You might think plus-size fashion is a modern conceptābut it actually has roots going back over a century!
In 1904, a revolutionary woman named Lena Bryant (yes, the founder of Lane Bryant) created the very first clothing line that specifically catered to fuller-figured women. What started as a maternity wear business quickly evolved into a game-changer for plus-size fashion.
šø Lena Bryant's first plus-size clothing wasnāt just about making clothes bigger. She understood that curvier bodies needed different proportions, cuts, and support. Her designs were carefully crafted to fit fuller figures with elegance and comfortāsomething that was completely missing in mainstream fashion at the time.
šø In 1923, Lane Bryant became the first retailer to use mail-order catalogs targeted specifically at plus-size women. These catalogs featured beautiful illustrations of curvy women wearing stylish clothes, proving that fashion could be inclusive long before it became a buzzword.
šø Her work wasnāt just about fabricāit was about dignity, identity, and representation. At a time when curvier women were often left out of fashion altogether, Lena Bryant made them feel seen, stylish, and celebrated.
š So the next time someone says plus-size fashion is new or niche, you can proudly say: āWeāve been aroundāand weāve been fabulousāsince 1904!ā
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