I recently spoke on a panel about Size-Inclusivity in Fashion, hosted by the Chicago Fashion Incubator, and it really made me start thinking not only about how far plus size fashion has come over the past decade, but how far it needs to come. When the panel was opened up to the audience for questions, much interest was paid toward sustainable, fair trade, and socially-conscious clothing like sustainable plus size dresses.
As a plus-size consumer, I am just now being able to shop anywhere I want—kind of—but I miss out on opportunities to embrace the more forward aspects of fashion like sustainably-made, ethical styles. Fast fashion has wreaked havoc on our environment, but for plus size women, sometimes the only affordable and accessible styles come from fast fashion brands.
After the panel, I spoke with someone who worked for a local, sustainable clothing brand called Mata Traders, which aims to ‘fashion a better world.’ The brand aligns with fair trade practices to make an impact on global poverty, which helps bring fair wages to artisans in India and Nepal. I recently decided to try out a couple of dresses from the brand to get my first glimpse at sustainable plus size fashion. I was pleasantly surprised at the accuracy of the fit, as well as the comfort of the fabric. My favorite dresses by far were the Midtown Plus Size Dress and the Ana Wrap Dress. I love the versatility of the Montrose dress and the fabric was so soft and stretchy. I’m so happy to explore the world of sustainable fashion, and I hope there are more plus-size sustainable clothing brands to sprout in the coming years.
I am on week four of quarantine, and I am doing okay! I really just want to get back to normal life, but other than that, I am doing fine. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy! My email and Instagram DMs are always open if you ever need to talk!
SIZING INFO: I am wearing a size 1X in both dresses, which is a size 18-20 at Mata Traders. This is my usual size, and both of the dresses fit perfectly. They both have a tie feature so they allow you to contour the dress to fit your curves perfectly.
