The Struggles in Shopping as a Plus-Size Customer

Jeremiah Purvis | Writer

“I’m sorry, we don’t seem to have your size. Do you want to order it online??” These are the phrases that potential customers hear when shopping for plus-size clothing. I, included. I took a trip to the mall a week ago, and being a plus-size customer has made shopping very difficult. My usual plan would be to snatch my size off the rack and purchase it because I knew it would be rare to see it again. Now that I’ve gained an interest in fast fashion and a style that I can call uniquely mine, my choices are meticulous and intentional.

On this trip, I spent a long time searching for the clothes that I liked that were both my size and affordable, and the struggle was insane. Long story short, I left the mall with a T-shirt and a pair of sunglasses. Despite all the talk about diversity in size and style in the fashion industry, it is a usual defeat, although quite a few pop culture icons like Lizzo and Rihanna are making waves for more plus-sizes to hit the shelves. There continues to be a struggle for plus-size customers, not just in the range of sizes but also in terms of quality.

I think the fashion industry has always left us out of the conversation, allowing us to be shunned to the clearance rack. I'm hoping for more options so that more plus-size customers can feel comfortable in what they're wearing without having to worry about what fits.