Phobbie Nicholas traces the journey of Plus Size Fashion from the USA to East London.
According to online fashion industry website Fashion United nearly a quarter of UK consumers purchased plus size clothing over the past year, and the spend on plus-size fashion could hit 5.4 billion pounds by the end of the year.
Ten years ago Bonmarché was one of a few retail shops that catered to both plus size women and men. Plus size fashion was a niche market that was not particularly trendy. There was also a misconception that plus size individuals were mostly from the older generation. This meant the younger people struggled to keep up with fashion trends. There was very little publicity or advertising in the mainstream media, and being overweight was somewhat shameful.
But the rise of social media provided an alternative platform for plus size people who wanted to break free from the social stigma surrounding their size. They began to get together online in ways that helped them feel more confident. The link was quickly made between low self-esteem and fashion. The lack of fashionable clothes for them to wear was directly affecting both how they felt about themselves, and how they were perceived by others.
Almost instantly a gap in the market was recognised and companies began to use social media as a marketing platform, including Monif C who had the idea of using everyday people to wear their clothes and share their opinions. It was an approach that led to a proliferation of plus size bloggers. Soon retail high street shops such as New Look and H&M started to stock plus size clothes, which forced those who were already active in the market to make sure the clothes they offered were more on trend.
One of the most influential women in this world has been Ashley Graham, who appeared in Glamour Magazine in 2009 in a feature entitled These Bodies are Beautiful at Every Size, and this year walked down the cat walk with a number of other larger models to launch a range of lingerie she has designed for Canadian brand Addition Elle. Ashley also became the first plus size woman to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, in which she also spoke about her body positive campaign.
But the plus size world still has challenges to overcome. Some designs are seen as too expensive to replicate for bigger people, and others simply don’t look as good on them. I asked new designer Loretta Taggy about her plans for the plus size market:
“I feel as though you either have expensive fashionable clothes or cheap basic clothes. It is an expensive mission to be a trendy plus size woman.”
The main aim for my business is to provide clothing that is flattering and in line with fashion trends without spending too much money. I would love to open a business that will eventually be the equivalent to River Island in quality and price range.”
Overall, the plus size evolution that started in the US is successfully filtering through to the UK, as evidenced by events such as UK Plus Size Fashion Week. So although finding the right clothes is still far from easy for the plus size woman, the situation has improved immensely, and is continuing to do so.