The government has predicted that levels of obesity in the UK will soar over the next few decades, driving demand for fashionable clothing in larger sizes. The plus-size (women 18+ and men XL+) market is growing strongly and is expected to outperform the rest of the mainstream clothing market over the next five years.

Since Mintel’s Fashion – Size Matters! – UK, July 2010 report was published, some progress has been made in the fashion offering to larger-sized consumers, as retailers start to realise the commercial viability of taking a slice of this lucrative and expanding sector. However, the latest research reveals that many plus-size consumers remain deeply dissatisfied with the choice available to them and the difficulty in getting the right fit. This demonstrates that a lot more needs to be done to make fashion accessible to larger shoppers and to overturn their negative views on the high street.

Less than a third of women find it easy getting clothes that fit, indicating that for the remaining 20 million women in Britain shopping for clothes and finding the right size can be a struggle. The widespread consensus is that sizes vary – sometimes vastly – between different brands and retailers, fuelled by the strategic use of ‘vanity sizing’ by retailers to encourage consumer spending. This presents a major opportunity for retailers, designers and clothes manufacturers to tackle the issue of fit, by responding more closely to women’s highly variable body shapes and size requirements.

This report looks at what clothes sizes consumers are buying in 2011, where they shop, how they feel about issues regarding the size and fit of garments, and their attitudes towards shopping for clothes.

This report covers the non-standard size fashion market, which is defined as:

• Clothing for women in sizes 18 or over;

• Clothing specifically designed as petite or tall ranges and other garments bought by women under 5’3” or over 5’9”;

• Menswear in sizes XL or larger.

• Childrenswear may be mentioned in passing but is not included in market sizes.

Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (rsp) unless otherwise stated. Market sizes at constant prices are calculated using Mintel’s clothing & footwear deflator.

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