Local offers slim in the plus-size clothing market

By Lisa Heyamoto
Seattle Times staff reporter

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Laura Trask was walking out of Old Navy when her husband pointed something out. It was a plus-size section, brand-new. Full of cute clothes. Just like the one she'd requested in a letter to the company because, you know, there really should be more options out there for larger women.

Apparently, they listened.

"I walked in there, and I was ecstatic," she said.

And so, as of a month ago, Trask's shopping options improved. One more place to go in an ever-increasing, though still limited, number of shops for the nearly 50 percent of women who wear larger than a size 12, according to Women's Wear Daily.

So what made Old Navy see the light?

"We're always looking to better meet the needs of our customers, and this is something they've been asking for," said Susan Straccia, Old Navy spokeswomen. "We're very pleased with the launch results, and we're excited to be expanding the line."

Here in Seattle, shoppers give the plus-size shopping selection mixed results. On the one hand, national chains such as Old Navy and the department stores are expanding their offerings, but the pickin's are slim when it comes to locally-owned stores.

In the last year, two well-known boutiques that specialized in plus-sizes closed down, Venus on Capitol Hill and Kathleen's Full Size Fashions in Ballard, leaving the market largely bereft of small-scale boutiques.

For Venus owner Julia Kaplan, it was a matter of money. Though people are clamoring for more options, the small shops go under when the economy gets rough. She closed her doors after seven years of business, but is working hard to reopen, she said, perhaps within the year.

Libby Parsinen's Eastlake store, Fabu, specializes in custom-made clothing, including coats, office attire and special-occasion wear.
 
"In some respects, it's nice because I'm the only choice in town," she said. "But I believe there should be more avenues for plus-sizes. There are plenty of us out there, and I'm willing to share the wealth."

From Nordstrom and Bon Macy's to Target and Fred Meyer, there are definitely options at varying price points, including the Two Big Blondes Plus-Size Consignment Shop in the Central District, co-run by Parsinen's sister, Judy Pugh. But where people like Trask find trouble is in the age department.

The 32-year-old wife and mom says she's just not ready for "shirts with flowers on them" and other looks that tend to be embraced by an older crowd. National chains Lane Bryant and The Avenue do a good job of keeping the younger crowd in clothing, she said, but still, the options are limited for mid-

range, youthful looks.

"That's the hard part," she said. "You're stuck with the cheaper clothes or, if you want actual quality, you have to wear grandma clothes. It's not cute."

Another problem area are the little things that make an outfit complete, like lingerie, shoes and hosiery.

"It's really hard to find those specialty-type things for us," said Trask.

But things may be improving. Kaplan said the first thing she's working on in her reopen plan is to sell thigh-high stockings and other fun items online. Anne Corning, of Seattle, is starting an online store using technology to custom-fit clothing to uniquely shaped women, and hopes to have it up and running by mid-fall.

For now, Corning is contemplating a name with a definite empowerment flavor to it.

"The clothing industry is not giving us what we want," she said with a laugh. "So we're gonna take back the power."

Lisa Heyamoto: 206-464-2149 or lheyamoto@seattletimes.com