, Lily, Mallory, and others be relegated to the shadows? These beautiful, confident women deserve to shine and wear clothing that flatters their figures, not garments that feel outdated or unflattering.
The fashion industry must start to pay attention. There’s a market here—plus-size women have disposable income and want stylish clothing. It’s time to step up and cater to us.
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In summary, the fashion industry must evolve to include and celebrate plus-size women. Their needs and desires for stylish clothing deserve recognition and respect. With the right attention, plus-size fashion can flourish, allowing all women to express themselves through their clothing.