👗 Clothes for all

Plus: Workers where art thou? | Wednesday, September 07, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Enbridge   Axios What's Next By Jennifer A. Kingson, Joann Muller and Alex Fitzpatrick · Sep 07, 2022 Retailers are giving inclusive sizing another go amid pressure from consumers, Jennifer reports today, with a wide range of options for all body types. Join Axios' Alexi McCammond and Alayna Treene in Washington, D.C., next Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. ET for a conversation on the state of voter access ahead of the midterms. Guests include Keisha Lance Bottoms, senior adviser to the president for public engagement; Sherrilyn Ifill, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; and Hannah Fried, executive director, All Voting is Local. Register here to attend in person or virtually. Today's Smart Brevity count: 975 words ... 4 minutes.     1 big thing: More sizes, coming to a store near you Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios   Inclusive sizing is one of the biggest trends in retail, leaving fashion brands scrambling to extend women's clothing lines well beyond the traditional offerings, Jennifer A. Kingson reports. The brass ring is to offer sizes 00-40 — not just "plus" sizes 16-26 — in everything from jeans and lingerie to formalwear. Why it matters: As the average American woman has become larger — and younger women embrace body positivity and show off their curves on TikTok — the term "plus size" and its negative connotations are rapidly being banished. The average U.S. woman wears a size 16 or 18, according to a 2016 study still considered the industry benchmark. But 42% of American adults "gained more weight than they intended" during the pandemic, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association and the Harris Poll — and now they're shopping for larger sizes. Driving the news: Major retailers like Nordstrom, Target, Kohl's and Anthropologie have introduced inclusive sizing options in a steady march over the last three years. They're competing with brands formed specifically to serve this market, such as Universal Standard, Rihanna's Savage X Fenty lingerie and Yitty (Lizzo's shapewear collaboration with Fabletics). They're trying to get the fit right for larger bodies, with new designs that don't just scale up patterns used for the average size 8. And they're being goaded by younger consumers who demand the latest fashions in larger sizes and worship social media stars who wear them, like Remi Bader. Long relegated to stretchy "athleisure" clothing, inclusive sizing is now "a big driver in intimates," says Juliana Prather, chief marketing officer at Edited, a retail data analytics company. "It's becoming something to talk about in luxury." "If you're J. Crew, The Gap, a large retailer, you've got to figure out what to do, what steps you're going to take," Prather says. By the numbers: The market for larger-sized women's apparel is growing faster than the total women's clothing market — and gaining share, according to a Coresight Research report. Sales were $34.3 billion in 2021 — up 21.2% from 2020 — and expected to grow 7.6% this year. Yes, but: It's been difficult to profitably serve the extended-size market, in part because it's tricky to manage inventory in so many sizes and styles. Old Navy made a splashy debut of inclusive sizing last year in a campaign called "Bodequality" — only to see it backfire. Larger clothes are more expensive to manufacture, and when retailers pass the cost on to consumers, they're accused of levying a "fat tax." The other side: Menswear is a laggard in inclusive sizing — not because men aren't getting bigger, but perhaps because they shop less, or because sales of men's plus-size fashions have declined. What's next: Experts predict that more womenswear and menswear brands will learn how to get inclusive sizing right — and will add adaptive apparel, for people with disabilities and the elderly, and gender-neutral clothing. Share this story.     2. Where have all the workers gone? Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   A mishmash of economic forces is keeping would-be workers from taking the jobs advertised in abundance, Axios' Courtenay Brown reports. Why it matters: Employers are posting a near-record number of job openings — yet vacancies continue. Flashback: "If you go through the Wall Street Journal in 2012 or 2013, you'll find businesses complaining constantly about a labor shortage," says Skanda Amarnath, executive director at the research firm Employ America. What's different now: Wages are growing significantly compared to a decade ago, particularly in sectors like leisure and hospitality. That's a clear result of the intense battle for workers, forcing businesses to raise pay to lure employees. The big picture: Folks retired. They got COVID. They failed to immigrate. They can't find child care. They can't afford housing near millions of the jobs that are open. All those missing workers add up to a historically large labor imbalance. Read the rest.     3. Heat wave fries Western U.S. The Fairview Fire burns above a structure on Sept. 5 near Hemet, Calif. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images   One of the worst-ever September heat waves in the Western U.S. is bringing a prolonged period of record-shattering temperatures to at least a half-dozen states this week, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports. The big picture: Monthly and all-time temperature records began tumbling across California earlier this week. More records could fall as the week goes on. The heat was threatening the electricity grid, with officials warning of potential outages. Tens of thousands of customers were without power in the state as of Monday night. Context: Heat waves are becoming more common, more intense and longer lasting due to human-caused global warming from the burning of fossil fuels. Some studies have shown that extreme heat events would have been virtually impossible without climate change. What we're watching: The heat wave is raising wildfire risks, with red flag warnings in effect throughout the West and parts of the Pacific Northwest. Firefighters are battling 53 large fires across the U.S. — including California's Fairview Fire, which killed two people as it exploded in size after igniting Monday afternoon. Read the rest.     A message from Enbridge At Enbridge, our focus is on tomorrow     At Enbridge, we're advancing the energy transition by investing in lower-carbon solutions and modernizing our systems with one goal in mind: to achieve net zero. Find out how we're bridging to a cleaner energy future in our latest sustainability report. Get the details.     4. 📸 Hunting for tin Photo: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg via Getty Images   Bamboo rafts are used to dredge the seabed for tin ore in the waters off western Indonesia. Indonesia is the world's second-largest producer of tin, a vital component in modern electronics and green energy tech. The country's land-based tin reserves have been largely depleted, leading miners to turn to the seas.     5. 1 fun thing: Ready, set, action! Data: The Numbers; Note: "Other" includes horror and romantic comedy; Chart: Axios Visuals The continued box office success of "Top Gun: Maverick" is helping the action genre reign supreme this year, Axios' Sara Fischer reports. Between the lines: Familiar franchises from Marvel, DC Comics and others tend to be an especially powerful pull. Case in point: Sony's rerelease of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was one of the top films over Labor Day weekend, despite debuting last December. The big picture: Despite a lackluster end-of-summer slate, Saturday was the busiest day for theaters all year, thanks to discounted admissions. Over 8 million moviegoers attended films across more than 3,000 participating locations, per the National Association of Theatre Owners.     A message from Enbridge Tomorrow is happening now     The global transition to a lower-emissions future is underway and Enbridge is pioneering the clean energy systems of tomorrow while lowering emissions today. The goal: Bridging to a cleaner energy future. Find out more in Enbridge's latest sustainability report.   A hearty thanks to What's Next copy editor Amy Stern. Was this email forwarded to you? Get your daily dose of What's Next by signing up here for our free newsletter. Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 300 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: