Breaking Barriers: How Fashion Brands Can Leverage Sizing to Promote Body Positivity and Diversity

It’s no secret that the fashion industry has had a harmful relationship with body image in the past. Through its design, model selection, and marketing strategies, the sector and some of the media outlets that support it have long propagated unrealistic beauty standards, which have affected women across society. Fortunately, there are some signs of a shift in the right direction. 

The fashion industry has undergone a significant transformation towards promoting body positivity and inclusivity. It’s no longer solely focused on a narrow definition of beauty that excludes a large proportion of its consumers. Instead, there’s a growing trend of embracing diversity, celebrating different body types, and promoting inclusivity. While there’s still a long way to go in terms of full inclusivity, the trend towards inclusivity and body positivity in fashion is a positive one.

One way in which many brands are promoting positive body imaging, and inclusivity is by recognizing the importance of inclusive sizing. For a long time, conventional sizing options have been limited and exclusive, leaving many people outside of the standard range feeling alienated and dissatisfied with their bodies. However, several brands have started offering a broader range of sizes, including plus-size options, to accommodate diverse body types. This approach promotes inclusivity and helps individuals feel at ease and confident in their clothing, irrespective of their size.

Here are just a few examples of fashion brands using sizing to promote inclusivity, positive body image, and break down barriers:

Ester Manas: Providing an Extensive Range of Sizing Options

Offering a wider range of sizes is not just a basic step towards inclusivity in fashion, it is a revolutionary move that empowers every type of woman. Belgian brand Ester Manas is a true trailblazer in this field, with a genuine commitment to size inclusivity at the core of their identity.

Founded in 2019 by Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre, this exciting young brand is shaking up the Paris Fashion Week scene with their bold, sensual designs created to fit the body, rather than the other way around. What sets them apart is their one-size-fits-all approach, which is largely crafted from upcycled and deadstock fabrics.

For Ester Manas, size inclusivity is not just a trend, it’s a personal mission. As a size 44-46 customer, Ester Manas knows all too well the feeling of being excluded from the luxury world. When it was time for her to work on her final graduate collection, she knew it would focus on size inclusivity. She wanted to change the attitude towards women of all sizes and create clothes that fit comfortably and flatter every shape. The result is a stunning collection that features stretch fabrics, clever ruching, smocking, and lots of strings, threads and lace. These techniques are inspired by swimwear and lingerie, and the end result is a range of bold, sensual designs that are accessible to every woman.

With the success of Ester Manas, we are beginning to see more and more brands and online retailers embracing a wider range of sizes. By offering a wider range of sizes, fashion becomes more accessible to customers of all body types and allows them to find clothing that fits comfortably and flatters their shape. These brands are truly inclusive of all customers and set an example for the rest of the industry.

Good American: Featuring a Diverse Range of Models

A powerful way for brands to demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity is by using a diverse range of models of varying sizes, heights, and body types to showcase their clothing. This approach allows customers to envision themselves wearing the clothing and empowers them to make informed purchasing decisions. 

Good American is truly a trailblazing brand in the world of inclusive language and branding. The brand was founded by Emma Grede and Khloé Kardashian with a vision to celebrate and empower women of every size and shape. They have shown a strong commitment to diversity and inclusivity by featuring models of every size, from 00 to 24, on their website and in their seasonal ad campaigns.

What sets Good American apart is their annual nationwide casting call, where they seek out a diverse range of women to model for their campaigns. By doing so, they are promoting an inclusive and diverse representation of women, showcasing the beauty of all shapes and sizes.

Good American’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity has earned them a loyal following and praise from customers and industry insiders alike. The brand’s philosophy is centered around the idea that all women deserve to feel confident and beautiful, regardless of their size, and this message resonates deeply with customers.

By celebrating women of all sizes, Good American promotes body positivity and inclusivity and inspires other brands to do the same. Their work is a reminder that fashion should be accessible to all and that there is beauty in every shape and size.

Levi’s: Promote Body Positivity and Language Inclusivity

Levi’s has been an iconic denim brand for over 150 years, and they have recently taken a big step towards promoting inclusivity and body positivity by introducing a new sizing system that uses numbers instead of waist measurements. This change is designed to eliminate any potential stigma associated with traditional sizing methods, making it easier for customers to find their perfect fit without worrying about labels or stereotypes.

By using numbers instead of waist measurements, Levi’s is promoting a more inclusive sizing system that takes into account the diversity of body shapes and sizes. This move also demonstrates their commitment to promoting body positivity and inclusivity, and they have expanded their size range to include plus sizes to ensure that everyone can find a comfortable and flattering pair of jeans.

Levi’s new sizing system is a step towards creating a more inclusive and accepting society. It is a reminder that no one “right” body type exists and that everyone deserves to feel confident and comfortable in their clothes. By taking a stand for inclusivity and body positivity, Levi’s is setting a positive example for other brands to follow, and they are making a significant impact on the fashion industry.

