The forgotten majority by Ecomnomist
The fashion industry pays attention to plus size women
Revenue from the category is outstripping total clothing sales
A good fit is everything, stylists often counsel, but in assessing its market America’s fashion business appears to have mislaid the measuring tape. A frequently-cited study done a few years ago by Plunkett Research, a market-research firm, found that 67% of American women were “plus-size”, meaning size 14 or larger. That figure will not have changed much, but in 2016, only 18% of clothing sold was plus-size, according to NPD group, another research firm.
Plunkett Research 几年前做的一个研究报告表明 67% 的美国人都是大码受众。
但是NPD group 的研究显示大码服装在2016的销售额只占到 18%。
Designer and retailers have long thought of the plus-size segment as high-risk. Predicting what there customers will buy is difficult, as they tend to be more curious about styles. Making larger clothes is more expensive; high costs for fabric cannot always be passed on customers. In turn, plus-size women shopped less because the industry was not serving them well. “We have money but nowhere to spend it,” says Kristine Thompson, who runs a blog called Trend Curvy and has nearly 150,000 followers on Instagram, a social-media site.
设计者和零售商认为大码服装是有高风险的。1. 预估顾客购买行为困难 2. 大码成本高些，而高成本又不能转移到顾客身上。
另外，从大码女性消费者任务整个行业的服务并不完善，她们有钱却不知在哪里消费，所以消费很少。
At last, that is changing. Fast-fashion brands, including Forever 21 and a fashion line sold in partnership with Target, a giant retailer, have expanded their plus-size collections. Lane Bryant, a plus-size retailer, and Prabal Garung, a designer, have done the same. In March Nike extended its “X-sized” sportswear range.
一些快时尚品牌在往大码这一类别拓展。包括 Forever 21, Target. Nike 四月份也推出大码的运动装。
2013-2016 大码品类的收入增长14%。而整个服装的增长为7%。
去年大码的交易达到231亿美金。
社交媒体在其中有着重要作用， 改变了时尚界对大码的认识。
Revenue in the plus-size category increased by 14% between 2013 and 2016, compared with growth of 7% for all apparel. Takings were $21.3 bn last year. Social media has played an important role in changing attitudes in the fashion business, says Madeline Jones, editors and co-founders of PLUS Model Magazine.
Nonetheless, designer brands still hold back (Walmart sells the most plus-size apparel). Some brands, such as Michael Kors, do sell plus-size ranges but do not advertise them or display them on websites. For those that are willing to take a chance, several internet startups that deliver personally styled outfits to individuals, including plus-size women, offer data to “straight-size” designers. Gwynnie Bee, Stich Fix and Dia & Co, for example, share information with designers on preferred styles and fits. Tracy Reese, a designer known for creating Michelle Obama’s dress for the Democratic National Convention in 2012, is one brand that recently enlisted Gwynnie Bee’s help to create a new plus-size collection. Gwynnie Bee prompted the label to create bigger patterns and appealing designs.
然后多数的设计品牌依然止步不前。 （沃尔玛销售的大码服装最多）。
一些品牌确实有 推出大码服装，并没有做广告或者展示。
一些也确实有做尝试。
一些初创公司将其数据分享给设计师。其中包括Gwynnie Bee, Stich Fix and Dia & Co 以及设计米歇尔·奥巴马服装的Tracy Reese。
Not all plus-size shoppers are convinced. Laura Fuentes, a hairstylist from Abilene, Texas, says that many upmarket department stores still keep their plus-size clothing sections poorly organised, badly stocked and dimly it, if they stock larger clothes at all. Yet such complaints should be taken with a punch of salt, says Ms Thompson, “We’re nowhere near where we should be but we‘ve made progress,’ she says.
不是所有的大码购物者对此表示信服。但是业内也在改进虽然没有达到应有的水平。