The Power of #PlusIsEqual
How the retail world is changing to please its real customers: real women
Plus-size apparel is a fast growing market. Revenue increased at double the rate of general apparel from 2013 to 2016, and the market is estimated to surpass $24 billion by 2020. Lane Bryant exclusively caters to women sizes 14 to 28 and rejects the limitations of the term “plus size”. The notion has recently become viral by the social media campaign #PlusIsEqual. By contrast, Victoria’s Secret offers lingerie up to size 16, despite that customers have long petitioned for them to offer bigger sizes.
The retail momentum follows a cultural movement of acceptance regarding size. If Victoria’s Secret models are angels, then Lane Bryant models are modern-day goddesses: curvier and more representative of the average woman. Featuring Danielle Brooks, Ashley Graham, Candice Huffine, and Denise Bidot, the brand’s recent campaign addressed Hollywood’s responsibility in “redefining sexy”; the ambassadors shared their personal journeys to body confidence and dared others to embrace their curves.
British lingerie company Curvy Kate also satirized Victoria’s Secret’s controversial “perfect body” ad by posing models of different body types in the same way. Lingerie e-tailer Adore Me, whose brand strategy is to promote body positivity and inclusivity, is planning to open its first U.S. stores—200 to 300 of them in the next five years.
Sources: L2 Daily Insights (February 27, 2018) | Refinary29 (September 19, 2017) | Glamour UK (April 6, 2015) | The Wall Street Journal (March 27, 2018) | Image: Lane Bryant