Dive Brief:

• Retailers and designers are apparently finding the fast-growing area of clothing in plus sizes difficult to ignore. The category represented some $17.6 billion in revenues in 2013 according to The NPD Group.

• Mainstream retailers and plus-size specialty retailers alike are moving more strongly into this underserved area, according to market research company IBISWorld. One of the strategies for these retailers is to offer more fashionable designs in larger sizes.

• Meanwhile, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi recently advocated for retailers and designers to mainstream larger sizes into a range of availability that doesn’t separate sizes into categories like “petite” or “plus.”

Dive Insight:

Consumers who require larger sizes are more likely to buy if apparel is fresh and fashionable. While that may seem obvious, for many years plus sizes have been a ghettoized category in both fashion and retail. Fashion designers and retailers are apparently realizing that by leaving behind these customers, they are also leaving behind opportunities for revenue and growth.