“I think designers have taken a step back,” says Corbin, who has become one of the most vocal advocates for size inclusivity in fashion over recent seasons, adding that the regression makes past progress feel insincere.
Womenswear still has a long way to go, but men’s size inclusivity is even further behind. Just 12 looks, or 0.4 per cent, of the 3,044 looks presented during the SS24 menswear season were plus size, compared to 55, or 0.6 per cent, of the 9,137 women’s AW23 looks.
As with last season, none of the major houses ranked as the top 50 luxury labels in the most recent edition of the Vogue Business Index featured any plus-size models, despite some like Gucci producing garments in inclusive sizing ranges, up to IT64 or XXXL.
Milan was particularly lacking in size inclusivity for SS24. Out of 20 shows and presentations, Scottish designer Charles Jeffrey was the only designer to feature at least one plus-size model. Some labels, like Magliano and Dsquared2, showed a range of mid-size models (IT48-54) with different body types.
Charles Jeffrey has been known for diverse casting in terms of gender, but still found there’s work to do. He recently worked with focus group Wimp, which champions trans and non-binary models, who suggested that as well as showing a different spectrum of genders, it’s important to cast people with different body shapes to be more inclusive. Jeffrey worked with Street People Casting this season to ensure better size representation. “Menswear just doesn’t seem to have the same level of attention and money as womenswear, but as menswear has transformed over the last couple of years, I do predict it potentially developing further. There needs to be more people championing these diverse sizes,” Jeffrey says.
Jeffrey featured two plus-size (XXL) models in this show, but he says his own brand’s size range (up to XXL) limits him from casting larger models. Though he can create custom pieces, it’s more difficult to accommodate larger sizes during initial fittings, Jeffrey says.
“To solve this challenge, we make sure that garments can be easily fitted during casting processes, making sure each piece is cleverly cut. However, our main goal is to always showcase our available size range, whether this be on or off the runway.”
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