Modcloth stops using word "plus"

Modcloth, the online retailer of women's vintage inspired clothing, has dared to go where few fashion brands have dared to go. They have announced that they will no longer be using the term "plus." Instead, the brand will now be referring to their sizes for full-figured women as "extended sizes."

The word "plus" is slowly being erased from Modcloth's packaging and their website. They have also added an extended sizes category for filtering for customers who only want to see extended sizes. The company's co-founder Susan Gregg Koger said that the move was a response to customer feedback, and is the first major change to come from the company since they opened their Fit Shop in San Francisco this past July.

The Fit Shop marks the existence of Modcloth's first physical location, and allows customers to try on clothes before ordering them online. The store also gives the company an opportunity to showcase their new branded apparel which ranges in size from XS to 4X. Fit Shop customers were big fans of the extended size offerings in stores.

Modcloth focusing on extended-sizes category

This idea was motivated by a study Modcloth conducted through an independent research company. In a survey of 1500 women who are size 16 and above, 60 percent said they felt embarrassed having to go to a separate department store to find their size, and said they would prefer to find their size in the same section as other sizes.

30 percent of Modcloth's clothes are offered in extended sizes, and they are working on increasing that percentage. Since Modcloth launched in 2002 they have been champions of body diversity, featuring models in a range of sizes. The strategy is paying off for them, with size 16 and above being their most burgeoning category.

“The perceived notion of what it means to be plus-size in the market and our general society has really changed,” Koger said to WWD. “Diversity is a good thing and we should be proud of it and celebrating and reflecting it in our media.”

In addition to their success with their extended sizes, Modcloth has also received a 15 million dollar influx of funding this year. Matt Kaness has also taken over as the company's CEO, and everything he is doing to make sure the company succeeds is certainly working.