Plus-size fashion was once the only wording available for those women of a larger size seeking the fashion section of their favorite store. Now noting that the wording plus-size fashion can be derogatory, many retailers are now simply removing the plus-size label and grouping the larger sizes in with their standard clothing lines.
Reported in the ModCloth blog on October 6, the company ModCloth has retired their named plus-size labeled section from their website. Opting to address all sized women as equals, ModCloth is now grouping their formally larger sized clothing with all other sizes in their catalog. After observing for a few years different sized and shapely women shopping together in their brick and mortar store, looking at the same designs in the same sections, ModCloth felt it was time to take the often thought of as disparaging section of plus-size out of their on-line site as well, noting “Can’t we all just shop together?”
ModCloth is in trend with many companies recognizing that women come in all shapes and sizes and should not be labeled plus-size. Melissa McCarthy, the wonderful actress, recently shed some pounds but is still considered a curvaceous woman. McCarthy may be plus-sized in her acting abilities, but she considers herself a woman who just happens to wear a larger size than others and adores fashion. With that notion, McCarthy took hold of her one time dream of studying fashion and has morphed it into designing her own clothing line, Melissa McCarthy Seven 7, being sold in top department stores.
Noting in USA Today August 17 McCarthy stated the obvious , “Women come in all sizes.”
“I wanted to make a real closet. You should be able to throw everything into a bag and you’re all set. Women come in all sizes. That’s the most logical thing. That’s the big part of the fun for me, making clothes for all women.”
The wonderful actress explained how she had designed her own red carpet fashions for herself to wear explaining “It was the right time. I wasn’t finding stuff that was out there to wear, and I thought to myself that I can’t be the only one who’s searching. I can’t wrap my head around why you stop at certain sizes.”
Stunning the crowds on the red carpet, McCarthy was getting compliments, with women asking her where they could find the beautiful fashions for themselves. Realizing the need for stylish fashion despite one’s size McCarthy set out to design a clothing line that would be fashionable and stylish no matter what size a woman may be.
Bringing home how beautiful all sized women are is the Lane Bryant commercial with the tag line “Plus is equal.” Beginning the video with the statement “I don’t think it matters what size you are, I think it is time to represent all kinds of women” the video’s caption notes “67% of US women are size 14-34. But they’re underrepresented on billboards, magazines, TV… everywhere. We believe all women should be seen and celebrated equally.”
Gaining momentum is the notion that the larger sized women long for stylish fashion just as much as women of smaller sizes. The Chicago Tribune reported on Saturday, October 10, how demand for the stylish plus-size fashions have been growing the Gwynnie Bee size 10 to 32 subscription rental clothing website. Gwynnie Bee launched in 2013 by Christine Hunsicker has been growing by 20-percent with each month. What sets Gwynnie Bee apart from other fashion websites is that it is a subscription service in which clients rent clothing with monthly payment plan packages. If a woman falls in love with a fashion choice then she also has the option to purchase items to keep.
The huge point that Gwynnie Bee ‘s Hunsicker wished to make was, “We’re not calling it plus-size — we simply say we carry sizes 10-32.”
In Fall 2015, the centerpiece of fashion known as New York Fashion Week brought to light the expanding needs and wants of plus-size women. Ashley Graham made a huge statement showcasing lingerie fashions for the plus-size female. Curves were well in style as the models strutted the runway proudly showing their curvy beauty in the sexy Ashley Graham Lingerie line along with the line’s namesake. As reported by Rhena Murray for Today, “The 27-year-old, an advocate for positive body image among women of all sizes, stunned the crowd in flattering undergarments and a lace kimono, part of her new Holiday Black Orchid and Modern Boudoir.”
Graham told Today, “ For the longest time I could find supportive bras and I could find sexy bras, but never both,” she said. “I wanted to create a line that did both and made [women] feel beautiful.”
With the plus-size woman being welcomed into the beautiful world of fashion during the well known New York Fashion Week, there is hope. Eyes may soon divert away from the unhealthy emaciated model to the norm of just being a beautiful woman no matter what size one is. Hello to stylish and trendy fashion for women of all sizes and goodbye plus-size fashion.
[Featured image by Mike Coppola/ Getty Images]