Online shopping has provided more options, but frustrations persist despite the plus-size clothing industry being a multibillion-dollar global business.
I’ve been plus-size for most of my adult life, and the experience has always been the same. Either the cut of the garment is too long, too wide, too tight, or too short. Options are rarely flattering and colors and styles are limited and unimaginative (think: oversized floral prints).
Then there are the styles the industry seems to be pushing on us. The ubiquitous “cold-shoulder” shirts, which have oval cutouts at the top of the arm, seem to be an attempt to show off a woman’s shoulders and hide her underarms. Crop tops are everywhere, too. Harder to find? A simple blouse.
Shopping for pants is a struggle every time. The waistbands are either too big or so tight that a wardrobe malfunction seems inevitable. Depending on the cut and style, some pant legs are impossibly snug in the hips and thighs as I twist and squeeze into them. This is a battle I am not going to win.
There is some good news. Retailers such as Lane Bryant, Eloquii, Avenue, and Torrid have stood out in providing clothes for curvy women. Designers Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors create extended-size clothing sold in department stores.
Online, the plus-size market is booming as more designers and retailers offer a wider selection than in stores, catering to diverse tastes, shapes, and sizes. Retailers such as Mod Cloth and Quince, and high-end sites such as Pari Passu and BAACAL, recognize that plus-size women desire better styles, materials, and cuts. Some, like eShakti, allow shoppers to customize their selections to fit their bodies.
And yet hurdles remain. Despite the demand, the number of stores in the country focused on plus-size clothing fell from 16,800 in 2018 to some 12,000 in 2023, according to Statista. And plus-size fashions accounted for just 0.3 percent of looks for autumn/winter 2025 at major fashion weeks, according to a Vogue Business analysis. That’s down from 0.8 percent the previous year.
Meanwhile, the popularity of medications used for weight loss such as Ozempic, Zepbound, and Wegovy are raising concerns that the industry could return to an “ultra-thin” ideal and roll back progress on size inclusivity.
Despite its pervasiveness, online shopping has its drawbacks. Shoppers have to wait for clothes to arrive in the mail to try them on. Browsing in person gives me the advantage of seeing clothes up close, feeling fabric against my skin, perusing the racks of choices and discovering something unexpected.
Online, thinner models are often used to showcase plus-size clothing. Without a dressing room to actually see ourselves in the clothes, we face a hurdle. There are exceptions, however, such as Universal Standard, which sells clothes from sizes 00-40 and whose website features models of all shapes and sizes.
As for my search at the department store, after a couple of trips through the measly selection, I was exhausted. Cutting my excursion short, I returned home with a green rayon blouse. It wasn’t a wow, but served the purpose. But “blah” shouldn’t cut it anymore. All women, regardless of their shape and size, want to feel beautiful in clothes that actually fit them.
Delores Edwards is a freelance writer. Send comments to [email protected].
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