The Plus-Size Women’s Clothing Stores industry is forecast to perform more strongly over the five years to 2017, as factors like per capita disposable income continue to grow. Moreover, with a rising focus on plus-size fashion, product choices are likely to expand and benefit specialty retailers. Despite continuing competition from alternative retailers like Walmart and Target, the industry is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 5.2% to reach $9.7 billion in revenue by 2017. Also, more high-end designer labels will begin to offer plus-size styles, enabling growth.

The above information is from a report which stats simply that plus size clothing is selling strong and will continue growing despite economic struggles in other areas.  Charming Shoppes which was recently aquired by Ascena, and the parent company of Lane Bryant was the big gainer with its many locations as well as one hundred years of business makes the plus size fashion niche successful despite the critics.

Additionally, readers like you guys makes plus size designers successful by supporting them.  Without the support of loyal customers there would be no Lane Bryant, JMS, Kiyonna, IGIGI, Hips and Curves, Monif C, Evans, Simply Be, Dorthty Perkins, Anna Sholz, and many more.  Full Figure Plus would not exist without supporters and in turn these merchants who are reaching out to you the plus size consumer.

More reasons why plus size fashion continues to grow:

• More designers are coming out daily
• The current crop of designers keep pushing the limits of their designs
• Social media gives plus size a voice and media attention
• Plus size consumers are no longer willing to be abused
• Reality is more compelling to plus consumers than the illusion of the fashion world

Guys without you there would be no me and for certain there would be none of the companies mentioned above.  Mainstream fashion should be thanking you but I know they will never do that so I will thank you again for your support and look forward to reporting the good stuff in the future.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

Ben Barry wrote in Elle Canada about the findings from his PhD. studies, Can using different types of models benefit brands? When I read this yesterday I was going to write about it but decided to re-read the article and give my opinion in total support of what he wrote.

Immediately I thought of conversations over the years with ladies of all ages, sizes, and races about the fashion industry and the size models they use to sell different brands.  Even thought most were said in a joking manner the conclusion was “Why would I buy that dress when I have no idea how it would look on me and they probably don’t have my size anyway.” The study backed up this water cooler talk in a major way.

Barry did an excellent job of confirming this with hardcore data collected from women in the United States and Canada.  The study included more than 2,500 women ranging from 14 to 65 years old and a dress size from 0 to 18.  Additionally, they reflected a diverse range of ethnicities. Some of the numbers surprised me some did not but the data confirms in my opinion why plus size fashion is growing at the rate it has and how plus modeling is also heading in the same direction.

Interesting findings:

• Women increased their purchase intentions by a dramatic 300 percent when they saw curvier models
• When women saw models who didn’t reflect their size, they decreased their purchase intentions by 60 percent
• Women increased their purchase intentions by more than 200 percent when the models in the mock ads were their size.

I feel he will challenge the fashion industry with his findings, but I am being realistic in knowing no full scale changes will happen for quite some time. One fact remains though, the door has been opened and the dialogue has begun.  In other words you can’t get rid of an idea once it is released to the public.

Reading the following paragraph again confirmed what I have been thinking for years and one of the reasons Full Figure Plus exists.

Companies seldom cast models who reflect their markets. The typical model is size 2, whereas the average woman is size 14. Most models are between the ages of 15 and 24, yet there are more Canadians between 40 and 49 or 50 and 64. Only 10 percent of models in North American fashion ads are non-Caucasian, yet 16 percent of the Canadian population is non-Caucasian—and that increases to 40 percent for Toronto and Vancouver.

Having recently obtained my MBA it amazes me this model works and works so well with women even though it is widely known the majority of the ad campaigns for fashion do not reflect the reality of what women today look like.

I was taught in introductory level marketing classes that marketing to a target niche is what pays the bills.  I do it with this blog but apparently even though Ben Barry confirmed this with his study the fashion industry is going against the grain despite losing business because of outdated modes of marketing and design.

In the plus size niche we exist because we HAVE to reflect what our demographic looks like.  If we did not then we would lose our audience so fast it would make our heads spin.  it is good to see data backing up what many have been speculating on for years that size does matter when it comes to the shopping habits of ladies. Congratulations to Ben on obtaining his doctorate degree and for shedding light on an issue that needs to be talked about more and more.  Let him know your thoughts by visiting him on Twitter.

Photo source

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

You are building a wardrobe which translates into a closet with versatility not a bunch of clothes you will hardly ever wear.

When you are thinking of building your wardrobe for this Summer and beyond you should burn the above into your brain so you won’t end up with a closet full of clothes you only wear for one season and get rid of.  I simple test you can apply to anything you buy is as follows:

• Is the style faddish or classic
• Can I get more than one wear out of the piece
• Can I wear this item to work as well as on the go?

Uni-tasking items have no place in the modern plus size fashion closet.  you may designate an item for one thing but in actuality it could be used for several thing.  Below are a few new places as well as some that you already know to get your Summer shopping going.

• Large Size Women’s Shoes – Don’t Compromise on Style or Comfort – Shop Barefoot Tess! Click here
• Spring/Summer 2012 Favorites from Fashion to Figure
• California Connexions – Plus Size fashion merchant on Facebook.  I bit confusing understanding the ordering process but nice clothes
• Ms fullfigured.com - Trendy plus size fashion for the diva on the go
• Queen Grace - a high-fashion company that designs exclusively for the contemporary full-figured woman

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

Source: Lapband.com

Reading the story 1-800-GetThin Under Fire for Lap-Band Surgery made me think about the coverage about weight loss surgery over the past few years and how more people are opting for weight loss surgery whether it is gastric bypass or lap-band surgery though there are still complications which are not being talked about.

