Can we get real for a minute? Plus size luxury fashion is not just possible. It’s already happening. It’s growing faster than many mainstream fashion categories, and it’s backed by a powerful market of shoppers who know exactly what they want.
Did you know that the global plus size clothing market was valued at over $311 billion in 2023 and is expected to surpass $412 billion by 2030, with the premium plus size luxury fashion segment projected to grow from $58.8 billion to more than $90.4 billion by 2030?!?! Doing the math, that means a more than $30 billion opportunity specifically in higher‑end and elevated fashion.
Let’s say that again louder for the buyers in the back: Thirty. Billion. Dollars.
This market is not about “demand.” It’s about presence. It’s about the desire for structured blazers in extended sizing, innovative silhouettes that actually fits a bust and the arms, and luxe maxi dresses that don’t stop at a size 14.
We want Marina Rinaldi and Elena Miro, yes. But we also want Baacal. Sante Grace. Courtney Noelle. Christian Omeshun. Bella Rene. JMP JeanMarcPhilippe from France. Mat Fashion from Greece. Ulla Popken. Persona by Marina Rinaldi. Never Fully Dressed.
Better yet, if Vogue UK is spotlighting plus size luxury brands like Ester Manas and Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please, it proves that international designers are already doing the work.
Influencers like Saucye West and Samyra Miller are calling out the disconnect between marketing and merchandise.
Tess Holliday said it best; inclusion is not charity, it’s demand. Denise Mercedes reminds us daily that style has never been size‑exclusive.
When fashion media across the pond are celebrating body-diverse designers, yet U.S. department stores still hesitate to allocate shelf space or marketing dollars, you know there’s a disconnect that needs correcting.
So, the question isn’t whether plus size luxury fashion should exist. It already does. The real question is: who’s going to bring it to us with intentionality, elevation, and commitment?
Where Are the Department Stores in the Plus Size Luxury Fashion Story?
Let’s talk about who used to lead… and where they’re at now.
Nordstrom: From Plus Size Pioneer to Passive Player
Nordstrom was once the it girl of plus size luxury fashion. Remember when they gave us Rachel Pally White Label, Fuzzi by Jean Paul Gaultier, TBAGS Los Angeles, and more? That was curation, not just carry.
In 2017, they pushed 100 brands to expand sizing and rolled it out across 30 stores.
More recently, they partnered with Universal Standard to bring sizes 00 to 40 to 20 store locations nationwide.
Online and in store? The assortment is wide, sure… but where’s the wow?
Where’s the curation? Where’s the discovery moment? The racks feel like repurposed basics and repeat buys rather than a runway of what’s next. Community feedback echoes this; it’s not about access, it’s about inspiration. And Nordstrom used to lead that charge. Now? We’re scrolling and searching, not discovering.
Macy’s: A National Anchor with Real Potential
Macy’s continues to be one of the most accessible department stores in the plus size space. They list thousands of plus size items online, including trend‑forward seasonal pieces, wardrobe essentials, and exclusive collaborations. Their partnerships with Nina Parker and plus size stylist GooGoo Atkins, who designed a capsule collection for Bar III as part of Macy’s Icons of Style series, show a growing commitment to culturally relevant, stylish plus size fashion.
“I was inspired to create this collection because someone who looks like me needed to make clothes for me,” GooGoo said. “My followers have said if you give us a line, we know it will be intended for us.”
And yet, despite this being a rare and meaningful collaboration with a plus size Black woman stylist, not one press release landed in our inbox. Plus size media didn’t get an exclusive, an announcement, or even a lookbook. If you’re going to do the work, really do it, that means bringing us in. Amplifying with us. Including us in the conversation you’re claiming to have.
Their online plus size shop is robust and trend‑aware.
No, they haven’t dropped a full plus size luxury fashion moment yet, but they’re the closest to building something sustainable. The move toward smaller format stores and experiential retail could be their lane… if they lean in.
Macy’s, if you’re listening? More luxury. More storytelling. We’re watching. Don’t fumble it.
Bloomingdale’s: Present But Not Prioritized
Bloomie’s, we love you… but where has the energy gone?
You’ve got plus size listings…
…but no campaigns, no in‑store storytelling, no partnerships that center the curve customer.
Your flagship store in Union Square just shuttered and that could have been a beacon for inclusive retail innovation.
Saks and Neiman Marcus: Luxury With a Blind Spot
Both Saks and Neiman technically carry extended sizes online…
…but do they lead with it? Showcase it? Feature it in campaigns or lookbooks? Not really.
These are stores built on aspiration and ambiance… so where’s the plus size luxury ambiance? The curated lookbooks? The in‑store displays? The fit expertise?
