a result, plus-size influencers
have emerged, launching their
own collections, celebrating and
championing one another and pro-
ducing events that draw
large followings.
According to Coresight, a busi-
ness management research firm,
the plus-size fashion industry
grew by 6 percent in 2016. While
general clothing sales increased
by merely 1.6 percent that year.
And with plus-size fashion account-
ing for only 17.5 percent of
total retail sales, the vast earning
potential of the industry has
barely been tapped.Social Media Gave Plus-Size
Women a Voice
To truly understand how far
plus-size fashion has come, wehave to look at where the commu-
nity’s presence on social media
began. Social media has given
bigger women a voice to push
back against tired marketing
stereo-types and to challenge
brands and retailers to think
beyond a limited scope. Social
media has allowed us to express
our likes and dislikes directly to
the people who can effect change.
One of the greatest impacts of
this unfettered access has been
the change in how full-figured
women are perceived. The commu-
nity of plus-size women is finally
being recognized for its diversity.
No longer are larger women hiding
their curves or dressing primarily
in dreary “slimming” colors.
Today’s plus-size woman is living
her best life, confidently and
unapologetically.
The various social media
platforms like Instagram, Twitter,
Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and
Snapchat, as well as blogging tools
such as Blogger and Wordpress,
have given plus-size women mul-
tiple outlets to express themselves
and to connect with their tribe.
Liris Crosse, a veteran plus-size
model who wowed Project Runway
viewers as the program’s first full-
figured model in Season 16, agrees:
“Social media has had a huge effect
on the plus-fashion world because
it has held some brands and de-
signers accountable, and that has
caused a customer revolution.”
When the retailer The Limited
discontinued Eloquii, its plus-size
fashion line, back in 2013, the public
outcry from blog posts and other
social media conversations helped
to revive it. “Women are speaking
about what they want from brands
that cater to them and those that
don’t,” Crosse notes. “Brands
are paying attention, which has
led to plus-size fashion taking abig leap forward.” (^) »
Women are speaking
about what they
want from brands
that cater to them
and those that don’t.
Brands are paying
attention, which has
led to plus-size
fashion taking a big
leap forward.”
—LIRIS CROSSE,
PLUS-SIZE MODEL
FR
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FT
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ESSENCE.COM I 81 I SEPTEMBER 2019