I agree completely! I am from the US and I have stopped going to the stores because I can never find anything in my size. I either shop online or make my own. It isn't fair that they leave out so many people.
And shopping online has a huge financial commitment if you’re unsure of fit and sizing at a store. Not to mention some stores destroy perfectly good returned items.
I’m in the UK and it sounds just like our plus size online shop simply be. They have slowly been making their sizes and models smaller, whilst their bigger sizes slowly disappear. A lot of customers are unhappy because they have been direct marketing to size 10 women’s (Uk size 10, American 6. I don’t know what sizes Canada uses)
Just over a year ago I committed to only sewing any new clothes for myself. The final straw was when I bought 4 t-shirts, and two of them had the fabric form holes in less than a month. My friend who used to shop with me (plus-sized herself) accused me of not liking colours and always buying black. Funny thing: I still wear a lot of black (I have since high school), but since I started sewing for myself, I'm wearing a lot more colour, simply because I can now buy colours I actually like in fabric!
This is great if you can afford to buy fabric and have the sewing skills. But sewing is not accessible to everyone and we shouldn’t be forced to make everything when they could be making it but they don’t want to.
@@daniellemcallister Well, so far I'm even in fabric buying with what it would cost to buy from Pennington's, so it's not costing me more. Sometimes I even save a little, like the poly cotton I find for $3/yd. And skills can be acquired. I will also note it is way easier to find stylish designs for plus size than at Pennington's or Torrid. That leaves the physical ability to sew. I just checked, and there are machines without foot pedals, and other configurations for other types of disabilities, so there's that. It's worth keeping in mind retail clothing was only invented about 150 years ago. According to the maxims of a free market economy, they're the ones who have to entice us to buy their wares. If they don't want to entice, we owe them nothing, and vice versa. As you pointed out, we shouldn't have to beg them to sell something to us.
Not only are these issues, but they are making cutbacks in the material. Half sleeves or no sleeves, and pants not covering calves or ankles. It's always somewhere. I don't buy anything, I do look, but find that the things I like are only in the lower sizes. I'm finding this also. I need coloured leggins, and in a reasonable price and not a fortune. These days I can't afford to get clothing with these prices.
I am a 2XL, I imagine that they dont have that many people that purchase the clothes, so a singular store might not want to invest in them if they arent guarenteed to sell. Could you ask them to order them in for you and try them on there?
Penningtons isn’t an independent one off store. They are approximately 92 locations across Canada. It’s not the individual store that is the issue it’s the corporate office making choices that affect the entire chain.
@@daniellemcallister I did look further as your numbers seemed pretty stark... and you are right the amount to choose from drastically shrinks, and then add if you are waiting for sales and there just isnt anything.
The only thing I can imagine is they just aren’t selling enough of those sizes for it to be profitable which I get but I feel like they should at least do something where they can make them on demand if you request them or something
They are a huge retailer for Canada and so on demand is not really an option. I can say from lived experience and talking to staff if they get a 6x they will only get one. The largest sizes sell out first because the people who wear them know they need to be fast if they want it.
I haven't bought any plus size clothing in a physical store in probably three years. Even if a store has something that will fit me in stock chances are it's poorly made or nothing I'd want to wear. I'm buying my clothes online or making them now. And the last few garments I've bought myself were pre-owned, still with tags or gently worn, off of Ebay. The industry needs to get their act together.
When you mentioned about having to wear Penningtons clothes as an employee it reminded me of something.Years ago my friend's teenage daughter worked at Cotton Ginny.They had the same rule and employees had to buy a "set"of seasonal clothing to wear.(They did get 50%off also.) I remember wondering how this teenager who worked there part time could afford to do this... I still see some of their old clothes at thrift stores.I think it was a good Canadian plus size brand.
i dont think the root cause is being fatphobic i believe the root cause is greed. the majority of plus size people wear 0x-4x if they made the same amount of sizing of clothing for 5-6x it wouldnt sell as much.
They should either put up or shut up. Carry all of the sizes or be honest about what sizes they have. I need more plus items that are also petite, even from Pennington's. As bad as plus size shopping in Ontario is, it's worse in Quebec. There isn't even a Torrid here. After they closed the Addition-Elle in the main shopping center, there isn't a plus size store there.
The last time I shopped in person in a store was a Torrid. The only 5-6X clothing they had in the store were a handful of things on the clearance racks. All out of season leftovers that nobody wanted. Some of the garments were already damaged. It was honestly insulting.
