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Redefining Fashion: Plus-Size Apparel Takes Center Stage
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Redefining Fashion: Plus-Size Apparel Takes Center Stage
For the longest time, apparel retailers gave the cold shoulder to plus-sized women.Get more news about cheap Plus Size Dresses for women,you can vist 5xsize.com!
Aside from the few stores completely devoted to the plus-size market, such as Lane Bryant and Avenue, the offerings have traditionally been poor, unfashionable and usually placed in the least-trafficked areas of stores.
Retailers are warming up to the idea of catering to this demographic and are starting to dip their toes into the full-figured clothing business.Plus-sized women’s clothing, generally defined as size 14 and up, is a growing, billion dollar business – representing almost $18 billion of the $116 billion women’s apparel market.
And while more brands are starting to add plus sizes to their offerings, in 2013 less than 15% of brands offered sizes larger than a 12.Yet, 72% of women wear sizes 12 and above with size 14 being the U.S. average. Moreover, 65% of U.S. women wear sizes 14 through 24.
The pervasive stereotypes associated with the notion that larger women don’t want to dress fashionably are unfounded and have resulted in a depressed apparel segment.Women sizes 12 to 26 want what all consumers want: good quality clothing, a fashionable range of options, compelling prices and a contemporary store environment.
So in an era where the overall apparel market is experiencing modest gains and retailers are saying they have to find new ways to grow, plus-size apparel should be an irresistible market to try to tap into.
The plus-size consumer accounts for more than 65% of the apparel-purchasing population and as plus-size apparel offerings become stronger, women will spend more.
For example, after expanding its assortment of full-figured apparel in 2011, ModCloth, an online apparel retailer, saw business more than triple – with plus-size items having a 25% higher order value than the average order.
However, entering into this market can unfortunately be a tough choice for retailers as the segment isn’t all sunshine and roses.
Deciding whether to carry plus-size clothing comes down to a risk calculation as most retailers can’t afford to stock sizes that fit everyone and plus-size clothing is generally more expensive and complex to manufacture.