In the above story five people have died in the last three years yet the only thing the doctors are looking at is the amount of money they make instead of the lives they have destroyed. I am not sure how many more people have to die in order for it to be taken seriously.

For those who know nothing about lap-band surgery in a nutshell it is putting a band around your stomach to shrink the size restricting the amount of food you intake thus causing weight loss.  I personally know two individuals who have had weight loss surgery.

One had lap-band the other gastric bypass.  Both lost weight but one has severe mental complications.  I am not certain if the surgery caused it but she did no display these issues prior to the surgery so it makes me think. At least she is still alive to have mental issues though I would not wish those type of issues on anyone.

According to Lapband.com

Placement of the LAP-BAND® System is major surgery and, as with any surgery,death can occur. Possible complications include the risks associated with the medications and methods used during surgery, the risks associated with any surgical procedure, and the patient’s ability to tolerate a foreign object implanted in the body.

Band slippage, erosion and deflation, reflux, obstruction of the stomach, dilation of the esophagus, infection, or nausea and vomiting may occur. Reoperation may be required.

Rapid weight loss may result in complications that may require additional surgery. Deflation of the band may alleviate excessively rapid weight loss or esophageal dilation.

Considering most people do not like dying you can avoid possible death by not going though with lap-band surgery.  For you word police out there I am not saying you will become immortal by not having WLS, what I am saying as a person who experienced reflux first hand, it makes you wish you where dead so what sense does it make to have a procedure that could cause such harsh side effects.

I realize there are many success stories connected to lap-band surgery but with so many dying and so many doctors worried more about the money than about the lives of their patients why would you risk your life to lose some vanity weight?

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

Mobile sales are expected to be over $7 billion in 2012

When I interviewed the BareNecessites.com Marketing director, Jay Dunn a few months ago I had a feeling I would be seeing more from the lingerie leader in terms of mobile shopping.  That day has finally arrived. Mobile technology is here to stay and growing.  Bare Necessities is one of many companies looking to take things to the next level via mobile shopping.

Bare Necessities, the leading online destination for brand name bras and lingerie, today launched two new catalogs without printing a single page. The editions are completely digital and designed specifically for a tablet shopping experience. The catalogs are available today via the free Google Catalogs and Catalog Spree tablet apps for both iPad and Android, and can be viewed on BareNecessites.com  as well.

The first new catalog features Bare Necessities’ incredible new swimwear collection, featuring brands such as SPANX, Elomi, Freya, and Fantasie.

The second digital catalog highlights Bare Necessities’ Spring bra and lingerie collection from Wacoal in a rich, sensual experience that is accentuated by being designed for an interactive, tablet environment.

“We are excited for the opportunity to use digital technologies to connect with consumers in new and engaging ways,” said Bob Vitale, President of Wacoal America. “Through the digital catalog, Bare Necessities has made our bras and lingerie really come to life for women of all sizes.”

90% of mobile sales are driven by the iPad

BareNecessites was one of the first to recognize that the Internet could be a powerful way to sell bras, because the company could offer the enormous array of brands and especially sizes that a physical store could not possibly keep in stock. Now, the company is betting that the popularity and interactivity of tablets such as the iPad and Kindle Fire will change the way in which customers shop from catalogs.

“By eliminating our print editions, we are able to design a catalog exclusively for the digital environment,” said Jay Dunn, Chief Marketing Officer for Bare Necessities. “We crafted our catalog to be interactive and creatively rich. With one tap, she can view details about the fashion, watch in-line videos, create collages of favorite items, and email favorites to friends. It is not only fun and useful, but it matches how today’s consumer wants to shop.”

These are the first Bare Necessities catalogs to be designed by Robert Vega, who was named last month as the company’s first Creative Director. Vega designed more than 100 catalogs for companies such as Lane Bryant, and was excited by what he could accomplish creatively when designing solely for a digital platform.

“The freedom of design without physical constraints allowed us to really bring the swim and Wacoal collections to life,” said Vega. “We will continue to add features and design elements to make future digital catalogs even more interactive and engaging.”

I will for sure be watching this company and the entire tablet shopping market to see how things evolve and how I can move Full Figure Plus with it.

About Bare Necessities

Bare Necessities is the second largest online lingerie retailer (only Victoria’s Secret is larger). Launched in December 1998, BareNecessities.com has sold more than 5 million bras, and also offers lingerie, shapewear, swimwear, sleepwear, hosiery and men’s underwear from more than 180 brands, including Calvin Klein, Wacoal, SPANX, Hanky Panky, Chantelle, Elomi and La Perla.

Bare Necessities also launched BarePlus by Bare Necessities. in February 2012, which features more than 1,200 styles of full figure and plus size bras and lingerie. For more information, visit http://www.barenecessities.com , or contact Dan Sackrowitz, at press@barenecessities.com.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women

Most people are hanging out on Pintrest these days including me. After getting my blood boiling earlier I thought it would be good to share some of my favorite photos from Pintrest and to connect with more people via the community.

I must admit there is not as much interaction on Pintrest as there is on other social networking communities but I think that the platform is a good one to show off visually what is sometimes hard to do in written form.

Another word is all of these photo below to other people and are repinned across the platform.  If you are the owner of the photos and would like them removed let me know and I will take care of it.  Otherwise enjoy a taste of what plus size is on the Internet.

Plus size fashion is my job so that is the majority of the pins I have on the community, but if you want to learn a bit about what makes me tick then check out some of the other boards I have created. Check out my page Glen L Johnson on Pintrest for pictures like these and more.

Full Figure Plus - Plus Size Fashion For Today's Active Women