What’s even more ironic is the Reitmans head office is in MONTREAL. They’re a Quebec based business and they have less options there than anywhere else.
I share your frustration and would like to give a man's perspective. I think the availability of clothing (especially plus sizes) for men in-store since the online shopping boom is even more pathetic. The men's sections are shrinking in every store, which makes zero sense considering roughly 50% of the population is, has been, and always will be male. A lot of stores that used to be closer to being evenly divided are now like 75-90% women's stuff. A few stores in our local mall have bigger kids' sections than men's sections. So variety of style is already severely limited, but God forbid you're anything but skinny. My town has six or seven plus size women's stores that I'm aware of, and ZERO big and tall men's stores (closest one is a half day's drive away). I remember noticing when I grew from a Large to an XL, that it was a bit harder to find clothes, but the jump from XL to 2X has been insane. Keep in mind, I'm not even considered obese by weight. Most people I know don't even consider me a fat guy. I'm just not thin/fit. Probably 60-70% of the stores in my local mall don't carry ANY 2X clothes for men, and a couple only stock ONE 2X item in each style. I know, because I've asked. The distribution is supposed to mirror demand, but if that's the case, why are the XL and 2X items almost always sold out when there are dozens of S and M left? I've pretty much given up on in-person shopping, but when I try to buy affordable clothing online, not only is the fit terrible, the materials cheap, the colours wrong, and the cut way too short (and I have a short torso), but the sizing way off (I've had 3X shirts made in China that fit like a medium or large). You end up having to ship most stuff back, which is a hassle. I feel worse for my 3- and 4X friends. My 4X friend cycles about three or four shirts in his size until they're worn right through because in order to find ANYTHING in his size, he has to travel hundreds of kilometres out of province, and he can't afford that very often. And not as a knock to his personal sense of style, but his clothing is ugly as sin because they don't sell anything remotely decent-looking in his size. It's kind of the opposite of your problem as a woman, where it seems they make most plus size men's clothes in very odd colours and patterns. Do they just like humiliating fat people? A lot of 4X shirts I've seen are a strange shade of mauve. No idea why. Fat guy mauve. Or it's some hideous Hawaiian shirt with flames on it. Meanwhile, my 3X friend in the US has no trouble finding clothes that fit in his own city, so I do agree it's a bigger issue in Canada now.
isn't the tag on what sizes an item comes in super helpful though? Wouldn't it be much more frustrating to have to look through the whole rack for that info?
Designers don't do anything outside of fit models. I was a straight-sized tall teenager who could never find pants to fit me -- they would cover my ankles, but the rise was too high. Now I'm a plus-sized middle-aged tall person, and I've started sewing my own stuff.
Sewing is not accessible to everyone. Yes I know how to sew but I shouldn’t have to make all of my clothes just because the plus size store has decided that only the ugliest of their clothes come in the largest size they offer.
@@daniellemcallister sewing IS accessible to everyone. The store is buying what is available on the market. You basically have five choices: 1) design and offer your own line for plus size folks, 2) sew for yourself. 3) buy what is available on the market, 4) buy nothing, 5) Go naked. However, sitting around and whinging and complaining is not an option. I choose to sew for myself. I always feel great and look great in my clothes. I never see myself coming and going. And, I get tons of compliments from friends and strangers, alike. It's a win-win for me. I wear better fabrics and styles that suit me. I also do not support an industry that thinks of me as an afterthought. I keep my money in my pocket. There is an old saying, "if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem". Which do you want to be? You are young enough. You have a public platform. You have a need, in a niche market. Give it a go!
This is probably them being cheap. I work at a store that carries tall, petite, etc and when we get them in seasonal colors/prints (non black, white, etc) they always go to clearance because enough people that wear those sizes don’t shop them before they’re out of season. I’ve been reading that they’re also lowering the quality of the fabric. They’re probably trying to save money by limiting their size selection to the sizes that will fully sell before they have to turn over all their product. Given the fact that they’ve maintained their size range in the past, I’d say it’s them trying to just make a larger profit.
Oh it’s definitely about money. But the larger sizes have been conditioned to know the best stuff doesn’t come in their size so they don’t even look for it any more.
Danielle, you are such a talented designer and seamstress. Why don't you create your own little collection of basics that works for your body? And sell to others that are similarly curvy? I think your market is there :)
Honestly it’s not as easy as it sounds to do it as a one person operation. And my prices would end up being more than double theirs simple because my costs would be so high.
