Social Media Helps Plus Size Cause

Is social media helping the plus size movement? Some say yes.

Actually, it's one person making this claim: Lane Bryant CMO Brian Beitler. “It was the people with power and money who told the story," says Beitler at Refinery29's The Every Beautiful Body Symposium earlier today. "It’s not that the consumer wasn’t demanding [plus-size fashion], it’s that no one has been listening.”

According to NPD, 67% of women are size 14 and up, but still being underserved by the retail industry, "There are legitimate concerns about competency,” says Beitler, "We took plus size and we crammed it in a corner where it didn’t look exciting, and it didn’t sell."

Also, selling unbecoming, unstylish, cheaply-made clothing and marking it up because more fabric means more money, didn't help the plus-size retail industry. With more companies selling well-made on-trend clothing, and retailers like Lane Bryant rethinking its strategy, plus size clothing will soon more from the dark corner of the store to a well lit window where it belongs.