Retailers expand offerings of plus-size fashions

updated 7:44 p.m. ET April 23, 2006

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. - Kathy Curtis waded through a sea of colorful camisoles, gypsy skirts and lacy tees at Lane Bryant, shopping for a deal.

The 45-year-old suburban Philadelphia resident can afford to be picky. As a size 20, she didn’t use to have as many choices in plus sizes. But more retailers are finally paying attention to customers like her — if she doesn’t like Lane Bryant, she can shop elsewhere.

“They could do more, but things are much more stylish than they were 10 years ago. Five years even,” Curtis said. Before, “they figured, give them a couple of extra large tops and they’re happy.”

As waistlines expand across America, fashionable plus-size clothes are proliferating and moving into the mainstream. In some cases, plus sizes are leaving the outer fringes of the store floor to hang next to “regular-sized” clothes as the average American gets bigger. Where they remain separated, plus sizes are being displayed in specialized boutiques like petites.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, is adding more racks of plus-size apparel in its “George,” “Metro 7” and other lines due to increased demand, said spokeswoman Linda Blakley. And the larger sizes hang right next to the smaller sizes.

“You can shop all the lines in one section,” Blakley said.

Old Navy, a unit of Gap Inc., carries plus sizes in 250 stores nationwide, up from 55 stores nearly two years ago, said spokesman Greg Rossiter. Old Navy started offering them online in 2000.

“We recognize that the market is underserved,” he said. “The response has been very good.”

Kmart, a unit of Sears Holding Corp., hired a special designer for plus sizes a year ago. Around the same time, it also introduced “attention,” a missy and plus-size clothing line that only uses stretch fabric. Kmart said it’s always displayed plus sizes in the same section as other sizes.

“It is doing really well,” said June Beckstead, vice president of design at Sears Holding Corp.

The Kohl’s department store chain added plus sizes for its “Apt. 9” and “Daisy Fuentes” collections last spring.

Retailers who have long catered to plus sizes are getting into their second act.

This year, Liz Claiborne Inc. in New York is opening five “Elisabeth” plus-size boutiques. The designer, which began offering plus sizes in 1990, already has 28 such stores nationwide.

“Plus-size women are very, very loyal to brands. They have a lot of spending power,” said Barry Zelman, general manager of specialty retail at Liz Claiborne.

Charming Shoppes Inc. of Bensalem, Pa. announced last month that it was rolling out a chain of plus-size lingerie stores nationwide called Cacique. The stores will carry sizes 12 to 28 and feature larger dressing rooms with tri-fold mirrors for viewing at different angles.

The parent of Lane Bryant, Catherines and Fashion Bug already had seven Cacique stores as of mid-March and plans to open 50 stores by year’s end.

Retailers are expanding into larger sizes because demand has grown: Two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese today compared with 46 percent a quarter century ago, according to the American Obesity Association in Washington, D.C.

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