@@daniellemcallister I understand :) If I had pots of money I'd absolutely invest in you getting a business off the ground! I'm sorry if I came across as bossy or judgemental, that wasn't my intent.
No it’s ok. It’s that every time I make a complaint about how big brands could be doing it better a lot of people tell me to start my own line if I’m unhappy. There is so much more to making clothes on a large scale than people even know. And if I spoke French I would have been working at the reitmans head office years ago 😂
@@daniellemcallister I hear you, and I apologise for adding my unoriginal thought to the cacophony! I really just wanted to express my respect and admiration for your talent (note to self: just do that next time 🤦🏻♀️). Thank you for being gracious in your response. I wish you all the best in your endeavours :) x
You are an inspiration for me to finish a design that will work for large women and those with mobility issues. Wish you could help me? I would send you one free just for your feedback!
Where passion meets ability, that’s where you find your purpose. You’re a fashion designer at heart, girl. You sound start your own clothing line. Or start working towards that. You could be revolutionary in the fashion world, and cater to higher sizes. I was bigger growing up and believe me, shoes and bags were my favorite thing to shop because they always fit. I never felt trendy, clothes wise. Make cute clothes for those who don’t have them.❤
I would love to have a clothing line. But it is expensive to start and if I did it now it would be me making everything. And that is just not feasible at the moment.
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If you ever want to Buy me a Coffee: ko-fi.com/daniellemcallister
I agree completely! I am from the US and I have stopped going to the stores because I can never find anything in my size. I either shop online or make my own. It isn't fair that they leave out so many people.
And shopping online has a huge financial commitment if you’re unsure of fit and sizing at a store. Not to mention some stores destroy perfectly good returned items.
I’m in the UK and it sounds just like our plus size online shop simply be. They have slowly been making their sizes and models smaller, whilst their bigger sizes slowly disappear.
A lot of customers are unhappy because they have been direct marketing to size 10 women’s (Uk size 10, American 6. I don’t know what sizes Canada uses)
We use American sizes. And that’s just bananas!
Just over a year ago I committed to only sewing any new clothes for myself. The final straw was when I bought 4 t-shirts, and two of them had the fabric form holes in less than a month.
My friend who used to shop with me (plus-sized herself) accused me of not liking colours and always buying black.
Funny thing: I still wear a lot of black (I have since high school), but since I started sewing for myself, I'm wearing a lot more colour, simply because I can now buy colours I actually like in fabric!
This is great if you can afford to buy fabric and have the sewing skills. But sewing is not accessible to everyone and we shouldn’t be forced to make everything when they could be making it but they don’t want to.
@@daniellemcallister Well, so far I'm even in fabric buying with what it would cost to buy from Pennington's, so it's not costing me more. Sometimes I even save a little, like the poly cotton I find for $3/yd. And skills can be acquired. I will also note it is way easier to find stylish designs for plus size than at Pennington's or Torrid.
That leaves the physical ability to sew. I just checked, and there are machines without foot pedals, and other configurations for other types of disabilities, so there's that.
It's worth keeping in mind retail clothing was only invented about 150 years ago. According to the maxims of a free market economy, they're the ones who have to entice us to buy their wares. If they don't want to entice, we owe them nothing, and vice versa.
As you pointed out, we shouldn't have to beg them to sell something to us.
Sometimes you do just have to do for yourself :) that applies across all aspects of life. with love (and experience) 💜 x
Not only are these issues, but they are making cutbacks in the material. Half sleeves or no sleeves, and pants not covering calves or ankles. It's always somewhere. I don't buy anything, I do look, but find that the things I like are only in the lower sizes. I'm finding this also. I need coloured leggins, and in a reasonable price and not a fortune. These days I can't afford to get clothing with these prices.
The prices are getting out of hand for how bad the fabrics are.
Try Snag Tights for awesome colored/patterned tights and loads of other things. They’re awesome!
I am a 2XL, I imagine that they dont have that many people that purchase the clothes, so a singular store might not want to invest in them if they arent guarenteed to sell. Could you ask them to order them in for you and try them on there?
Penningtons isn’t an independent one off store. They are approximately 92 locations across Canada. It’s not the individual store that is the issue it’s the corporate office making choices that affect the entire chain.
@@daniellemcallister I did look further as your numbers seemed pretty stark... and you are right the amount to choose from drastically shrinks, and then add if you are waiting for sales and there just isnt anything.
