The emergence of size-inclusivity in fashion

Fashion has always been a medium for us to understand and express our own sense of style. An “ideal” size, colour, shape has long been propagated by the fashion magazines and runways. While there have always been consumers who have also existed outside of that ideal, it is only in the last few years that the collective consumer consciousness has started demanding the brands to cater to their bodies as they are. We are seeing a rise in the need for fashion brands, mainly women’s fashion brands, to be size inclusive — and while most brands principally see this as a welcome change and have taken initial steps in the right direction, there is a long way to turn this into a full reality. 

The principles of size-inclusivity rests on questioning this existing “ideal”. While it is most common to equate size inclusivity to incorporating plus sizes (clothes that are 18 or over, i.e., 3XL and above in Indian context), it also means catering to smaller sizes (clothes ranging from 0 to 4, or smaller than XS), and petite and tall. 

Before we attempt to understand how brands can move towards being size inclusive, it is important we understand how this emergence has come to be, and why it is important to respond to it. The first thing we need to think is — why not? If we have products that serve a need, why exclude a significant chunk of consumers from it? In addition to this, it also makes business sense — a sizeable 15% of business in the apparel industry comes from plus sizes! Furthermore, social media has increasingly been holding more power in holding brands accountable in their decision making. Almost every brand, especially since the 2020 pandemic, having a presence on social media means that any customer who feels excluded can directly demand and call that brand out to do so. The influencer and creator community also has played a crucial role in educating and spreading awareness, further bolstering the collective voice to seek inclusion from brands. A significant advancement was marked through the discussion surrounding the “fat tax,” or the practice of charging an additional fee for designs larger than a specific size, brought to the industry’s notice by the fashion watchdog on Instagram, Diet Sabya last year. 

In response to this shift, several brands have started taking steps in the right direction. High-fashion runways are beginning to reflect the change with designers actively working with different sized models. High fashion designer brands are offering more sizes in the stores, a marked shift away from earlier practice of only keeping smaller sizes displayed on shelves.

Having an inclusive range of sizes, right from the smallest to those that go in the plus size is the bare minimum expectation from the fashion brands now. But is it that easy? Especially when looking at the layer after luxury and designer brands, it is important to recognise that the journey of inclusivity for a mass or a premium brand, operating at a relatively high scale and frequency of launches, will be different and challenging. 

While producing at scale (which means it’s not made to order as for couture), plus sizes itself can be endless. While adding plus sizes in existing styles, the grading and measurement rules required are not as linear as they are for the standard 5-6 sizes of XS-XXL that most brands have on offer. Doing them right, i.e., getting the right fit is as important as doing them at all. Moreover, the difference in the Indian body type, and hence the Indian sizing, as compared to a US or UK sizing, means that any brand will have to invest a significant amount of time and resources into research and tech development to get data for developing fits for plus sizes. Additionally, planning of inventory and sell-throughs become more challenging and costly, in absence of adequate data and accurate sales forecasting. 

All the above challenges notwithstanding, especially as brands which have reached a certain scale and have solved the supply chain for its standard sizes, we must start somewhere and we must start now! Till a certain scale, a brand can optimise by collecting body measurements from their customers and incorporate simple solutions in  their offering. Many online brands which do not have sizes above 2XL, are providing tailored propositions as an option, which also helps include those who are in-between sizes. 

The role of brands goes beyond simply producing larger size ranges. The concept of inclusivity must permeate every aspect of a brand and should not be exploited as a token gesture for good press. We must remember that we are now serving a customer, who is confident in her own skin, and sees fashion not something she has to force herself to fit into but that which needs to mould according to who she is. Gone are the days when all what one could have as plus size offering are dull colours, boring silhouettes in loose ill-fitting styles. When thinking of inclusive clothing, brands must offer the same design, aesthetic and appeal for which their brand stands for. Thought needs to be given to even choose fabrics and styles for people based on their body shape. In essence, brands are required to consider the realness of women – she can be tall, she can be short, she can have belly fat and may want a style that hides it, or she can have belly fat and feels confident to wear a crop top. And as brands, we ought to commit to inclusion of every customer and give a perfect fit for their body.

Creating a good shopping experience so that the customers do not feel excluded at any point in their purchasing journey is pivotal. It is not uncommon for a customer, while looking for plus size clothing, to deal with insensitive sales employees, or be looked down upon for being over-sized. The sensitisation and training of the store staff becomes crucial in this case. Several lessons can be also taken from brands in the west — segregation of clothes not based on sizes but based on styles or colours, so that a person shopping for size 4 and size 20 can shop from the space within the store and not feel restricted to one rack at the back of the store; or showcasing different size mannequins in one common space, which at once makes it a welcoming and a visually inclusive space for the shopper. 

The restrictive nature of shopping offline has often meant customers resorting to online shopping. And to make the online shopping experience more welcoming, similar steps can be taken. Building for filter capabilities based on sizes and fits makes the search easy and efficient. Inclusivity must be reflected in the marketing strategy as well. It’s crucial to include people of different sizes and shapes in promotional materials and product pages so that each customer can visualise herself in that product. While collaborating with influencers and digital creators too, brands must not restrict themselves to only a specific size or body type. The more diverse their influencer reach out is, the more diverse a customer group they can aim to reach and engage with. 

The size inclusive principles should also apply to all related and ancillary industries and functions — modelling agencies need to recruit women of different sizes, skin colour, heights so that no one feels outnumbered; mannequins also need to be produced in varying sizes. Adequate changes need to be made in visual guidelines on marketplaces also — from size charts, to product video to any other form of visual representation — the default needs to move beyond smaller sizes. 

The inclusive size market presents an immense opportunity. By approaching size inclusivity in a holistic manner, brands can amass a sizable following of loyal customers when it recognizes that all customers, regardless of size, are interested in quality fashion and then make it accessible to them. For any brand, the altruistic reason to inclusivity should itself make it worth it! And if not that, the business opportunity cost and of not doing so should serve as a starting point for any brand that wished to remain relevant in the market.