Because the fashion world is kind of really exclusive of women over size 12.
Credit: The Hive at Gwynnie Bee
Sarah Chiwaya, the fashion blogger behind Curvily, unintentionally started a movement when she posted a photo of a gorgeous leather skirt to Instagram. When a follower asked if the skirt came in plus sizes, she commented back "'Sadly, no :( #plussizeplease." Since then, she's been encouraging women to take photos of clothing that doesn't come in their sizes and to use the same hashtag.
Credit: The Hive at Gwynnie Bee
The goal is to get a response from designers: "From the moment I first typed #plussizeplease, I started brainstorming about how it could be a great way to reach out to designers and labels directly," Chiwaya told BuzzFeed.
Though she understands that it will be a long process to actually get responses or results from big name brands, in the year since she originally used the hashtag, Hot Topic extended the size range for its Maleficent apparel line and Canada's Encircled brand has added sizes too.
Chiwaya emphasized to BuzzFeed that she knows designers will not add larger sizes to their labels out of the goodness of their hearts, but that they should do it because it makes sense for them as a business. "Over 60% of American women wear a size 14 or above, but only 17% of clothing sold is 14 & up. That is a ridiculous disparity," she wrote on her blog.
She's right — recently, the CEO of ModCloth wrote an essay explaining that not only are ModCloth's plus-size customers placing 20 percent more orders than the average consumer, but also that "these customers are also 66 percent more likely to spread positive feedback about their purchases on social media."
Women who agree with Chiwaya are tweeting their suggestions at designers:
Hey @LillyPulitzer #PlusSizePlease
— Kirby W (@KirbyMWilliams) June 4, 2015
Anthropologie would be great but this corporate girl needs @LOFT & @AnnTaylor. talbots doesn't cut it when you're under 50 #plussizeplease
— Kate FlynnFilippelli (@Kate_Flynn) June 3, 2015
#PlusSizePlease This top is too cute!! http://t.co/jlQulghtXn pic.twitter.com/1FfE8zULnI
— Curves and Chaos™ (@CURVESandCHAOS) April 30, 2015
Others are tweeting in support of Chiwaya and the #plussizeplease movement:
I love #PlusSizePlease movement the amount of times I've wanted to buy something but couldn't because it didn't come in my size is too many
— Venezuelan Fatty (@chubbyboyvevo) June 4, 2015
#PlusSizePlease makes me want to go to all the stores I've avoided for years because they don't carry my size
— Mallory Geary (@mallorygeary) June 4, 2015
While the momentum is amazing, this will only work if people continue to tweet about it. So continue to tweet at your favorite designers and demand what you want ... #please!
Source: Cosmopolitan