Plus Size Industry Sees Sizeable Growth

http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/86291/plus-size-clothing-industry-sees-siz\
able-growth/Default.aspx

As a designer, Abby Zeichner stretches the imagination, as well as the fabric,
for her plus-size women's line ABBY Z.

She launched her inaugural collection at Saks 5th Avenue in 2004, and earlier
this month, opened her first boutique in SoHo.

"I was inspired by Versace," she said. "He made women look so sexy. I used to
only dream about wearing Versace; I couldn't try it on. So now I can come here
and give women clothing they can try on. You can come in here and try on a
designer jean."

From designer jeans to trendy tunics to sassy dresses, Zeichner creates
fashionable threads in sizes 12-24, reaching a customer a growing number of
retailers no longer ignore.

Lauren Sherman of Forbes.com says the plus-size market is making a sizeable cut
in the women's apparel industry.

"It's an $18 billion industry, according to research group NPD, and the entire
women's market is $88 billion," said Sherman.

With 12 the average size of the American woman, some say 14, there is plenty of
room in the plus-size market.

Less than a month into opening her first shop, Zeichner is already looking to
expand. She hopes to roll out 40 stores across the country over the next four
years.

She says her investors see the potential.

"They have seen the amount of people that come; the excitement that people
have," said Zeichner. "They are buying the product. The cash register is
ringing."

Even though overall retail sales may be flat, the plus-size woman, finally
seeing what she likes at clothing stores, is opening her pocketbook.

"If a woman is size 16 and she hasn't really had the opportunity to buy
fashionable clothes for most of her life, she is still going to take the extra
time and put in that little extra money, if she has it, to buy things," said
Sherman.

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