Fashion has a size problem. Literally. Most high-end, eco-responsible and trendy brands offer collections ranging from 34 to 44. In France, the average size is between 40 and 42 for women, even though 40% of French women are size 44 or larger. The same is true in the UK, where the majority of brands stop at size 44, which is the average size in the country. A real problem of inclusiveness that only fast fashion seems to have integrated…
The data says it all
Fortunately, the development of rental clothing platforms could shake all this up. “Rental platforms can only offer what’s out there, which greatly reduces the options for women who wear plus sizes,” Lora Gene, creator of the brand of the same name, tells Vogue Business. So the fashion designer partnered with rental platform Hurr to offer more sizes. It must be said that Hurr, which has just launched the #RentAll campaign, has one hell of an asset to convince designers: data. Thanks to the data collected and the comments, rental services can accurately assess the demand, the cuts that work and the flagship models. This is the key to convincing brands to go for “plus sizes” with the assurance that they won’t get their feet caught in the hem.
Algo to the rescue
Another lever of action within the reach of these rental apps: the visibility of plus size clothing – often non-existent on brand websites. Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder of the By Rotation platform, has made this her battle horse. At the launch of the brand’s ambassador program, she promised to include at least 20% plus size women. To go even further, By Rotation has set up an in-house algorithm that ensures the visibility of plus size products on the application.