Size inclusivity means offering a full range of sizes for each style so that women can choose the styles and fits they want to wear regardless of size. As most women will attest to, shopping for clothes can be frustrating because women’s clothes lack uniform sizing, and many brands do not carry a wide range of sizes. Too often, women who wear plus-size clothes are limited to what they can buy at the store because stores either don’t carry their size or have limited options in their sizes.
Here are some reasons why size inclusivity is important in women’s fashion.
Inclusivity
The first reason is inclusivity, which has intrinsic value. When a brand does not carry a full range of sizes, they exclude women from buying and enjoying their clothes. They are telling women that certain clothes are only for certain sized women and that certain sized women have more value than other women. They are limiting their sales while also directly impacting the ability of women to feel included and accepted. Sometimes a brand will carry larger sizes but only in limited colors or designs, so the options for plus-size women are significantly less. However, a forward-thinking company like Woxer carries a line of plus size boxer shorts and comfortable underwear in the same styles and designs as their other sizes because they understand that all women deserve access to the same clothes regardless of their body type. Anytime inclusivity is missing, individuals are being discriminated against. Women are discriminated against based on their clothing size when they cannot find what they need or want.
A Better Understanding of Women’s Bodies
Offering skirts, dresses, jeans, jackets, and blouses in all sizes and styles allows all women to find the style they love in the size and fit they need. Not all women are proportioned the same, so two women can be the same height and approximately the same weight but have entirely different shapes. Women of all heights can be curvy, so the sizes need to range in length. Some women need curvy fit jeans regardless of their waist size while others don’t. Too often, petite women are limited in pants, skirts, and dresses because everything is made too long for their short frames. Women over 5’8″ also have difficulty finding pants, skirts, and dresses that are the correct length for them. A lack of understanding by clothing designers about the natural shape of female bodies can lead to body dysmorphia among women young and old.
Rejection of Fake Beauty Standards
Many fake beauty standards perpetuated by male-owned companies and male designers suggest a specific size and body shape is more beautiful than another. When clothing companies offer size inclusivity, they reject these fake beauty standards and let all women know they are beautiful. Curvy women are just as beautiful as women without curves, and being a specific size does not make one woman any less than any other woman. In addition to weight and curves, there is no standard of beauty for height. Petite women and tall women are each beautiful, and they should be able to buy clothes that fit them properly. Proportions also impact sizing, and there are beauty standards related to proportions that exclude certain women from finding clothing styles that fit.
Why it’s important to have size inclusivity in women’s fashion shouldn’t be a debated topic. It should be something that has always been available due to the issue’s importance. The fact that entire brands are exclusive to specific body types and sizes demonstrates the difficulty women still have as being recognized for having intrinsic value. Being a particular size range does not make a woman more or less valid or essential.
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