Is plus-size defunct?

Have you tried shopping online for plus size clothing lately? Have you typed into a search engine ‘white blouse plus size’ or ‘straight leg trousers plus size’? If you have, then you’ve had the same experience that I’ve had, which is every single brand or retailer on the planet shows up in the search results. At first it seems like a good thing because who doesn’t want options, but as I dig deeper into it, I realize that it is not what it seems.

Traditionally, plus size has been size 12 and up. Most brands carry up to a size12 or 14. The problem is if you wear a size larger than 14 and you’re searching for plus size clothing, undoubtedly you’re going to get brands who carry up to a size 14, but they do not carry your size. Cue the frustration. Now that so many brands have expanded to carry more sizes, there is no longer a distinction. The lines have been blurred. It seems as if the term plus size is officially defunct. But when we asked (and continue to ask) the fashion industry to include us, is this what we really wanted?

Back when we shopped in-person, I wanted to be able to walk into a store and find my size on the same rack as a size 6 because special shops or a rack in the back didn’t make sense and was dismissive. Misses and women’s still doesn’t make sense. But now that the lines are blurred, I’m not certain that’s what I really wanted. In fact, I miss retailers and brands that dealt exclusively with plus size because it was easier to find what I needed or to know what brand served me. Plus, there weren’t as many concerns about fit. The stalwarts get it right (often, not all the time). With this “shared” model, we’ve lost that undivided attention. It feels like a case of be careful what you ask for.

I’m not saying we need to go back to the one rack in the back. And frankly, it’s not practical to think that every brand is going to carry every size. In this regard, the industry gave us what we asked for, but we should done a SWOT analysis because now we’ve traded one challenge for the next.

I don’t know what the answer is. I just know it’s frustrating.