I’m Canadian and size 16. Pretty average size and I find it difficult to find bras for me!!! Anything over 40-DD is I guess too big…🙄
The only thing I can imagine is they just aren’t selling enough of those sizes for it to be profitable which I get but I feel like they should at least do something where they can make them on demand if you request them or something
They are a huge retailer for Canada and so on demand is not really an option. I can say from lived experience and talking to staff if they get a 6x they will only get one. The largest sizes sell out first because the people who wear them know they need to be fast if they want it.
I haven't bought any plus size clothing in a physical store in probably three years. Even if a store has something that will fit me in stock chances are it's poorly made or nothing I'd want to wear.
I'm buying my clothes online or making them now. And the last few garments I've bought myself were pre-owned, still with tags or gently worn, off of Ebay.
The industry needs to get their act together.
When you mentioned about having to wear Penningtons clothes as an employee it reminded me of something.Years ago my friend's teenage daughter worked at Cotton Ginny.They had the same rule and employees had to buy a "set"of seasonal clothing to wear.(They did get 50%off also.)
I remember wondering how this teenager who worked there part time could afford to do this...
I still see some of their old clothes at thrift stores.I think it was a good Canadian plus size brand.
It was! And pretty much the only place you could get plus size clothes in natural fibres.
i dont think the root cause is being fatphobic i believe the root cause is greed. the majority of plus size people wear 0x-4x if they made the same amount of sizing of clothing for 5-6x it wouldnt sell as much.
They should either put up or shut up. Carry all of the sizes or be honest about what sizes they have. I need more plus items that are also petite, even from Pennington's. As bad as plus size shopping in Ontario is, it's worse in Quebec. There isn't even a Torrid here. After they closed the Addition-Elle in the main shopping center, there isn't a plus size store there.
The last time I shopped in person in a store was a Torrid. The only 5-6X clothing they had in the store were a handful of things on the clearance racks. All out of season leftovers that nobody wanted. Some of the garments were already damaged. It was honestly insulting.
What’s even more ironic is the Reitmans head office is in MONTREAL. They’re a Quebec based business and they have less options there than anywhere else.
@@daniellemcallister Maybe that's why there's no Torrid here, they blocked them.
It's wild that before A/E closed, my straight sized mother had more luck than me.
I have an MXM jacket still! 😂
I lived in MXM as a teen.
I’m a 3X, I have to buy the 4X in the addition Elle line because it fits smaller. Soo a 4X can’t even buy the addition Elle line!
Yep! Like I have a t-shirt in 5x from additionelle and it’s very tight.
I share your frustration and would like to give a man's perspective. I think the availability of clothing (especially plus sizes) for men in-store since the online shopping boom is even more pathetic. The men's sections are shrinking in every store, which makes zero sense considering roughly 50% of the population is, has been, and always will be male. A lot of stores that used to be closer to being evenly divided are now like 75-90% women's stuff. A few stores in our local mall have bigger kids' sections than men's sections. So variety of style is already severely limited, but God forbid you're anything but skinny. My town has six or seven plus size women's stores that I'm aware of, and ZERO big and tall men's stores (closest one is a half day's drive away).
I remember noticing when I grew from a Large to an XL, that it was a bit harder to find clothes, but the jump from XL to 2X has been insane. Keep in mind, I'm not even considered obese by weight. Most people I know don't even consider me a fat guy. I'm just not thin/fit. Probably 60-70% of the stores in my local mall don't carry ANY 2X clothes for men, and a couple only stock ONE 2X item in each style. I know, because I've asked. The distribution is supposed to mirror demand, but if that's the case, why are the XL and 2X items almost always sold out when there are dozens of S and M left? I've pretty much given up on in-person shopping, but when I try to buy affordable clothing online, not only is the fit terrible, the materials cheap, the colours wrong, and the cut way too short (and I have a short torso), but the sizing way off (I've had 3X shirts made in China that fit like a medium or large). You end up having to ship most stuff back, which is a hassle.
I feel worse for my 3- and 4X friends. My 4X friend cycles about three or four shirts in his size until they're worn right through because in order to find ANYTHING in his size, he has to travel hundreds of kilometres out of province, and he can't afford that very often. And not as a knock to his personal sense of style, but his clothing is ugly as sin because they don't sell anything remotely decent-looking in his size. It's kind of the opposite of your problem as a woman, where it seems they make most plus size men's clothes in very odd colours and patterns. Do they just like humiliating fat people? A lot of 4X shirts I've seen are a strange shade of mauve. No idea why. Fat guy mauve. Or it's some hideous Hawaiian shirt with flames on it. Meanwhile, my 3X friend in the US has no trouble finding clothes that fit in his own city, so I do agree it's a bigger issue in Canada now.
