Dive Brief:
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Walmart this week debuted a new size-inclusive denim line, Sofía Jeans by Sofía Vergara, to be sold only online.
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Nearly 100 items in the collection include jeans, denim jackets, fashion tops and graphic tees, range in size 0- 20 in jeans, skirts and shorts, and extra-small to triple extra-large in tops, with all priced at $40 or under, according to a company blog post.
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New collections will arrive seasonally, the retailer said. Sofía Jeans by Sofía Vergara joins the nearly 150 premium brands sold online, which also include its Premium Shop with Lord & Taylor and other exclusive lines like its EV1 with Ellen DeGeneres.
Dive Insight:
The "plus size" era may be over, but women of all body types are steadily gaining new places to shop, thanks to brands' emerging willingness to offer apparel in a wide range of sizes.
"Everyone’s body is different. Every body is beautiful and should be celebrated,” Vergara said in the blog post. "I wanted to design a line of great-looking jeans, perfect for daytime casual or dressed up for night, and fun tops, that are comfortable and affordable. I am thrilled to partner with Walmart.com to create a collection for women of all shapes and sizes."
Because the approach is such a strong trend, she has plenty of competition. Even J. Crew last summer unveiled an apparel collection with Universal Standard, which develops a wide range of clothing to suit all types. Nordstrom two years ago expanded its denim sizing to range from 00-24W and later announced it is bringing extended sizing to 30 stores. Target now features inclusive sizes and displays plus size mannequins for its new private apparel labels. And other celebs are also getting in on the action: In December actress-comedian Amy Schumer unveiled “Le Cloud,” an inclusive-size ready-to-wear collection of wardrobe essentials, for Saks Off Fifth.
It's what shoppers want, according to research from Jane Hali & Associates. Women of all sizes simply want to be able to shop for apparel anywhere. That could be an advantage to mainstream retailers like Nordstrom and Target, but looks to be pressuring legacy options like the banners at Ascena Retail Group. In its most recent quarter, store comps at the company's plus fashion unit, which includes Lane Bryant and Catherines, dropped 2%, just the latest of several recent declines.
