Can we get real for a minute? Plus size luxury fashion is not just possible. It’s already happening. It’s growing faster than many mainstream fashion categories, and it’s backed by a powerful market of shoppers who know exactly what they want.
Did you know that the global plus size clothing market was valued at over $311 billion in 2023 and is expected to surpass 2 billion by 2030, with the premium plus size luxury fashion segment projected to grow from $58.8 billion to more than $90.4 billion by 2030? Doing the math, that means a more than billion opportunity specifically in higher-end and elevated fashion.
Let’s say that again louder for the buyers in the back: Thirty. Billion. Dollars.
This market is not about “demand.” It’s about presence. It’s about the desire for structured blazers in extended sizing, innovative silhouettes that actually fit a bust and the arms, and luxe maxi dresses that don’t stop at a size 14.
image via Marina Rinaldi
We want Marina Rinaldi and Elena Miro, yes. But we also want Baacal. Sante Grace. Courtney Noelle. Christian Omeshun. Bella Rene. JMP JeanMarcPhilippe from France. Mat Fashion from Greece. Ulla Popken. Persona by Marina Rinaldi. Never Fully Dressed.
Better yet, if Vogue UK is spotlighting plus size luxury brands like Ester Manas and Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please, it proves that international designers are already doing the work.
Influencers like Saucye West and Samyra Miller are calling out the disconnect between marketing and merchandise.
Tess Holliday said it best; inclusion is not charity, it’s demand. Denise Mercedes reminds us daily that style has never been size-exclusive.
Delia Long Oversized Trench – Chocolate at Baacal.com
When fashion media across the pond are celebrating body-diverse designers, yet U.S. department stores still hesitate to allocate shelf space or marketing dollars, you know there’s a disconnect that needs correcting.
So, the question isn’t whether plus size luxury fashion should exist. It already does. The real question is: who’s going to bring it to us with intentionality, elevation, and commitment?
Where Are the Department Stores in the Plus Size Luxury Fashion Story?
Let’s talk about who used to lead… and where they’re at now.
Nordstrom: From Plus Size Pioneer to Passive Player
Nordstrom was once the it girl of plus size luxury fashion. Remember when they gave us Rachel Pally White Label, Fuzzi by Jean Paul Gaultier, TBAGS Los Angeles, and more? That was curation, not just carry.
Wildfang x Nordstrom team up for genderfluid clothing collab
In 2017, they pushed 100 brands to expand sizing and rolled it out across 30 stores.
More recently, they partnered with Universal Standard to bring sizes 00 to 40 to 20 store locations nationwide.
Online and in store? The assortment is wide, sure… but where’s the wow?
Where’s the curation? Where’s the discovery moment? The racks feel like repurposed basics and repeat buys rather than a runway of what’s next. Community feedback echoes this; it’s not about access, it’s about inspiration. And Nordstrom used to lead that charge. Now? We’re scrolling and searching, not discovering.
Macy’s: A National Anchor with Real Potential
Image via Nina Parker for Macys.com
Macy’s continues to be one of the most accessible department stores in the plus size space. They list thousands of plus size items online, including trend-forward seasonal pieces, wardrobe essentials, and exclusive collaborations. Their partnerships with Nina Parker and plus size stylist GooGoo Atkins show a growing commitment to culturally relevant stylish plus size fashion.
“I was inspired to create this collection because someone who looks like me needed to make clothes for me,” GooGoo said. “My followers have said if you give us a line, we know it will be intended for us.”
And yet, despite this being a rare and meaningful collaboration with a plus size Black woman stylist,not one press release landed in our inbox. Plus size media didn’t get an exclusive announcement or even a lookbook. If you’re going to do the work,really do it, that means bringing us in. Amplifying with us. Including <em>us</em> in the conversation you’re claiming to have.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 20: Designer GooGoo Atkins poses with a model wearing GooGoo x bar III at Macy’s Icons Of Style launch event at Lavan541 on April 20 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Siskin/Getty Images for Macy’s)
Their online plus size shop is robust and trend-aware.
No, they haven’t dropped a full plus size luxury fashion moment yet but they’re the closest to building something sustainable. The move toward smaller format stores and experiential retail could be their lane… if they lean in.
Macy’s if you’re listening? More luxury. More storytelling. We’re watching. Don’t fumble it.
Bloomingdale’s: Present But Not Prioritized
Bloomie’s we love you… but where has the energy gone?
From Bloomingdales Plus Size Spring Trend Guide
You’ve got plus size listings…
…but no campaigns no in-store storytelling no partnerships that center the curve customer.
Your flagship store in Union Square just shuttered and that could have been a beacon for inclusive retail innovation.
