Size in Sustainable Fashion
by Bethany Fulton
A few months ago, I attended a swap shop with a few friends. I was excited, as I had become laden down with tops, skirts and dresses that I no longer felt were quite my style, and was looking to integrate some new items into my wardrobe in a sustainable way. I handed in my clothes and began browsing the rails; everything was organised by size, which I appreciated, as there’s nothing worse than spotting something you love then realising it’s about four sizes too small. I quickly settled myself into the UK size 14–18 section, and it became clear that there wasn’t much in my size range available. While the stock in the smaller sizes was full of fun pieces – silky slip dresses, fun crochet tops, statement faux fur coats and vintage shirts – everything in my size could only really be described as ‘frumpy’. It wasn’t my style at all, and despite my attempts to squeeze into some pieces I loved that were size 12, I resigned myself to my sparse rack. I told myself that we were just there early, and more clothes would come in as more people started to arrive, so I bought a coffee and chatted with my friends as they chose from the plentiful selection in sizes 8–12. A few more items did appear in the larger sizes, but after an hour or so little had changed. I ended up leaving with a pair of pale pink tailored trousers, which I’ll wear every now and then for work, and a black velvet top, which if I’m being honest is absolutely massive on me and will probably end up going to a charity shop. I had donated five items and left with two, and frankly, felt more than a little cheated.
My friends asked, oblivious, why I had such a small selection of items. I was embarrassed, and didn’t want to return to another swap-shop event for fear of feeling left out again. I already feel a little self-conscious of my size when shopping with smaller friends, so being forced to explain this to them was utterly humiliating. The fact that in desperation I brought home things I didn’t particularly like and won’t wear much – just to show that I had found something – is an excellent illustration of my feelings, and is in direct opposition to the sustainable ethos of only purchasing items you will wear over and over again. Needless to say, I don’t feel good about this.
After the swap-shop, I did a little research into sizing in the sustainability movement. I am far from an unusual size, at a fairly average size 14 bottoms and size 16 top, yet at a well-attended swap-shop event I had struggled to find anything that fit me, while my size 10 and 12 friends came away with armfuls. It turns out this is a pervasive problem in the sustainable movement; after a quick survey of thirty major sustainable fashion retailers, I found that the average size range was 6–16, and only three brands went to a size 18. Frankly, I think that’s pretty appalling.
It makes sense that when manufacturing garments sustainably, companies want to avoid creating excess stock and therefore waste, and may attempt to make clothes one-size-fits-all, or in large, loose silhouettes than can fit a majority of people. That’s all well and good, but the uncomfortable reality is that one size most definitely does not fit all. I’m not here to preach to brands that are already doing their utmost to cater to as many people as possible while helping protect the planet and pay a fair wage, but it’s crucial for the exclusion of plus-size and even many mid-size womxn from the sustainable fashion market to be recognised and discussed more widely.
Charity and vintage shops often have similar stock problems; an excess of clothing in sizes 8–12, and a relative dearth of anything 14+. Vintage clothing in particular trends towards smaller sizes, which can make achieving an authentic vintage style nigh impossible for many womxn. There’s nothing we can do about true vintage clothing, but we can work to make sustainably-sourced and ethically-produced clothing accessible to everyone.
Sustainable brands and events need to do more by including more mid- and plus-size models and influencers in their campaigns, and demonstrate a commitment to the sustainable movement by opening it up to as many people as possible. Sustainable fashion is to be celebrated, but it can also be improved, and should be held to the same size-inclusive standards that we expect from fast fashion. If we are truly committed to sustainability, it needs to be accessible for all, or else fast fashion will retain its hold on those of us who don’t fit slow fashion’s desired consumer template.
Bethany Fulton is a Manchester-based writer, reader and befriender of other people's cats. You can find her on Instagram (@bramblingbethany) and on her website (bramblingblog.com).