And while Saks Global, the newly merged parent company of Saks and Neiman Marcus, is restructuring and replacing leadership, shoppers are already rerouting.
Luxury departments aren’t only ignoring plus size because they don’t see demand; they are reacting to wider business pressures, including debt and leadership upheaval at Saks Global. The departure of CEO Marc Metrick and ongoing financial strain underline how multi-brand luxury retail is struggling to grow even established segments.
But that context also points directly at opportunity: plus size luxury could be the differentiator department stores need right now.
Wait, Did We Mention the Market Just Opened Up?
Our UK fashion favorites, Simply Be, Navabi, Evans, have either shut down or pulled back from shipping to the U.S., same with Canada’s Addition Elle and Penningtons. Each brand gave us edgy denim, bras that actually fit, and style leadership. They’ve either gone digital‑only or walked away from U.S. customers altogether.
So, if you’re looking for a sign? This is it.
There is a massive market of shoppers who are looking, right now, for where to spend their plus size fashion dollars. They’re craving discovery, ready for luxury, and searching for the kind of style storytelling department stores used to define.
And this time? We’re not here for scraps.
Meanwhile, Even the Big Boxes Are Taking the Lead
Here’s a reality check: Sam’s Club is out here doing the work. Sam’s Club expanded its size‑inclusive offering with Hunter McGrady’s fashion collection under the Edited By platform, completely size inclusive from XXS to 6X and designed in collaboration with McGrady to reflect pieces she actually wants to wear.
The collection launched in 200 Sam’s Club locations nationwide and spans sizes XXS through 6X; fashion that’s both accessible and intentional, not an afterthought.
If Sam’s Club is willing to take risks in fashion and succeed, why are so many department stores still stuck in 2004?
DEI Commitments Must Include Size
Many department stores have made public commitments to DEI. But seriously, if your efforts don’t include size inclusivity, then they’re not complete. It’s not enough to post about body positivity once a year or toss a 1X into a straight-size collection. Size inclusion is a measurable, profitable, and visible part of your brand DNA, or it should be.
Some brands are already treating size inclusivity as a strategic business imperative. In 2023, H&M appointed model and plus size advocate Tess Holliday as its size and inclusivity consultant, partnering with her to expand extended sizing up to 4XL online and improve in‑store representation and fit. This isn’t a PR stunt, it’s a recognition that size inclusion must be guided by lived experience and expertise, not just token assignments.
Representation. Inventory. Marketing. In-store signage. Influencer campaigns. If you’re serious about equity, size must be on the agenda.
The Real Opportunity
If any department store wants to win the plus size luxury fashion race, here’s the playbook:
- Buy indie plus size designers. Real buys with real merchandising budgets.
- Invest in marketing. Campaigns, events, homepage features. Let us see ourselves in your narrative.
- Show up IRL. Host fashion shows, sponsor existing events, influencer dinners, in‑store activations.
- Put us in the ads. Not just once a year, continuously.
- Lean into plus size media partnerships. Because we reach the audience you’re trying to engage.
And let’s keep it real… if we can pull together 7-10 indie plus size luxury fashion brands and contemporary plus size designers at a brunch (and we have), what’s stopping you from doing it at scale? Better yet, tap us to curate the edit with you. Better yet, tap us to curate the edit with you, from style curation to event production to influencer activations. Hi (waves demurely) we’re literally right here, full of ideas, receipts, and the playbook to bring it to life.
This is why we created The Cultivate Awards, to spotlight and support emerging plus size design talent. But let’s be honest, one award show isn’t enough. We need more. You could help make that real, and in the process, take a bold and meaningful slice of that $30 billion dollar pie. We don’t just know the space… we built the blueprint.
This is why we created initiatives like The Cultivate Awards, to spotlight emerging plus size designers and give them the platform they deserve. But we need more. Department stores have the reach, the influence, and the capital to scale this work and make real impact, while also taking a massive slice of that $30 billion dollar pie. Let’s build something bold, together.
And if not us? At the very least, hire someone who has been in this space for 15+ years and understands its growth patterns, cultural nuance, audience evolution, and opportunity cycles. Someone who gets the community and the market.
We’re not new here. We’re 67% of the U.S. population and we’re ready to spend.
And there’s $30 billion in luxury fashion spend with our name on it.
Who’s Ready to Lead?
Department stores have a choice:
Continue offering commoditized assortments that customers can find anywhere
or
Reclaim leadership in plus size luxury fashion through strategic buys, curated discovery, enhanced experiences, and genuine size representation.
The data, the dollars, and the cultural momentum all point one way:
Inclusion isn’t just ethical, it’s strategic.
And the plus size shopper isn’t waiting.
The question is: Who’s ready to lead?
