by: Yul Kwon at Missphit
Unflattering Plus size clothing for women is slowly going the way of
neon headbands and biker shorts in the world of fashion.
Women requiring larger fits (size 14 and up) are finding more options
when it comes to choosing their wardrobes. Clothing companies
and retailers have gotten smarter and are no longer viewing Plus
clothing as a necessity to cover-up imperfections but rather embracing
the view that Plus clothing can be fun and sexy for the larger woman.
Los Angeles based Missphit is a plus clothing line that shares this
view. With 20 years of serving the Plus size market, the
company had started off providing more traditional styles to small Plus
retailers and specialty chains. “We used to make
basic items aimed at women in their late thirties to
fifties.” says Yul Kwon, Managing Partner of Gemix, Inc. and
the Missphit label. “However, as the years passed,
we have seen a strong demand for younger, trendier looks. Now
it has gotten to the point where customers are kicking and screaming at
us to make fashion forward designs.” This demand
has led Kwon to create the Missphit label in order to solely focus on
the underserved segment of young or young-at-heart Plus
shoppers. As a sign of more mainstream retailers catching on,
Missphit has recently received orders from department store mainstay
Dillard’s. Other hip brands such as Baby Phat and
Apple Bottoms have already begun to offer trendy Plus styles through
their powerful retail channels.
Research on the plus size
market have for years shown the strong buying
power of this market, yet most larger woman will tell you that they
cannot find enough styles for their curvy shapes. Estimates
for 2005 show that 30% of the U.S. woman’s apparel market is
Plus size with 47 billion dollars spent. Many studies also
indicate that the average size of American women is a 14 and that the
majority of women in the U.S. wear a size 12 or above.
Despite the fertile territory in larger sizes, most clothing companies
have still preferred to focus their design and sourcing resources on
fitting the smaller woman. This can be evidenced in most
department stores where Woman’s (larger sized) sections are
cast off to far corners of the shopping netherworld. Should a
larger woman finally find her section, the majority of the women are
disappointed to find boring or out-dated styles.
Well it appears as if better shopping experiences are ahead as the
fashion industry is finally starting to pay attention to the specific
needs and wants of the curvy woman. In the case of Missphit,
its cuts are designed to enhance shapes rather than hide them, avoiding
the traditional “boxy” cuts many Plus manufacturers
prefer. “Some companies take a conservative
approach when fitting the larger woman, however our research and
experience has told us otherwise. Plus women want to show
their curves and feel sexy - and they are.” Kwon
said. Reinforced by more positive media images, an increasing
number of larger women have become empowered by the fact that their
natural curves can draw serious sex appeal. The popularity of
celebrities such as singer/actress Queen Latifah and Plus size model
Toccara Jones support this confidence surge.
Many in the fashion industry have embraced this liberating mindset and
have now begun to re-think and re-sketch their designs for
beauty. Other fashion designers and companies should
eventually join companies such as Missphit to fill the economic
gap. Driven by these forces, the fashion industry should
provide better choices for this large segment of the apparel
market. And finally, the average American woman will be able
to rest assured that the latest runway hits will be hanging in her
closet soon.
About The Author
This article was contributed by Yul Kwon at
Missphit clothing. Missphit is a new trendy plus size line, based
in Los Angeles; you can find Missphit items sold in plus boutiques,
online, and also Dillards deptartment stores. You can contact
Missphit at yul.missphit@gmail.com.
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