In recent years, many brands have claimed to embrace inclusivity by casting plus-size models and widening their clothing range to suit all body types. However, shopping for plus-sized clothing is still a challenge for many. Last month Jacqueline Jossa hit back after being branded a plus-size model despite wearing a size 12, so Flawless.org were intrigued to discover just how ‘inclusive’ the biggest online women’s clothing retailers really are.
Flawless.org investigated 37 different retailers and analysed 367,155 items where they discovered that just 21.4% (52,186) of online women’s clothing is accessible in plus sizes. Flawless then looked at the 10 most popular brands – H&M, ZARA, New Look, Boohoo, River Island, Topshop, Pretty Little Thing, GAP, Shein and Missguided – and discovered that they receive a combined total of 34,498,650 online searches each month, however just 15.8% of their items are available in plus size – with some brands only offering up to size 18. Although the average size among women is a UK 16, it appears that brands are catering for the minority.
After analysing the data, Flawless.org were intrigued to find out what the brands’ plus-size customers think about their lack of inclusivity. Flawless.org found that 39% of the women surveyed think that plus-sized collections are not fashionable enough, with some described as ‘last season’. More than 3 in 5 (63%) plus-size customers believe that the sizing charts shown online are not accurate, and they often have to size up or down to find their perfect fit. Almost all of the women surveyed (92%) have found online shopping to be extremely difficult during the pandemic as they are not fairly represented in the industry.
Which brands are most guilty?
Out of the 10 most popular brands, Topshop have the worst result. Despite owning 319 stores across Britain and being a leading fashion retailer, just 3.3% of their online items are available above size 14.
New Look receive a whopping 4,894,690 searches per month from shoppers looking to find new clothing, however plus-size customers are left with slim pickings. Only 353 out of the 7,144 items shown online are plus-size (4.9%). New Look’s range of dresses disappoint too, with 1% of their online inventory catering from size 16 to 32.
River Island and Boohoo also rank badly, with 5.1% and 5.2% of their women’s clothing available in plus-sizes respectively. At the time of analysis, River Island had just 3% of tops for sizes 18 to 28.
Missguided are also guilty, with just 962 of their 17,107 online items (5.6%) available in plus-sizes (UK size 16-28). This year ‘Inside Misguided’ premiered on Channel 4, with one episode providing a glimpse into their #LoveThySelf campaign which attempted to encourage diversity; although, their product range does not reflect this. Additionally, Misguided leave just 6% of dresses for their curvier customers to choose from.
Which brands are most inclusive for plus-size?
Unsurprisingly, 3,335 out of 4,422 items available on Simply Be’s website are plus-sized – 75.4% of their online products! Ranging from sizes 16 to 34, their collections are impressive and convenient for thousands of shoppers.
H&M impress consumers with over half of their online items catering for plus sizes. 54% of all H&M women’s clothing is between XL and 4XL, with 64% of their tops available online fitting these sizes. The retailer also has 55% of all online dresses accessible for curvier customers.
Although Miss Selfridge’s range only goes up to size 18, 47.7% of their items are between 16-18. This online store also has a large range of plus-size tops for customers, with 59% catered towards size 16 and 18.
Growing fast-fashion outlet Shein ranks significantly well compared to its competitors, with 37.2% of online items available from XL to 4XL. Surprisingly the brand ranks relatively well in the number of plus- size dresses; with 5,795 plus-size dresses in comparison to 19,536 average dresses available (30%).
