Weeks — brought us an Indie sleaze revival and exciting work by young, boundary-breaking developers. The industry still has a lot to learn, especially regarding size diversity. We must look beyond runway inclusion to find out what sizes designers sell.
InStyle examined the sizes of all brands on the global Fashion Week schedule and found some disappointing results. Only 9% of the 327 industry-approved designers on the calendar offer clothing in sizes 20 and above. These are just 30 brands, 22 of them based in New York. These numbers are not good news for American women. According to the latest data, their average size is 16-18. 70% of designers offer clothing up to size 12, consistent with our last season’s data.
London is the most compact of all four Fashion Weeks. Only 1% of designers offer a size 20 or higher, and 27% offer a size 14. This is closely followed by Milan, Paris, and New York. 19% of designers produce a size 20 or higher. These numbers may seem surprising considering the number of outward-facing brands that promote size diversity this season. These photos show the beauty and diversity that Fashion Week offers. Some brands, such as New York-based label Selkie, back that outward support by providing natural substances. This campaign featured bodies of all shapes and sizes and curvy models that were not embraced by the mainstream. This message is still being carried to the
Brands that don’t embrace inclusivity on the runway can feel performative and, at worst, hurtful to shoppers who feel excluded when they click ‘buy.’ Ester Manas’ “Sunset Body” collection was widely praised at Paris Fashion Week. It featured a wide range of models. The brand only sells sizes up to 16. However, many styles are available in a one-size fits all option that can be made to stretch.
A few brands only offer sizes 20 and higher in specific garments. Givenchy is a good example. It offers a size 24 in a few loungewear styles but is out of stock on all except one. Tommy Hilfiger also featured several curvy models at ‘s latest show. However, only ten types are available in the largest size, a 24. The brand’s casual athleisure and sleepwear are the most famous plus-size options.
