The fashion industry often preaches that style is for everyone, but finding trendy, well-fitting clothing in all sizes remains a challenge. Enter Lauren Gray, the 27-year-old founder of What Lo Wants, an online clothing brand that ranges from small to 5X. Her mission is to ensure confidence comes in every sizeโwithout compromise.
Grayโs journey into the world of size-inclusive fashion started after graduating from Pitzer College. She initially landed a job at a tech company that had just launched an app for reselling clothing. While helping to build the appโs community, she noticed a glaring gap in the secondhand fashion market: a lack of size inclusivity. That realization sparked the idea for her own brandโone that would finally offer the fashion she had always wanted but struggled to find.
What Lo Wants Has a Deeper Meaning
The name What Lo Wants carries a personal touch. Gray, affectionately called โLoโ or โLoloโ by close friends and family, found inspiration in a casual conversation with a friendโs mom.
โI was always like, โI want to wear this, or I want to wear that, I want to wear what my friends are wearing.โ So I was talking to my best friendโs mom, who was pretty much like my mom, and she was like, โItโs whatever Lola wants.โ She calls me Lolo, but no one else does,โ Gray recalled. โAnd I was like, oh, โWhat Lo Wants?โ That sounds so cute. On the plane coming back from Curvy Con, I just wrote it out on a napkin, and I kept that napkin, and now I have it tattooed on my arm.โ
A Bigger Goal for Fashion
For Gray, size inclusivity isnโt just about availabilityโitโs about changing how people think about fashion.
โItโs funny because you want fashion to fit correctly, you want it to be made for your body, but you donโt want style to be made for your body,โ she explained. โI would like to see fashion not be tied to size in terms of style. Like, I choose what I want to wear, so I should be able to choose from all these options, versus, these are my options. This is what I have to wear.โ
Gray acknowledges that the industry has made progress but notes recent setbacks, particularly with the rise of weight loss drugs and shifting body size trends.
โObviously, everyone knows it feels like fashion is going backward,โ she said. โI think it definitely is becoming a little harder. And I think, I mean, itโs a huge conversation.โ
As both a consumer of fashion and a business owner, Gray has observed the ongoing discussion around weight loss drugs. While she hasnโt seen a drastic shift in sales due to these trends, she remains attuned to how body standards continue to evolve.
โFor me personally, I think I always just worry about whether itโs someone being impressionable and feeling like they have to do something versus wanting to,โ she said. โI feel like I was very impressionable, I was gullible, my friends would say. So for me, it was, โOkay, do I feel like I need to lose weight because everyone else is doing it, or is there something that I feel like I want to change about my body?โ Like, I get it. Iโm human.โ
โSo I think itโs just like everyone in this new age needs to be a little bit more smart [with weight loss drugs]. But itโs still your choice. I think body positivity is what it is. Itโs whatever you want to do with your body, and itโs not my business.โ
Encouraging Confidence in Fashion
Gray believes that fashion should empower people to feel good in their own skin, rather than forcing them to conform to outdated beauty standards.
โThere used to be this huge push for, โJust embrace your body, dress like you want, who cares what people think?โ But I think itโs like, well, what actually feels comfortable to you?โ she said. โIf that feeling comes from like, โIโm worried what other people will think about my arms,โ okay, letโs work on that and realize that literally no oneโs looking at your arms. I promise you, no oneโs looking at your arms.โ
She encourages people to take small steps toward confidence.
โThe first time youโre like, โOh my God, Iโm finally wearing a crop top, everyoneโs looking at me.โ The second time youโre like, โI donโt care if they look at me.โ The third time, youโre like, โNo oneโs looking.โโ
The Future of What Lo Wants
As a direct-to-consumer brand, What Lo Wants has found success, but Gray has her sights set on expansion.
โI love being a DTC brand. It works well, weโre still manufacturing in the U.S., so our price point is a little bit higher because weโre paying U.S. labor,โ she said. โThat means that it is harder to distribute through other channels, like doing wholesale and being in Nordstrom or something like that. But thatโs where Iโd love to move towards in the future.โ
With a mission that prioritizes confidence, inclusivity, and personal choice, Gray isnโt just selling clothesโsheโs reshaping the narrative around fashion and size. And with What Lo Wants continuing to grow, the future of size-inclusive fashion looks bright.
