Published for the first time on 
The most popular size 16 is the most commonly available ‘larger’, but this does not always reflect the Aotearoa in which one-third of people are larger than average.
Photo: Unsplash / Hannah Morgan
With Christmas approaching, and Kiwis hitting the shops, there are new clothes flying off the shelves. For plus-size people, finding the right outfit can be difficult. Aimee Shaw, a Stuff journalist investigates.
Jess Molina is all too familiar the struggles of finding clothes that fit.
While she’s an influencer and ambassador for brands, she recognizes that her size is not typical.
Molina says, “It all boils down to how society views fat people.” Molina can wear clothes that fit up to 24 inches.
We aren’t considered fashionable or worthy of feeling great about ourselves or wearing clothes that reflect our style.
Molina explains that plus-size clothes are black, floaty and fitted to cover the body. Or bright and bold pieces that highlight curves. These options are not for larger women, Molina says.
She says that fatphobia is a common and accepted form of discrimination. It’s so ingrained that we aren’t even aware of it.
Is there intentional discrimination?
Molina thinks that the absence of large-sized clothes at major retailers is an intentional choice to exclude those who can fit clothing above XL.
The most popular size 16 is the most commonly available ‘larger’, but this does not always reflect the Aotearoa in which one-third of people are larger than average.
Molina is one example of thousands of Kiwi women left feeling ashamed and abandoned by a lack of appropriate clothing. Manawa Udy described it as discriminatory and stupid.
Udy, who heads social enterprise Ngāhere Ventures, says it can also become a race issue.
“In Aotearoa we have such a large Polynesian population with Māori and Pasifika people, and more curvier women as well, and we should be doing more to be inclusive and celebrating our women’s bodies,” she says.
Udy says retailers often hold a “Pākehā perspective”, and risk missing out on a “big target market” that impacts both women and men.
From a consumer’s perspective, it is vital to feel comfortable with the brand and what they offer.
Frances Lowe is the founder of Loclaire made-to order fashion label in Auckland. She agrees that many retail outlets are still stuck to historical standards of beauty.
“It’s definitely not right to place emphasis on the lower end of the scale.”
Lowe explained that this was why Loclaire focused on making-to-order clothing for 2020. It shifted away from ready-made clothes sizes 6 to 14 and started to make custom-made items.
She says, “I received great feedback from plus-sized people, not only about their clothes, but also people who couldn’t get them off the rack. That got me to a rolling start of realising just how many people are missing out with traditional retail models.”
Lowe says, “People come in all shapes and sizes.
“It is up to fashion companies to reflect the communities we live in.”
Reality Checks in Commercial
Murray Bevan of Showroom22 is the founder and owner fashion public relations agency Showroom22.
Bevan is a representative of high-end brands such as Jimmy Choo and Gucci. He says that New Zealand’s most popular sizes are 8 and 10. These sizes are more popular than smaller sizes and brands tend to produce larger quantities.
He said that the supply of large sizes can often be attributed to increased demand.
“I’m confident that the brands I have worked with previously know there is no such thing.” [intended] There is no discrimination in dressing up larger sizes, or making women look bigger.
Murray Bevan.
Photo: Derek Henderson
Another challenge for retailers is that producing a wide range of sizes is complex and expensive, says AUT senior fashion design lecturer Lisa McEwan.
She says, “If you have an 8-size garment, for instance, then you can make it a 16 size. But if you attempt to grade it using the exact same pattern and dimensions to try and turn it into size 22 with the same measurements, then it’s time to change your outlook.”
Designing in this industry is a process where you start with a 10 and work your way up.
McEwan points to the fact that some people are heavier than others, so it is difficult for smaller garments like jeans to be scaled up.
Are you able to wear both the barrel-shaped and pear-shaped denim? Now you are not only increasing in size, but also diverting to two different shapes. This is where all the complexity comes in.”
