US Plus Size, Petite and Maternity Wear

The plus-size, petite and maternity wear market reached $42 billion in 2005, and accounted for 54% of the total women’s clothing market.

Since 2000, this market experienced a 12%
increase in current dollars, and outpaced the growth in total women’s
clothing market by 10%.

In 2005, the plus-size segment was valued at roughly $32 billion,
accounting for over 75% of the total plus-size, petite and maternity
wear market. Between 2000 and 2005, the market was driven by women’s
desire to accept and flatter their full bodies through fashion-
forward clothing. The maternity clothing segment accounts for only
3.7% of the total plus-size, petite and maternity wear market with
sales of $1.5 billion. However, since 2000, the maternity wear
segment experienced growth of 36%. The petite clothing segment,
valued at $8.9 billion in 2005, remained flat owing to the lack of
offerings from manufactures and retailers.

Growth in the market is likely to slow down as mass merchandisers and
national chains have launched a more extensive selection of plus-size
and maternity clothing. However, despite recognition of the plus-size
market, retailers have not fully explored the possibilities in the
segment.

This Mintel report includes six years of specific sales data,
providing a factual and impartial presentation of the market as a
whole. Mintel also evaluates the performance of individual sectors in
the market, and provides information about the major companies and
brands. Using the SPSS forecasting package, Mintel creates a five-
year forecast of U.S. retail sales, revealing potential opportunities
for growth and product development.

Plus-size is defined by the clothing size 14 or larger worn by women
5’4" or taller. The petite-size includes clothing for women 5’4" or
shorter that is specifically categorized in the petite apparel
category.

About Editor-in-Chief, Madeline Figueroa-Jones

Madeline hails from a close-knit NYC family and started her plus size modeling career with a spread in BBW magazine. In early 2003 Figueroa was selected to appear as the spokes model for the "Hips, Heels & Curves" Fashion Show, continuing on to casting director for the Dangerous Curves 2003/2004 Tour. After appearing on several television segments including Aqui Y Ahora for Univision she began reaching out to the plus size community by serving as a moderator for VenusDivas.com, Empowerment Editor for AmaZeMagazine.com. Madeline and her husband Luke reside in the Battery Park city area of NY and operate lucaspictures.net.

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