Twenty years ago (or even fifteen, if weโre being honest), plus size fashion barely had a seat at the table. Finding stylish, well-made plus size clothing beyond a size 14? Nearly impossible. Seeing diverse plus size models in major campaigns? A rarity. And yet, here we are in 2025, witnessing an industry that was valued at $579.8 billion in 2023, and is projected to reachย $964.9 billion by 2033 (via Allied Market Research), proving that size-inclusive fashion is not just a nicheโitโs a powerhouse.
However, despite all this progress, thereโs still plenty of room for improvement. While more plus size brands & retailers are extending their size ranges, featuring plus size models, and ditching the idea that we only want bodycon dresses, we still find ourselves asking for more. Because if youโre serving the plus size shopping community, you need to serve all of usโnot just a curated few.
So, how can plus size brands & retailers really knock it out of the park? Letโs get into it.
Here are a few ways that Plus Size Brands & Retailers Can Knock it out of the Parkย
1. Give Us TRUE Size & Shape DiversityโNot Just Hourglass Figures
We love a well-dressed, confident plus size model, but letโs be realโtoo many brands still rely on the same hourglass shape to represent plus size fashion. Where are the apple-shaped models? The pear-shaped, rectangle, and inverted triangle bodies? We deserve to see size-inclusive fashion showcased on a variety of figures, not just one type.
Brands like Universal Standard, Kiyonna, and Girlfriend Collective have done a solid job of showing more than one plus size body type, but this should be standard across the plus size fashion industry. Also, plus size clothing retailers need to extend sizing upwardsโnot just add straight sizes and call it a win. Offering up to a 4X/5X (and beyond to at least a 32) should be the norm, not the exception. Plus size shoppers deserve better! Donโt you want a slice of that $579.8 Billion Pie?
2. Stop Playing It SafeโGive Us Innovative, Trend-Forward Designs
Listen, we love a great staple, but if we see another plain bodycon dress, cold-shoulder top, or basic tunic, we might just scream. Too many plus size brands hesitate to take risks, watering down trends instead of embracing them fully. In addition to the options, give us aspirational styling! Give us look books to help us better understand your style perspective!
Instead, we ALSO need structured, stylish plus size fashion that actually celebrates plus size bodies. Look at brands like Premme (RIP, but we miss you), Wray NYC, and Loud Bodies, who dared to push fashion-forward plus size clothing. Plus size women want architectural blazers, daring cutouts, mixed prints, and tailored pieces that donโt just โfitโโthey flatter and excite.
3. Respect Plus Size Media, Influencers & Experts
Mainstream PR teams, listen upโthere is an entire ecosystem of plus size media, influencers, stylists, and photographers who have been pushing this industry forward long before big brands took notice. And yet, when major fashion houses finally โdiscoverโ plus size fashion, they often bypass the experts who built the space.
Want to get it right? Work with the plus size media experts who actually know the plus size shopping audience. The Curvy Fashionista, Plus Model Magazine now PMMToday, and Stylish Curves (among many others) have cultivated real relationships with plus size consumers. Support the plus size influencers who engage daily with the plus size community. Donโt just send a PR package and call it a dayโinvest in partnerships and long-term collaborations.
4. Show Up for the Plus Size CommunityโOnline & In Person
Itโs not enough to just sell to the plus size communityโyou have to show up for it. Too many brands claim to be size-inclusive or plus size, but fail to participate in plus size fashion events, influencer gatherings, and community initiatives.
Make your presence known: sponsor plus size fashion shows, partner with local boutiques, and engage with national plus size events like the various plus size events, TCF Events, Crusade of Curves, or even FWCurve in Columbus. Your audience wants to see you supporting the plus size industry outside of Instagram ads.
5. Keep It AuthenticโWe See Through the Gimmicks
The plus size shopper is savvy and tired of empty promises. Some brands slap โsize inclusiveโ on their campaigns, only to cap their offerings at a 2X or an 18 or leave their extended sizes out of stores. Others bring in a single plus size influencer for a one-time campaign and call it representation.
We see you. And weโre calling it out.
Real plus size inclusivity means hiring plus size people in leadership, designing with us in mind from the start, and making sure extended sizes are as accessible as straight sizes. Brands like Christian Siriano, Henning (now part of Universal Standard), and Good American have proven that intentional inclusion of plus size fashion is possibleโso why arenโt more brands following suit?
6. Invest in Plus Size MarketingโBecause Visibility Matters
You canโt just launch a plus size clothing line and expect it to sell itself. The days of โIf you build it, they will comeโ are long gone. The plus size fashion market is competitive, and if youโre not actively reaching us, weโll spend our dollars elsewhere.