"Fat guy mauve" 😂.
In my city there's 1 Big 'N' Tall shop and their prices are insane!!
isn't the tag on what sizes an item comes in super helpful though? Wouldn't it be much more frustrating to have to look through the whole rack for that info?
Oh it’s super helpful but also a quick way to realize they didn’t deem your size worthy of being made.
I feel you, song as old as time, but designers don't do plus size. You need to learn to sew for YOUR body.
Designers don't do anything outside of fit models. I was a straight-sized tall teenager who could never find pants to fit me -- they would cover my ankles, but the rise was too high.
Now I'm a plus-sized middle-aged tall person, and I've started sewing my own stuff.
Sewing is not accessible to everyone. Yes I know how to sew but I shouldn’t have to make all of my clothes just because the plus size store has decided that only the ugliest of their clothes come in the largest size they offer.
@@gadgetgirl02 Bravo!
@@daniellemcallister sewing IS accessible to everyone. The store is buying what is available on the market. You basically have five choices: 1) design and offer your own line for plus size folks, 2) sew for yourself. 3) buy what is available on the market, 4) buy nothing, 5) Go naked. However, sitting around and whinging and complaining is not an option.
I choose to sew for myself. I always feel great and look great in my clothes. I never see myself coming and going. And, I get tons of compliments from friends and strangers, alike. It's a win-win for me. I wear better fabrics and styles that suit me. I also do not support an industry that thinks of me as an afterthought. I keep my money in my pocket.
There is an old saying, "if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem". Which do you want to be?
You are young enough. You have a public platform. You have a need, in a niche market. Give it a go!
I’m loving your darker hair.
Thanks! I’ll let you in on a secret.🤫 I haven’t gotten a hair cut or colour in well over a year because I can’t afford it. 🎉
This is probably them being cheap. I work at a store that carries tall, petite, etc and when we get them in seasonal colors/prints (non black, white, etc) they always go to clearance because enough people that wear those sizes don’t shop them before they’re out of season. I’ve been reading that they’re also lowering the quality of the fabric. They’re probably trying to save money by limiting their size selection to the sizes that will fully sell before they have to turn over all their product. Given the fact that they’ve maintained their size range in the past, I’d say it’s them trying to just make a larger profit.
Oh it’s definitely about money. But the larger sizes have been conditioned to know the best stuff doesn’t come in their size so they don’t even look for it any more.
Danielle, you are such a talented designer and seamstress. Why don't you create your own little collection of basics that works for your body? And sell to others that are similarly curvy? I think your market is there :)
Honestly it’s not as easy as it sounds to do it as a one person operation. And my prices would end up being more than double theirs simple because my costs would be so high.
@@daniellemcallister I understand :) If I had pots of money I'd absolutely invest in you getting a business off the ground! I'm sorry if I came across as bossy or judgemental, that wasn't my intent.
No it’s ok. It’s that every time I make a complaint about how big brands could be doing it better a lot of people tell me to start my own line if I’m unhappy. There is so much more to making clothes on a large scale than people even know. And if I spoke French I would have been working at the reitmans head office years ago 😂
@@daniellemcallister I hear you, and I apologise for adding my unoriginal thought to the cacophony! I really just wanted to express my respect and admiration for your talent (note to self: just do that next time 🤦🏻♀️). Thank you for being gracious in your response. I wish you all the best in your endeavours :) x
Very interesting! Enjoyed this video! Agree with your points. ❤ you!
Thank you for always being so supportive!
You are an inspiration for me to finish a design that will work for large women and those with mobility issues. Wish you could help me? I would send you one free just for your feedback!
Reach out when it’s ready and I’d be happy to give feedback!
@@daniellemcallisterI will do!
Where passion meets ability, that’s where you find your purpose. You’re a fashion designer at heart, girl. You sound start your own clothing line. Or start working towards that. You could be revolutionary in the fashion world, and cater to higher sizes. I was bigger growing up and believe me, shoes and bags were my favorite thing to shop because they always fit. I never felt trendy, clothes wise. Make cute clothes for those who don’t have them.❤
I would love to have a clothing line. But it is expensive to start and if I did it now it would be me making everything. And that is just not feasible at the moment.
I'm loving the dark hair! 😊
Thanks! It just looks like that because I need to wash it and get a hair cut 😂
Dark hair looks awesome on you!
Thanks!
Great video