Some Stores Changing The Game When It Comes To Size Inclusivity
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Some stores and brands are changing the game when it comes to shopping.
Their focus on inclusivity is giving some customers hope, when before many felt dread.
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reports, River DiLeo leaves an Old Navy store in Harlem feeling satisfied. She likes seeing extended sizes of a clothing item grouped together on the racks, sizes 0 through 30, not put in a separate plus size sections.
"I think it's good that they're all together and they're all the same price. It made it easier to find something today," DiLeo said.
DiLeo says shopping for a stylish outfit in her size can be a pain. She described to Carlin what she had experienced and some other stores.
"They're not as fashionable. They're not as good, or not as well made, often," DiLeo said.
Old Navy said searches for the word "plus" on its websites went up 63% over the past year.
Among the changes are new mannequins sizes 4, 12 and 18. The different sizes of an item are all priced the same.
"I think that's a idea great because we are all people just different sizes," said Patricia Broone. "I support that, one thousand, three hundred trillion percent."
It makes a difference for people who say doing this makes him want to shop in clothing stores again when before they dreaded it."
"From a psychological standpoint it crushed me I didn't like going shopping and I love fashion," said Dara Senders.
Senders is a fashion designer from Union, N.J. and launched the company that bears her name during Paris fashion week in 2018, making sure size inclusivity was at the forefront of her brand.
"Whether you're a size 0 or size 40," Senders said. "It's about time that we include women of all shapes, ethnicities and backgrounds, just to make everyone want to shop and feel great."
Retail experts estimate plus size fashion is a market worth $32 billion, and more and more companies will overhaul what they offer, how they present and price it.
Retail analysts say the extended-size market for women represents about 20% of the total women's apparel market.