Consumer Behavior

The Men’s Plus Size Apparel Market: Bigger, but Not Better

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Abstract

Plus size men constitute approximately 70% of the U.S. population. As of 2018, the male plus size market had grown to over $1 billion in revenue (IBIS World, 2019). However, the apparel needs of plus size men have not been fully addressed (Rebolini, 2017; Schlossberg, 2015). The rapidly evolving social movement known as the Body Positive Movement (BPM) has been gaining popularity as its advocates campaign to include all types of bodies in advertising and media, treating all bodies as worthy of representation in mass media and fashion (Dastagir, 2017; “The body positive,” 2019). Research is needed to understand the shopping experiences of plus size men with plus size clothing, specifically the fit and selection of men’s plus size clothing, in the context of the BPM and its campaign to include more diverse female body types and apparel size options for women.

Keywords: clothing fit, Men, Body Positive Movement, plus size

How to Cite:

Thompson, M. L. & McKinney, E. C., (2020) “The Men’s Plus Size Apparel Market: Bigger, but Not Better”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12036