If you’ve been on any social media platform over the past few years, you’ve likely seen a growing trend of straight sized people thrifting plus size items in order to chop the items up into a DIY project, usually for one-time use. The items are no longer the same size by the time the DIY’er is done with their project and sometimes the end result is something they could have purchased outright for a comparable price.
Another trend you may have come across is straight sized people buying the largest size item they can find in order to own an oversized T-shirt or sweatshirt. Often, the person is objectively thin and could have purchased an XL and gotten the oversized look without having to dip into the plus size supply.
Why Are These Trends an Issue?
Firstly, we want to point out that there are numerous companies that create specifically oversized garments for straight sizes. Amazon, Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, American Eagle, Free People, Zara – the list of companies goes on and on for the oversized options already available in the market for straight sized people.
Especially when these trends go viral on social media, we have seen the real time impacts. In one instance, the poster purchased a size 9XL sweatshirt, spread this information to millions of viewers, causing the sweatshirt to sell out in sizes 5-9XL, and resulting in a price increase when they did restock the item. Something additional to note is that the retailer was the only brand selling a size 9XL through Amazon.
This means that people who needed that size were unable to purchase it and when it was available again, the price almost doubled.
Only approximately 20% of the apparel market is geared toward plus size women even though 70% of US women are at least a size 16. That means that the remaining 80% of the apparel market is geared toward straight sizes, making the options for them far greater. Why would someone, in good conscience, take an item that is already so scarce?
When it comes to thrifting, it is incredibly hard to find anything in plus sizes, especially if you are looking for something in a size 3X or above. Why is that? Not only do we have fewer options in the apparel market to begin with, but the availability of quality items that will sustain wear over time is even less.
Because plus size people experience this scarcity and lack of access, we tend to wear our clothing items until they quite literally fall apart, making it impossible to be donated and eventually thrifted by someone else.
Something else to keep in mind, especially when it comes to thrifting, is that plus size people tend to have a lower working salary. According to an NIH study, ‘overweight and obese’ women earned 9% lower monthly wages and were half as likely to have jobs with bonuses than that of their thinner counterparts. Because of this wage disparity, the availability of affordable plus size clothing is absolutely needed.
Advice For Our Straight Sized Friends
Do your absolute best to not shop in the plus size section if you are not plus sized. Essentially, you are taking an item from someone who could really use it and will likely wear the heck out of it!
Spread the word about how scarce plus size clothing is. There are people out there who are simply uneducated about how big of an issue this actually is.
You can even help out when it comes to brands! When you see an ad for a brand that doesn’t carry plus sizes, comment and ask when they’re expanding their sizing.
In the meantime, make sure that you support the various plus size thrift stores and plus size vintage stores that are popping up across the US. The Plus Bus, Secondhand Curves, and Secondhand Stare are great places to start!
We can’t fight this fight alone and we need good straight sized allies to help us enact change! So, go ahead and make sure you share this post with a friend or two, to drive awareness!
