With increasing American population, plus-size clothing industry for the trendy American women is also growing. Today, at least 50% American women wear a size 12 or even larger. Some reputed retailers specifically serve the particular needs of plus-size women. In addition, there are designers who especially design for the plus sized women. In fact, plus size fashions, particularly for women are very much in vogue in America. The plus size clothing industry in the country has generated about 17 billion dollar during 2011-12 though critics don’t consider it as a budding industry.
Here are some fundamentals of plus size fashion.
· Size – Most women don’t fit into 0 to 2 sized clothing worn by the runway models. As per a survey by National Public Radio, most American women wear size 12 to 14. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed in their latest survey that about 2/3rd of the American female populace are either overweight or obese. As a result, new clothing lines have come into the market to cater the needs of these women.
· Effect – Clothing market for plus size fashionshas grown remarkably. As of 1985, average American women wore a size 8, while now almost 66% women wear a size 12 to 14. Nowadays, plus sized clothing are sold even in leading department stores.
· Importance – As per The New York Times, plus size clothing market covers up only 17% of the women fashion market of United States. According to the market analysts, variations in plus sized women clothing and lack of supply are mainly responsible for this small percentage. However, this is a promising industry. And it is expected that with more numbers of plus size women, the market will be growing more and more by every passing year.
· Challenges – Most manufacturers find that manufacturing plus sized clothing is much difficult and more expensive than making smaller sizes. Not only that plus size fashionsneed more materials, it also needs different types of production procedures as analyzed by The New York Times. For example, the manufacturers need special machinery to use wider bolts of fabric. Due to difficulty and expenses, many manufacturers have stopped producing plus sized clothing. Plus sized apparels need more space and for this reason many reputed clothing retailers have pulled off such clothing from their shelves.
· Trend – Famous and high-end fashion designers have started embracing the latest trend of plus size fashions. They have started designing plus sized clothing. Skinny jeans, empire waist blouses and leggings with tunics work very well for the plus sized American women. Boots and belts are also in trend for such women.
Some fashion tips for the plus sized women
Larger sized women often feel frustrated while looking for clothing which would suit and flatter their body contour. However, there are countless ways through which they can surely make positive impression and leave an appeal in terms of plus size fashions. Here are some tips for them.
· They should choose vertical stripes as it would leave a slimming effect.
· They must avoid clingy fabrics as such fabrics stick to body and thus may accentuate body parts like belly and thighs.
· They should avoid wearing baggy clothing.
· Monochromic colors would suit them well as such colors would take the emphasis away from fatty body parts like thighs and tummy.
Author’s Bio – Mary James is a renowned fashion blogger. She regularly writes on tricky fashion facts like plus size fashions.