Forever 21's Plus Line
You probably have already heard that Forever 21 is adding plus sizes to their line; I first heard about it via Kate Harding’s Twitter feed. Kate also wrote about it at her site and covered the main points nicely:
The bad news? “Junior plus sizes include XL, 1X and 2X.” Dude, they didn’t even have XL before? Junior XL? Sigh. And of course they stop at 2X. And of course it’s a junior 2X, which could mean anything. I wear 2X tops from Target, but the 2X I ordered from Threadless is tighter than a whole lot of XLs I own… So this appears to be one more store introducing a so-called plus line that amounts to them extending sizes all the way up to… the smallest possible “plus size”…
Having griped, however, I will say that “plus lines” like this are a godsend for true in-betweenies. And having been thin, fat, and in-between, I really believe that’s got to be the second most frustrating size range, after 26+. People on either side usually assume it means you have a choice of buying from plus or straight lines, and very occasionally that’s true — but more often it means you live in the substantial gulf between a Gap 14/16 and a Lane Bryant 14/16, and if you’re really lucky, you know of 2 or 3 stores that carry stuff that fits you. When you consider that truly in-between in-betweenies are awfully close to the average American woman’s size, according to every article about plus-size fashion ever, it’s even more fucked up that clothing retailers would allow that hole to remain empty for so damned long.
So on behalf of my in-betweenie sisters, I’m excited about this and hope it does well. On behalf of all fatties, I’m excited about a baby step in the right direction from a company I really never expected to make the slightest pretension to giving a rat’s ass about the plus market.
It’s always troubling when the plus-size is a separate line, because it’s always (at Target, at Old Navy, at Dress Barn) way uglier than the regular clothes. I hope Forever 21 bucks the trend and actually does have cute plus-size clothes. I guess on May 1, we’ll see!
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I used to work at Dress Barn Woman, and occasionally I’d fill in at Dress Barn (which carried Misses sizes). I was always so bummed to see all the cute outfits they carried in the smaller sizes. Would it kill them to make a few in the plus sizes as well?
There’s always Torrid and Lane Bryant, but Torrid’s clothes, while trendy, aren’t always appropriate for a first grade teacher’s wardrobe, lol. And Lane Bryant tends to be hit or miss for me. Sometimes I feel like there aren’t many other options for a 30-something professional woman. Too old for the super-trendy styles at Torrid, and MUCH too young for the matching pants suits at Dress Barn. Sigh.
I’ve noticed lately that Target (and Wal-mart, though I rarely if ever go there anymore) has delegated its Plus-Size section to a measly row or two at the very back of the woman’s department, and they’ve stopped carrying anything cute. It’s happened in every Target in Austin and the few I’ve been in in Dallas and Houston.
I feel like they’re wanting me to be ashamed of my size – “you’re not thin enough to shop in the front part of the store anymore” – and we’re back to the 80s where fat people had no taste in clothing whatsoever.
When I asked a manager, I was told it’s the new store policy. *sigh* I’ve stopped going to Target because of this.
Also, Old Navy’s policy of only selling plus sizes online offers up the same shame-burger: “you’re too fat to shop in store, so please stay out, stay home, and shop in the dark”.
Arg.
As an in-betweenie, I am actually what I’ve heard is the size of the average American woman (5’4″ and size 12-14). And, yes, considering that this is supposedly average size, I do indeed often have trouble finding clothes, because a lot of regular lines are too small (XL hardly fits over my boobs) and a lot of plus-size stuff is too big. I’m hoping that Forever 21 will actually have some good stuff, cause I really like that store and actually have a couple of tops (and there were more that I would have bought had they extended PAST A SIZE LARGE)
Yeah, Kyeli… what’s with Old Navy taking their plus size selection (meager as it was… ) out of the stores? I used to go there once in awhile and get some cute things, but now it’s only online. So now I have to order it, hope the size is right, wait for it to get delivered, try it on at home, and then return it if it’s too big or too small. Not worth the hassle.
And did you ever notice that Target’s plus size section is always next to maternity? Lol… what are they trying to tell us?
Hey girls,
I think it’s time you check out Ashley Stewart. They have great trendy, sexy clothes for the plus size girl. They start at size 12 to 26. If you go into one of their stores or even on line you will love the colors and fashion. Their clothes are tendy, great quality and their prices will blow you out of the water. I am 29 years old and love their clothes. Check them out.
Aren’t the clothing sellers missing out on a huge market (no pun, not funny) by ignoring the plus-sized women? It just seems like bad business to me.
Also, wouldn’t they sell more clothing if they stopped calling it “plus-sized”? If enough women fit those sizes then it’s just normal and not “plus”. Couldn’t WM and Target just throw all women’s clothing into one dept and run the sizes from two to forty (or whatever)?
I was listening to some dumb morning radio show called the Woody Show this morning and they were talking about dealing with jerks when you work in retail and some guy called in to say that he worked at H&M and a dreaded fat girl came in who “weighed 300 lbs” and asked the clerks over and over if this came in a size 14 and he was so put out by having to tell her no over and over and why don’t these fatties get it that the store doesn’t cater to them and she had the nerve to want to try some pants on and he claimed she left a skidmark in the pants and on and on. Just ruined my morning. It’s not bad enough he had to lie about her weight and act like she was not a person, but he had to lie about how fatty left a smudge cuz fat people are gross. And the dj was just agreeing along with it.
Ah, yes, Forever 21’s “plus-size” line…according to yesterday’s Los Angeles Times, the sizing runs like this: XL=size 12; the largest size in the run, a 2X=size 18. I’ve never thought of a 12 as a plus-size; always thought of plus as starting at a 22, with missy sizes running from 6-20. It’s nice that Forever 21 is starting this line (called Faith 21), but couldn’t they have been a teensy bit more realistic about those sizes? For instance…J.Jill’s 2X is a 22/24. Vermont Country Store’s catalogue (source of some of my favorite basic items) has a 1X that’s an 18-20, and a really comfortable fit: plenty of room in the shoulders, bust & hips. Yes, those lines cost a bit more but oh, what bang for the buck!
Let’s see if Forever XXI can figure out what plus sizes REALLY are.
As one of those in-between sized people (14-16, which is increasingly difficult to find in either standard or plus sizes), I’m pretty excited if that’s true (and if those sizes make it to Canada). Really, I’d just like to go to a store where if something doesn’t fit I can try both larger and smaller!
Hi, I’m sorry I’m probably off topic, but the discussion is about clothing sizes and I am a bit confused… I have a pair of jeans from Gap which are size 4 and I would like to know what size this would be in European sizes. Or… in regular US sizes, cause I understand Gap’s sizes are bigger.
I’m nopt from US, so I really don’t know.
Thanks!
hey, i am shopping for school clothes and i wanted to uh you know look trendy so of course im looking through banana republic, Forever 21,Zumiez and all these stores and i relize that none of them have actual plus size lines and it offends me bacause i think that every store should have a plus PLUS size line because we are worth it too): i am a freshman and looks is everything i think i am beautiful and smart and i love to shop with friends and stuff, but most of my friends are always shopping at those stores and i never can go in there and walk out with something i want because they never have it in my size. I think its unfair and sorta rude that they dont. There idea of plus size clothing is size 13 in juniors or Medium its really stupid its time they pop it up a few sizes and actually have clothing that fits everyone every size every where(:
I agree with Carol Gwenn. The “plus” sizes are not proportionate to standard plus sizes. An XL is typically a 14/16 but if you wear a 16 you need the largest size offered…and I have a feeling that those options won’t fit like they’re supposed to which makes me mor than a little sad.