Seeing slim models with skinny, almost gaunt faces was something many women have become accustomed to – whether they liked it or not. Recently, this has changed with the rise of juggernauts such as Sephora and Lush using “real” women in ad campaigns – even using staff or customers to model their products, wholly untouched or airbrushed.
This has exploded onto the fashion scene with more and more large companies using plus-size models for campaigns, and extending their ranges to include larger sizes.
Increase In Sales
It seems to be “Business 101” to listen to your consumer and create products they will happily pay for. For the fashion industry, it has been what feels like a glacially slow shift when it comes to plus-size clothing.
Brands that have shifted to using plus-size models in their campaigns that better reflect a significant portion of their target market has seen an undeniable increase in sales as a result.
16 is the average size of American women so when you have brands that make an extensive range of sizes available, a large segment of the market returns the favor by choosing to purchase with that brand!
As an example, JJ’s House meets this need for prom dresses, ensuring their range covers US0 petite to US26 plus size prom dresses, with even options for custom tailoring available at reasonable prices. By doing this, they hope prom dress customers keep them in mind when it comes to all the engagements parties and weddings they will be invited to over the coming years – long after prom is over!
Brands Shifting To Meet Customers
The unprecedented influence of social media means brands are very quick to cop a dressing down if their customers feel excluded or marginalized. Hashtag campaigns gain momentum very quickly, and this has resulted in brands needing to pull whole lines in response or face a backlash of epic proportions.
One of the worst things that can come out of a campaign using a plus-size model is for a brand not to have an extended range of sizing options available for their customers.
Being Part Of The Future
Companies that have not adapted to meet the growing expectation that women of all shapes and sizes are represented are already having issues. A well-known American lingerie brand has been widely reported to have rapidly declining sales in recent years, and many commentators attribute this to their failure to embrace the wave of change when it comes to using plus-size models in campaigns.
The movement toward positive body image and self-acceptance shows no signs of abating. Companies that use women with different body types, refuse to retouch photos – that is, leaving so-called flaws such as cellulite, stretch marks and scars in campaigns – and provide their customers with a choice of sizes and designs are viewed as forward thinking.
However, this will not always be the case. Eventually, these companies will be seen to be the norm.