Levi’s also implements some of the best practices we have previously recommended, such as incorporating customer size reviews and featuring the models body measurements, as well as providing a size calculator, to help shoppers get as much sizing data as they can before making a purchase.

eShakti: Providing Personalized Fit Through Custom Sizing Options

In a bid to foster inclusivity and make fashion more accessible to all, several brands have embraced custom sizing options for customers who do not conform to the conventional size chart. This may include made-to-measure services, where garments are tailored to individual measurements, or by allowing customers to request specific sizes that may not be available in the standard size range.

One such brand is eShakti, a women’s clothing company that offers made-to-measure clothing for all sizes. One of the ways eShakti achieves this is through its website, which allows customers to customize their garments to their liking. Customers can choose from a variety of neckline styles, sleeve lengths, and hemlines, ensuring that their garment is tailored to their specific preferences. Additionally, customers can provide their own measurements to ensure a truly personalized fit, which is particularly important for those who do not fit into standard sizes.

eShakti’s made-to-measure service is not only inclusive but also sustainable. By producing garments on a made-to-order basis, they can minimize waste and reduce their environmental impact. This approach also ensures that every garment is unique and tailored to the customer’s exact specifications, enhancing the customer’s shopping experience and satisfaction.

eShakti’s commitment to inclusivity and sustainability has earned them a loyal following of customers who appreciate their personalized approach to fashion. By providing made-to-measure clothing for all sizes, they set a positive example for other brands to follow and promote a more inclusive and sustainable fashion industry.

Universal Standard: Empowering Customers with Comprehensive Size Guides

Another way brands can promote inclusivity is by providing educational resources on properly measuring oneself and choosing the right size. This can help customers make more informed purchasing decisions and reduce returns due to poor fit. By providing educational resources, brands can also show that they care about their customers and want to help them find clothing that fits well and makes them feel confident.

Universal Standard, a clothing brand committed to inclusivity, is leading the way by providing a comprehensive size guide on their website, complete with detailed measurements and step-by-step instructions on how to measure oneself accurately. In addition, they offer a revolutionary “Fit Liberty” program, which allows customers to exchange their clothes for a different size within a year of purchase, free of charge. This innovative approach eliminates the anxiety and inconvenience of shopping for clothes, particularly for those who do not fit into standard sizes.

By providing educational resources and tools to help customers find their perfect fit, Universal Standard is setting a new standard for the fashion industry. They are promoting inclusivity and empowering customers to make informed decisions about their clothing purchases. This fosters a culture of self-confidence and acceptance, ultimately leading to a more positive and fulfilling fashion experience for everyone involved.

Triumph Europe: Personalizing Sizing with 3D Digital Body Scan

If you ever shopped for a bra online, you would know that it is not a simple task, as sizing differs from brand to brand and sometimes even between different bras under the same brand. Not only that, but a pervasive statistic that says 80 percent of women are buying the wrong bra. When shopping in the store, a store associate would be happy to measure you with a measuring tape – which is not always a comfortable experience, but online this option doesn’t even exist.

With the advancement of technology, fashion and lingerie brands alike are presented with more options and opportunities to offer personalized digital experiences. This is the type of experience that Sizer enables for their fashion and lingerie clients, which is the first one to be offered as a seamless web based experience.

Taking sizing tools a step further, Triumph EU is leveraging Sizer to enable their customers to get a full 3D body scan directly from their website, and get a personalized size recommendation. The 3D scan is enabled directly from any of Triumph’s 15 websites in Europe, including UK, Germany, Italy, Poland etc. Customers can click on a button to get sizing help and get to the AI body scanner, from there, a short 60 minute process using their phone camera and they immediately get their personalized bra size recommendation. 

Summersault: Collaborating with Customers to Create Inclusive Sizing

Collaborating with customers to create more inclusive sizing is a powerful way for brands to demonstrate their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in fashion. An excellent example is the swimwear brand Summersalt, which successfully launched an extended size range in 2019 through crowdsourcing feedback from over 10,000 women on social media. The brand used this feedback to create a range of sizes that better catered to the diverse needs of its customer base.

By involving customers in the process of creating more inclusive sizing, brands can demonstrate that they value their opinions and are committed to making fashion more accessible to everyone. This approach helps to build a strong community of customers who feel empowered and engaged in the brand’s mission, ultimately creating a positive and fulfilling fashion experience for all.

Embracing Inclusivity and Empowerment through Sizing

The fashion industry has the power to crush the self image of consumers, especially the younger and less self confident ones. It also has the power to revolutionize body positivity and inclusivity by embracing an inclusive and empowering approach to sizing. 

Brands that take the lead in offering a broad range of sizes, showcasing models with diverse body types, adopting inclusive language, providing custom sizing options, educating customers on proper fit, and partnering with customers to co-create fashion collections that meet their needs are setting the standard for a more accessible, equitable and sustainable fashion industry. These actions not only show the brand’s commitment to inclusivity but also foster a sense of community and empowerment among customers, promoting a culture of body positivity and self-confidence that benefits everyone.

Looking to learn more about digital sizing and how it can revolutionize the fashion industry? Chat with a digital sizing expert today and discover the possibilities for your brand. Request a demo and start the conversation today.