New biz markets fashionable clothes for fat girls

4th November 2009

New biz markets fashionable clothes for fat girls

posted in Body-Affirming, Fashion, Fat Acceptance, Rachel |

While still sadly lagging in both range and affordability, plus-size clothing has come a long way from the shapeless elastic pants and sack-like tops usually reserved for fat teens and women (find great plus-size fashion tips and reviews at Pretty Pear or Young, Fat and Fabulous). Yet there still seems to be a relative dearth of similar fashionable options for the 6 million overweight kids in the U.S. who are too large to fit into mainstream youth offerings. According to one report, the girl’s plus-size apparel market is a $3.2 billion market that is only 16 percent served! Capitalism, it would appear, is no match for fat-stigma.

Now a new company hopes to fill that gaping void in the children’s clothing market with fun, age-appropriate designs and sizing to fit both average and plus-size girls ages 5-12. The mission of RealKidz Clothing is to “enhance girl’s self-esteem by providing them with age-appropriate clothing they look good in and are excited to wear.“ RealKidz founder Merrill Guerra was inspired to start the business after experiencing frustration in finding clothing for her own plus-size daughter. Just check out some of these adorable designs:

RealKidz PLus-Size clothing for girls

I normally dislike the labeling of “real” in describing women because it all too often dismisses naturally slim women, but in the case of RealKidz, it’s entirely appropriate. The RealKidz K-I-D-Z Sizing Model is designed to fit Slim (K), Average (I), Above Average (D) and Plus (Z) girls ages 5-12. This system ignores industry standards and takes a much more granular approach to sizing, which, according to Guerra, “moves as close as you can find in the industry toward tailor made.” And because the clothes are primarily sold in home-based parties (and online), girls are able to see and try on clothing in the comfort of their own or a friend’s home. The pieces are pricey for children’s clothing, ranging from $24 for a pair of capris and $34 for a flare top, but not unexpected for a new and independent clothing line. RealKidz is also developing an online social network group that would allow parents to “share their challenges, suggestions and joys” and also provide information from experts in fields that affect childrens’ health.

I’m sure this start-up will have the lunatic MeMe Roths of the world picketing at its virtual doors for somehow “promoting” obesity by allowing fat girls to wear something other than a potato sack, but I’m betting that it’s met with more positive reception than negative. Even if childhood obesity is the raging public health and national security crisis it’s purported to be — despite statistics that show it hit its plateau years ago — fat kids need clothes too and othering them with a lack of options and styles only serves to further erode what are often already fragile self-esteems, which can not-so-ironically lead to even greater weight gain and health problems. Bravo, RealKidz, bravo.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 12:20 pm and is filed under Body-Affirming, Fashion, Fat Acceptance, Rachel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On November 4th, 2009, Lu said:

I love it. I think that it’s wonderful that girls have this option. Nothing is better for self-esteem than to feel beautiful at any size, with great clothes. Way to go for the designer! Hopefully, people will see the benefit in the beautiful clothing and not focus on the “obesity epidemic”. We’ll see.

posted on November 4th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

2 On November 4th, 2009, Shannon Russell said:

Well, it’s about damned time.

Peace,
Shannon

posted on November 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm

3 On November 4th, 2009, Miriam Heddy said:

One thing I’m curious about is their sizing names. Is “average” actually based on any actual stats?

posted on November 4th, 2009 at 3:13 pm

4 On November 4th, 2009, Rachel said:

@Miriam: I don’t know the standards for kid’s sizes, but RealKidz lists its measurements here.

posted on November 4th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

5 On November 4th, 2009, Bianca said:

Oh my gosh, can we talk about how cute the younger model is? I want to pinch her cheeks.

posted on November 4th, 2009 at 3:59 pm

6 On November 4th, 2009, erin said:

i dont like that if you go to their site…..ther is no size Z (according to them their “plus sized” sizing) all i saw are d and more often, i (their above average and average sizing..it goes K (for slim) I (reg) D (above average) and z (plus sized)). dont pretend to cater to all sizes when all that is really sold are average and slightly bigger. in fact i couldnt find a single “z” size ANYWHERE on the site except in their “about us” ans “sizing” sections…i think the line is a GREAT idea…but kids can be really fat too…and its very depressing that a so called “size freindly” clothing line doesnt cover all contigencies.

on a nicer note, the sizes they do offer and fabulous. the stuff is cute and has some stretch.

posted on November 4th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

7 On November 4th, 2009, Rachel said:

@Erin: It looks like their largest D size, which is offered for most items, can accommodate a girl who wears a women’s plus-size 18. I’m 5′3″ and I wore a size 18 when I weighed 200-220 pounds. I haven’t seen many 5-12-year-old girls who weigh that much, so perhaps it’s just a matter of a lack of demand. Merrill, the owner, also posted this note on her blog back in March: While our Back to School line isn’t going to be that much bigger, we’re offering more color choices some new styles and everything is mix-and-match which will increase the number of outfits you can make out of what we’re selling. As a start up clothing company, we just aren’t able to offer much more at this time.

posted on November 4th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

8 On November 5th, 2009, lilacsigil said:

I wasn’t a particularly fat kid, but I was a big kid all over, and wearing adult sizes by age 11 – much to the horror of my small, skinny mother! I would have loved something like this rather than having to pick through the adult clothes and be told, “No, that’s too old for you, why can’t you fit in the right size?”

posted on November 5th, 2009 at 12:02 am

9 On November 5th, 2009, Alyssa (The 40 year-old) said:

Can I just say that those two girls are FREAKIN’ ADORABLE?!?!?!?!
(The clothes are cute, too.)

posted on November 5th, 2009 at 1:40 am

10 On November 5th, 2009, Lexie Di said:

What I would have done to have clothes like this in elementary school and junior high! In those days, I was limited to t-shirts, stretchy pants and adult-sized jeans that were far too long for me. The only good pieces of clothing I had where the jumpers my mother lovingly sewed for me. I still have one. A navy blue one with purple pansy buttons holding each strap. She so wanted me to feel beautiful.

posted on November 5th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

11 On November 7th, 2009, Hil said:

This makes me so happy. I remember the period of my childhood where I was too big for girl’s clothes but too short and child-shaped for adult sizes. My mother would buy me “husky fit” boys shorts and hem them to look slightly more feminine. She tried to take the labels off so that I wouldn’t see, but once I looked in the shopping back before she had the chance, and I burst into tears. I think it would have done wonders for my self esteem to be able to wear something that was actually cute and made for girls.

posted on November 7th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

12 On November 9th, 2009, JennyRose said:

That is good news. Hopefully the line will be so successful that they will add junior sizes. That time is so hard on many girls.

Shopping for clothes can be such a dreadful and demoralizing experience for kids who don’t fit the mold.

posted on November 9th, 2009 at 11:46 am

13 On November 9th, 2009, Jackie said:

This is wonderful. What with the media’s un-ending hate campaign towards fat children. They pulled out the old, “Don’t allow your kids to enjoy Holloween candy they could get…fat!” ooga-booga scare again this year. I guess nobody’s allowed a childhood while the size police are around.

posted on November 9th, 2009 at 12:16 pm