Look at how Eloquiiโs #MODELTHAT campaign created buzz. Fashion Nova Curve? Relentless marketing. Even Shein, despite its controversies, understands the importance of plus size fashion advertising. Plus size brands & retailers need to allocate the same level of budget and strategy to plus size marketing as they do to straight sizesโacross social media, influencer collaborations, traditional ads, and in-store activations.
The Bottom Line? Plus Size Consumers Want More.
Weโve come so far, but plus size shoppers deserve better. More fashion-forward plus size clothing. More authentic plus size representation. More respect. The plus size fashion industry is thriving, but it can only continue to grow if brands listen, evolve, and truly invest in their plus size consumers.
So, what do you think? What do plus size brands and retailers still need to improve? Drop your thoughts in the commentsโwe want to hear from YOU!
The authorโs content and opinions have not been pre-reviewed, approved or endorsed by Discover.
Great list! In addition to adding a variety of sizes, plus size retailers need to add a variety of inseams, especially for pants. I am 5โ10โ (with more legs than torso) and in recent years my sizes have fluctuated from 16-20 depending on the brand. I canโt tell you how many times I have seen a pair of pants or a jumpsuit I love offered by a plus-size retailer only to find that the inseam listed is 3oโ or 32โณ (sometimes 33โณ in a wide-legged style), or to not see the listed inseam and to inquire about the inseam with customer service only to be disappointed. It is already difficult as a tall, long-legged person to find pants and jumpsuits that are long enough since โstraight-sizeโ retailers offer limited options for tall women. It is even more difficult being tall, long-legged and plus-sized because the options become even more limited. Luckily, some retailers like JCPenney and NY&Co offer tall lengths in sizes above a 16 that I can fit, but those options are limited. I have also found limited success with ASOS Curve, Eloquii, and Torrid, but by and large, there are very few affordable options for the tall, plus-sized woman. Many of my tall, plus friends have given up on wearing pants altogether, but plus-sized women shouldnโt have to choose the lesser of two evils between being forced to wear ankle pants or only wearing dresses/skirts. So, I hope retailers catering to plus-sized women begin to expand their options to include tall lengths, either by offering more options that automatically include longer inseams or by providing the option to customize.
Thank you for your comment. I too am tall, plus size. 5โ10โ size 16-20 pants . I need 32-33 inseam and canโt find. Should be affordable and well made.
Along the same line my shoe size is 13 Narrow! Donโt have a wide foot and a good pair of shoes is hard to find.
Iโd love to see more natural fibres and eco-friendly choices in plus ranges. Synthetic fibres are vile to wear, donโt last long and plastic fibres shed off into the ocean during laundry.
Where stores have ranges that do go from smaller up to plus sizes, the bigger sizes are always out of stock so they frequently loose a sale because they didnโt order enough stock in. I donโt think they realise this.
@Wiggles, you should check out And Comfort (andcomfort.com) โ itโs a new plus-size brand that makes their pieces ethically and in natural fabrics!
I hope that as we move forward that we will actually get more brick and mortar stores! I love my online sites but it would be so amazing for me to go in the store and shop. I want the full in store experience just like any other person. I so proud of how far we have come and canโt wait to see what the future holds!
More natural fibers, for sure! Itโs almost impossible to find anything plus-size in silk, linen, cashmere, merino wool, etc., especially if you want something modern. Heck, itโs hard to find anything in woven types of cotton, for that matter! Down with flimsy, scratchy, non-breathing, polluting polyester, and down with it forever. There are so many other options out there.
And, yeah, more options for petite/tall, in both pants and, critically, structured dresses. The waist is not going to hit everyone at the right place, and having the torso of a dress tailored is more expensive than adjusting the hem on a pair of pants.
Different shapes of button-down shirts would also be great! The only company I know of that is currently doing this is , which has 3 or 4 different shirt shapes, but they only go up to a US 18.
I would like to see more petite sizes beyond 2 or 3x. Also โ stop padding or โliningโ bras above 40. Empire waists! Design for flats โ nobody wears heels THAT much. Casual clothes. Can the polyester and โchiffonโ polyester. NO MORE studs, beads, etc. V-necks!.
Even though I know this will not happen overnight, I would like to see more consistent sizing between brands or a better sizing system.
Great article, but remember everyone is not young, but we arenโt dead either..maybe some Ralph Lauren preppy styles for us older women, in sports and dress clothes!