Jun 1, 2009 7:30 pm US/Eastern
Consumer Report: Plus-Size Clothes Harder To Find
Reporting
Cindy Hsu
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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(file photo)
Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images
It's getting harder for plus-size women to find the right size when it comes to clothes, and the recession is only making it worse.
Department stores like Bloomingdales have dropped several plus-size lines, Ellen Tracy has cut its larger sizes, and Ann Taylor no longer sells size 16 in stores, although you can find their plus-sizes on line.
A spokeswoman for Ann Taylor says it's not the economy, but low demand.
According to trend-tracker NPD Group, sales of plus-size clothing recently fell eight percent in 12 months, compared to a two percent drop in standard sizes.
Adrianne Pasquarelli, with Crain's New York Business, says it costs about ten percent more to produce a plus-size line.
"You have to pay additional fit models, you'll need special patterns for that, and it also requires more fabric," Pasquarelli says. "Stores have to cutback somewhere, especially these days."
Stephanie Sobel is president of onestopplus.com, a Web site that sells sizes 12 to 44.
She's says there's a lot of growth in this market, and was surprised that so many retailers are cutting back.
"It's very surprising to me because, really, 56 percent of women are sizes 14 and up, and they want all the same things that everyone wants in terms of great fashion and great new ideas," Sobel says. "They want to look good for every occasion too."
Alicia Appleton says growing up and being frustrated over so little variety in clothes inspired her to become a fashion merchandiser for a plus-size line.
"It's more so an emotional rollercoaster because women feel like, 'I'm not accepted, I'm not catered to, my needs are not being met,' and that's the hardest thing," Appleton says.
She says there's now a lot more available for women her size, and retailers will have to catch on.
"We are here, we are here to stay, we are fabulous women in whatever size we are," Appleton says.
Appleton is hopeful that, in the future, the clothing market will reflect the true size of most American women.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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