Customers demand inclusive fashion. It’s about time for brands to listen.

Some statements don’t age well, and a 2016 Salon interview with Mike Jeffries, CEO of the fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch, is a prime example. It’s hard to imagine that someone business-savvy would utter these words today: “We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.” It took 7 years for the comments to resurface and cause a public outcry, prompting Jeffries to apologize. Today’s customers don’t seem to care much about exclusionary. Instead, they are getting louder with their demands for inclusive fashion.

It’s a new day: inclusive fashion

A legendary Victoria’s Secret show had to be canceled, and the brand struggled after their CMO’s scandalous remarks regarding inclusivity. “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special,” he said for Vogue. It took his resignation, appointing two new female board directors, and finally signing curvy and transgender models to start moving forward.

Meanwhile, Rihanna’s inclusive, bad-ass lingerie brand Savage X Fenty thrives so much that we’re forgetting Rihanna’s also a Grammy-winning singer. Customer demands are louder than ever thanks to social media, so why wouldn’t brands listen to their call for inclusivity? And those go well beyond size: everyone deserves to feel beautiful and accepted. 

Sizing for all

An average American woman is size 16-18: yet many brands that call themselves inclusive carry a maximum size 18. But if that’s the average, the maths doesn’t quite add up. Moreover, plus-size customers shopping in the likes of H&M often have to find that little corner in the back. And when they do, their only option is to pick clothes “optimized” for larger bodies. That’s what inclusivity looked like. Today, it’s not only ridiculous: it also makes zero business sense. As Motif explains, inclusive sizing is a philosophy. If a brand wants to keep up, the usual “fake inclusivity” is a big no-no. Mind you that doesn’t go only for larger sizes. Inclusive sizing also means catering to tall or petite customers.

A brand truly dedicated to inclusive fashion sizing wouldn’t focus on creating a separate clothing line for all bodies, only to shove them in the corner in the brick-and-mortar store. Instead, all the clothes should exist in a variety of sizes, worn by models representing the whole range. “Today’s consumer wants brands that define beauty by individualism and confidence not by size or weight,” said Michael Felice. principal at A.T. Kearney for Motif. “Millennial and Generation Z shoppers want to feel a connection to a brand, and this is hard to do when the models wearing the clothing only represent a small segment of the buying group.” 

Gender-neutral clothing

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by YUK FUN Illustration & Design (@yukfunwow)

The world is not black and white, and many people want to express their uniqueness in their own way. Gender fluidity is a part of it. From Harry Styles having fun in a dress on the cover of Vogue to Demi Lovato coming out as non-binary, challenging the idea of what gender can and cannot is finally not a taboo. Many brands, including the big ones, are jumping on the gender-neutral bandwagon. Some fare better than others. Unfortunately, gender neutrality often means a matching set of oversized brown and grey sweatsuits

When Refinery29 talked to the creators of a company, YUK FUN, about their decision to sell genderless clothes, they explained it’s easier for small brands. “We’re definitely able to be more inclusive than larger brands because it’s all made to order as well. I think bigger brands use excuses, like saying they wouldn’t get enough purchases to justify more inclusive clothes,” the co-founder Lucy Cheung said. We suspect that this excuse will age poorly, too, although it’s definitely a longer shot than inclusive sizing. But when you think about it, clothing is just a social construct. We might as well have fun expressing ourselves, and gender-neutral brands deserve their spot in the fashion industry. 

Inclusive fashion for people with disabilities

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Tommy Hilfiger (@tommyhilfiger)

The famous designer Tommy Hilfiger has the first-hand experience with clothes being a big deal for kids with autism. Both his daughter and his stepson were diagnosed with the condition. That prompted im Hilfiger to adapt his collections to the needs of people with disabilities. The clothes are similar, but they include magnetic closures, easy-open necklines, wheelchair-friendly pieces, and fits for prosthetics. “Whether it be in gender, body type, body needs, ethnicity or age, we have a responsibility as designers to create clothing that celebrates all consumers,” says Hilfiger. “There will never be a point that we say, ‘OK, now we’re inclusive.’ It’s a continuously evolving definition and a journey we will always be on,” he said.

Thankfully, multiple brands are focusing on people with disabilities. Brands like Every Human and Able Clothing aim to be adaptable and functional. Whatever needs the customer has, they can adjust each piece to feel comfortable.

As diversity finds its way into more and more layers of society, exclusivity is no longer the same badge of honor it used to be. On the contrary, and the customers will make sure to let their voices be heard. Finally, the “exclusionary era” might be nearing its end, with inclusive fashion era on the horizon.

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