Womenswear Articles       5/15/1997

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AllWomenMenHome  Eco-fashion Print This Page "That outfit looks great, but I don’t think it will flatter my figure."

IS FASHION FINDING A FIT FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WOMEN?

Let’s look at the average American woman. She is not the typical runway model — the 5'9 1¼2", measuring 34"-24"-34", broad-shouldered, slim-waisted, long-legged, size 6 head turner. Quite the contrary, statistics indicate that 40 percent of the women in this country are size 14 or larger, yet stand only 5'4" or shorter. In "garmentese" this woman is a size petite-plus — larger in width, smaller in height.

Recognizing that meeting the needs of the plus-size market presented an excellent business opportunity, leading designers such as Liz Claiborne, Adrienne Vittadini, Andrea Jovine and Carole Little have expanded their product offerings and major retailers have devoted more floor space to improve plus-size options. In fact, industry observers place this industry at $26 billion in 1996.

What does the average American woman have to say? According to the Lifestyle MonitorTM, 49 percent of women lament that the current styles available do not flatter their shape, while 45 percent generally can’t find their size in the clothing they like. And these shoppers need new clothes since 43 percent say that they own clothes that they don’t wear because they just don’t fit.

Although there are plenty of plus, and petite-plus clothes available through catalogs, the benefits of being able to try on the garments to determine comfort and fit are appealing to the consumer. In response to market demand, several designers are coming out with petite-plus lines this spring.

What are these clothes like? One thing you can be sure of, they are the not the cheaply-made, shapeless tent dresses of the past. Patterns and fabrications in a plus-size line are carefully chosen and interpreted for a fuller form. The garments must be comfortable (most pants and skirts have elastic or stretch worked into the waistband), drape properly and be easy to care for. What is now being offered to women is an array of upscale apparel choices in comfortable fabrics, especially cotton.

"Cotton fabrics are the mainstay of most collections," said Liz Dillon, fashion editor, BIG BEAUTIFUL WOMEN. "Cotton is washable and because it is breathable, it’s comfortable to wear."

One of the "pioneers" in the specialty-size designer market is ELISABETH by Liz Claiborne. According to Karen Greenberg, president of ELISABETH, which department stores are the largest distribution outlet, they learn a great deal through customer feedback at their ELISABETH stores.

"The ELISABETH stores serve as a test lab for us," said Greenberg. "It is where we learn what our plus-size consumer wants, such as one-stop shopping with a full gamut — from clothing to accessories."It was through the ELISABETH consumer that the need for petite-plus sizing was brought to their attention. "Petite is sometimes mistaken as a horizontal proportion," explains Greenberg. "Petite is really a vertical proportion. It’s for women 5'4" and under, whether they are a size 4 or 22."

The company’s newest offering to the plus-size market is "E," a group of "must-haves" for the season that takes the hottest fashion trends and translates them into flattering cuts and sizes for the plus-size consumer. On the specialty-store front, in the past eight years, plus-size retailer, Lane Bryant has opened 130 additional stores, and now operates 850 stores nationwide. They generate about $1 billion in annual sales. This success, although in part due to the increasing number of women seeking plus-sizes, is also hinged on keeping an open ear to customer feedback.

"We are always listening to and taking direction from our customer and her needs," says Chris Hansen, Lane Bryant’s vice president of marketing. "Therefore we are constantly changing and offering her fresh new fashions like this season’s Capri pants, silk shantung big shirts, slinky dresses and of course — sheers."

Just My Size, the well established intimate apparel, sleepwear, bodywear and fleece manufacturer, has just added jeanswear to its fold. The jeans currently being marketed in Kmart and Wal-Mart stores, have a questionnaire attached to the pocket flasher that encourages women to provide feedback by writing to the company.

And yet, in spite of the increased number of style and size options for women, the industry has only scratched the surface. "There is still room for improvement for intimate apparel, sleepwear and accessories for the plus-size market," says Dillon. "Specifically there needs to be more color variety, natural fabrics and layering pieces to wear under sheers."

Have we learned how and what to sell to the plus-size women? Perhaps some retailers have not yet mastered that art, but now they are at least being provided with more opportunities to capture her.

And, considering that plus-size women make up almost half of all women’s wear sales prospects, designers and retailers are sure to welcome the need to expand their product offerings.

This story is one in a series of articles based on findings from Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ tracking research. Each story will focus on a specific topic as it relates to the American women’s wear consumer and her attitudes and behavior regarding clothing, appearance, fashion, fiber selection and many other timely, relevant subjects.