I believe everyone should have the right to shop for ethical fashion, but when your clothing size is above a 14, your options are limited. The fashion industry is size exclusive and when you add the word ‘ethical’ to that, your wardrobe can look bare.

Plus sized ethical fashion is hard to find, but it certainly isn’t impossible.

With the help of Meagan Kerr, a plus sized fashion writer, and months of research, I’ve come up with a list of ethical fashion brands that cater to sizes and 18 and far beyond.

“The hardest part about shopping for plus size clothing when you have sustainable values is that there are markedly less options than there are for straight size people. Many brands exclude plus sizes, or only offer a limited range of plus size size options (for example, brands that end at an 18/20). If you’re over a size 24, those options are limited even further.”

- Meagan Kerr, Plus Sized Fashion Writer.

What you need to know before reading this:

• We have listed brands that at a minimum go up to size 24 & noted their size range for ease of shopping.

• Price ranges are in New Zealand dollars.

• ‘Made in’ refers to where the garments are made, not inclusive of where the fabric is made.

• I haven’t trialled all of these brands personally but Meagan has! Where relevant, you’ll find her helpful reviews.

• None of these brands are perfectly ethical. No brand, or person, is.

• Buying second hand and shopping at places like TradeMe are also successful places to find ethical plus sized fashion. If you are in Auckland check out Gently Loved who regularly host curvy second hand markets, & Christchurch check out the Curve Collective.

Plus Sized Ethical Fashion FAQ

How can I encourage ethical fashion brands to extend their size ranges?

Talk to them! Ethical fashion brands want to hear feedback from you, so give it to them. Message your favourite ethical fashion brands on Instagram or email the ethical clothing labels you love with kind and encouraging requests to increase their plus sized ethical fashion options. Even if you don’t need plus sized clothing yourself, you can still email and message ethical fashion brands to motivate them. It’s important for us all to be a voice for plus sized ethical fashion.

Why is ethical fashion so exclusive?

I asked this question to a brand owner who wore plus sized clothing themselves. “Surely you want to make clothes for yourself?!” Turns out, it’s not that simple. Every new size involves creating a new pattern and new patterns cost money. For some companies, depending on how they run their production line, this means they can only choose 2 - 4 sizes to begin with. It sounds ridiculous, but ethical fashion companies are small and they have to start somewhere. This isn’t an excuse for excluding plus sizes from fashion ranges, but it explains why many ethical fashion brands exclude both petite and plus sized ethical fashion options.

Are ethical fashion brands getting better at offering plus sized ethical fashion?

Fortunately, yes! When updating 15 Ethical Swimwear Brands To Dip In recently, I found myself updating several of their size range sections because they now offer plus sized ethical swimwear options. The ethical fashion industry still needs to work on their sizing exclusivity, but it’s really encouraging to see how brands have listened to the requests of their customers and now offer plus sized ethical fashion.

Is plus sized fashion ethical fashion?

I read something recently that said ‘inclusivity is not sustainability.’ It’s true. There are several companies who hero the size inclusivity message as if they are ‘saving the world’ but they still produce their clothing from environmentally damaging materials and do not consider who makes their clothes or how the markets are treated. In an ideal world, fashion would be both inclusive and ethical - and the brands above are doing their best to get there! Still, some of the plus sized ethical fashion brands listed in this blog need to work on their environmental sustainability even though they’re doing great things in the space of sizing inclusivity.