According to her, low-cost retail outlets often carry a wider range of sizes because people with lower incomes are more likely to be obese. Beyond that, she suggested that “someone who is looking at plus size would need to become specialized in this field.”
Responding Retailers
Caroline Marr is one the few retailers who specializes in the plus size market.
Marr founded Auckland’s clothing store The Carpenter’s Daughter. Her garments range in size from 16-24, and she says that this is why major retailers don’t want to sell plus-size clothes.
They are traditional and won’t change because of the high cost,” she said, noting that her store doesn’t cater to smaller women.
Marr claims that there is more choice for people who are larger than they were when she started her Point Chevalier business 34 years back. There has been a noticeable increase in sales over the past five year.
She says that “a lot of these mainstream outlets for retail started before there was any big girl outcry.”
Maxx Fashions has been a 16-size retailer for years. We are now trying to get mainstream retailers to carry larger sizes in their product ranges.
Where are the big retailers?
Warehouse offers the most extensive range of clothes for people with larger bodies, including sizes 8-30 – listed as XS-XL.
Australian-owned Postie offers a similar range of sizes for both women and men, as does Kmart and mid-market department store Farmers, which has its own plus-size fashion section.
Size 18 has been the top-selling size for farmers in the past. Size 16 was once the norm. The popularity of size 18-20 garments has increased in recent years.
Glassons, a major womenswear retailer, offers clothing up to 16 inches (L), and Hallensteins, an affiliated menswear retailer, goes up up to XXXL. Hallenstein Glasson was not available for comment.
Huffer has a size limit of 14 in its clothing (some styles are 16). It claims that the garments it makes fit more people than this.
In response to customer feedback, Juliette Hogan Fashion Label increased its biggest size to 16 units in 2020. Lucy Slater Marketing and Digital Head Lucy Slater
She says, “We’re open to offering larger sizes for as long as we can afford it.”
“It’s not possible to just grade a style smaller or larger. It takes a lot of design and pattern work as the proportions change.
Greg Harford of Retail NZ says it is up to each company to decide which sizes and what market they are looking at.
He says, “It’s expensive to make things in different sizes and it costs money for stock to keep them. There will also be boutiques who choose to limit their product ranges.”
Some specialize in bigger sizes so it is important for customers to shop around.
Are larger clothes more expensive?
A suggestion to meet extra costs would be to raise the price of plus-sized clothing.
Bevan the fashion publicist hesitates to admit that it’s possible for businesses to charge more.
His purist side says “no, that’s not fair. Why should you be punished for being more than others’? But, from a cost and business standpoint, I can see why it could be.”
It could be justified that there are more or more materials in it. This should justify the higher price.
Kmart seemed to follow this path in 2022 when it charged $1 more for larger items, including women’s clothing. Later, it reversed this price discrepancy and claimed that the error was caused by an isolated labelling mistake.
Although the Warehouse admits that it costs more to produce larger sizes of clothing than smaller ones, they have decided to not pass those savings on to customers.
A spokesperson said that “we don’t believe our customers should have to pay more for the exact same item”, and therefore, all clothing lines will be priced equal, regardless of their size.
New Zealand’s retailers are following suit with higher prices for large garments across all sizes.
Plus-size dollar
Marr the plus-size retailer says that there are many areas for improvement in terms of accepting fashion made by larger bodies.
It is difficult to quickly correct this kind of reaction. This will likely take between two and three years. [to change].”
She claims that plus-size retailers avoid this market at their peril.
They have the same money as anyone else, regardless of how big or small they are.
Jess Molina (plus-size model) says she is open to spending her money anywhere, even if it means that clothing shops aren’t accepting.
She says, “In 2022 surely they know that people beyond the XL exist.”
“Demand clearly exists. Everyone wears clothing. It is ridiculous that these companies pretend otherwise.
Molina states that although it is disappointing it is also understandable. She has decided to stop trying to persuade retailers to become more size inclusive.
“If I see a company that doesn’t value my money, it’s time to stop trying to convince them about my value.”
* This story was first published on Stuff.