Author: Zlatna Nedeva
You won’t find many shops that sell plus size apparel and you won’t find plus size lingerie shops either. Why? According to the brand, the plus size market is not big enough. We have heard far too often over the years about designers turning their back on larger size lingerie because supposedly there is no one to buy it. And those who decide to make it produce pretty unflattering boxers or a couple of knickers with a touch of lace. According to the latest data research the average Bulgarian woman wears size L or larger, and around 30% of them – XXL or higher. This means half of the women in Bulgaria have to wear unattractive underwear that is not suitable for them.
There is this myth that there is no demand for plus size lingerie. And it is well justified, who would want to wear boring lingerie that doesn’t fit and feels uncomfortable. The problem here is that the majority of plus size underwear we see in shops and online is poorly designed, cheaply manufactured and rarely ticks the ‘sexy’ box. It is interesting however that the few designers who cater for women with curves are very good at selling their products. Customers who don’t fit in our perceived sizes norm, don’t buy ‘standard’ size lingerie from the mainstream shops. They have to search for merchants who specialize in plus sizes for curvy women.
It is also peculiar that there is the general view that curvy women are not interested in fashion. Actually, the fashion industry is not interested in them. The fact that the first plus size model Ashley Graham took the catwalk only in 2017 speaks for itself. If women are not able to find good quality plus size apparel or accessible plus size bras, then they are not able to buy them, let alone match their clothing and feel good about it.
After a thorough research on Bulgarian brands selling plus size lingerie, we got pretty disappointing results. There is hardly any choice and the brands that actually stock plus sizes offer only a handful of plain high waist knickers and out of fashion ill-fitting bras. There are a few places that offer good enough lingerie to be labeled sexy, but their price tag is extremely expensive.
Speaking of high waist knickers, we can’t help but notice the double standard in marketing this product to curvy women and women with ‘normal’ proportions. This vintage design has been trendy for the past few years and more women are looking to purchase lingerie in this cut. The marketing to women who wear smaller than L sizes is presented as retro chic and sexy, while for plus sizes the story is about comfort and ‘concealing’ of certain areas. Taking into account that this is the most popular plus size knickers design we are left with the impression that according to companies’ marketing campaigns women with curves don’t need to feel sexy.
Fortunately, there are global lingerie brands like Savage X Fenty, founded by the one and only Rihanna, which takes steady steps into erasing the legacy of brands like Victoria’s Secret and their statement that “women with curves don’t sell fantasies”.