Saks and Neiman Marcus: Luxury With a Blind Spot
from Marina Rinaldi Fall Collection Launch at Saks Fifth Avenue
Both Saks and Neiman technically carry extended sizes online…
…but do they lead with it? Showcase it? Feature it in campaigns or lookbooks? Not really.
These are stores built on aspiration and ambiance… so where’s the plus size luxury ambiance? The curated lookbooks? The in-store displays? The fit expertise?
And while Saks Global , the newly merged parent company of Saks and Neiman Marcus , is restructuring and replacing leadership , shoppers are already rerouting .
Luxury departments aren’t only ignoring plus size because they don’t see demand; they are reacting to wider business pressures , including debt and leadership upheaval at Saks Global . The departure of CEO Marc Metrick and ongoing financial strain underline how multi-brand luxury retail is struggling to grow even established segments .
But that context also points directly at opportunity : plus size luxury could be the differentiator department stores need right now .
Wait , Did We Mention the Market Just Opened Up ?
Simply Be Sequins Kimono and shorts Suit at SimplyBe .com
Our UK fashion favorites , Simply Be , Navabi , Evans , have either shut down or pulled back from shipping to U.S., same with Canada ’s Addition Elle and Penningtons . Each brand gave us edgy denim , bras that actually fit , and style leadership . They’ve either gone digital-only or walked away from U.S. customers altogether .
So if you’re looking for a sign ? This is it .
There is a massive market of shoppers who are looking right now for where to spend their plus-size fashion dollars . They’re craving discovery ready for luxury , and searching for the kind of style storytelling department stores used to define .
And this time ? We’re not here for scraps .
Image via ChristianOmeshun .com
Meanwhile Even The Big Boxes Are Taking The Lead
Here ’s a reality check : Sam ’s Club is out here doing the work Sam ’s Club expanded its size-inclusive offering with Hunter McGrady ’s fashion collection under the Edited By platform completely size inclusive from XXS to6X designed in collaboration with McGrady to reflect pieces she actually wants to wear.
The collection launched in200 Sam ’s Club locations nationwide spans sizes XXS through6X ; fashion that ’s both accessible intentional not an afterthought.
If Sam ’s Club is willing take risks in fashionand succeed why are so many department stores still stuck in2004 ?
DEI Commitments Must Include Size
Fringe Benefits Slip at ThistleandSpire .com
Many department stores have made public commitments DEI But seriously if your efforts don’t include size inclusivity then they’re not complete It ’ s not enough post about body positivity once year toss a X into straight-size collection Size inclusion measurable profitable visible part your brand DNA or should be.
Some brands are already treating inclusivity strategic business imperative In2023 H & M appointed model advocate Tess Holliday itssize inclusivity consultant, partnering her expand extended sizing up to online improve store representation fit This isn’t PR stunt recognition inclusion must guided lived experience expertise just token assignments.
Representation Inventory Marketing In-store signage Influencer campaigns If you’re serious equity must be agenda.
The Real Opportunity
Image via Jibri Collection
If any department store wants win plus-size luxury race here playbook:
Buy indie-size designers Real buys real merchandising budgets.
<liInvest marketing Campaign events homepage features Let ussee ourselves your narrative.
<liShow up IRL Host shows sponsor existing events influencer dinners activations.
<liPut ads Not just once year continuously.
<liLean into-size media partnerships Because reach audience trying engage.
This why created Cultivate Awards spotlight support emerging design talent But let’s honest one award show isn’t enough We need more You could help make real process take bold meaningful slice $30 billion pie don’t just know space built blueprint.
The Cultivate Awards Winner Barkwood × Eloquii capsule collection
This why created initiatives likeThe Cultivate Awards, spotlight emerging designers give them platform deserve But need more Department stores reach influence capital scale work make real impact while taking massive slice $30 billion pie Let build something bold together.
If not us At least hire someone has been space years understands growth patterns cultural nuance audience evolution opportunity cycles Someone whogets community market .
You’re not new here We’re67% U.S population ready spend
And there $30 billion luxury spend our nameon it
.
Who Ready Lead ?
The department stores have choice:
Continue offering commoditized assortments customers can findanywhere
or
reclaim leadership through strategic buys curated discovery enhanced experiences genuine representation
.
The data dollars cultural momentum all point one way:
Inclusion isn’t just ethical strategic
.
And shopper isn’t waiting
.
The question is:
Who ready lead?
Sarah Parker is a research analyst and content contributor with a strong interest in business strategy, organizational behavior, and social development. With a background in sociology and public policy, she focuses on exploring the intersection between research and real-world application. Sarah regularly contributes articles that bridge academic insights and practical relevance, aiming to foster critical thinking and innovation across sectors.
Image via Jibri Collection
