Racked is reporting that many plus-size shoppers are charged a “fat tax” on clothing and other services, sometimes amounting to a price-point that’s triple what’s charged for standard sizes.
The most recent offender is the British brand New Look, who joins Old Navy, H&M, Missguided, Pretty Little Thing, Boohoo and Asos in getting called out for “[hiking] prices in the plus category.”
Nearly all of the offending retailers have attempted to justify the upcharging by claiming that, “it costs more to make larger garments.” But, as Racked points out, “that argument ignores the fact that fast-fashion retailers notoriously make clothing for mere pennies.”
“The fact that these retailers pay garment workers egregiously low wages would seem to more than compensate for any cost differential between plus-size and straight-size clothes. (Although retailers really should pay garment workers fair wages.)”
Racked goes on to posit that bigger customers being charged higher prices is less “about fair pricing” and more “about fat-shaming women,” also reporting that the “tax” wasn’t restricted to clothing, rearing its caustic head in salons and spas, too.
(Plus-size men face similar treatment, the story found, however it appears that women absorb the brunt of it, which unfortunately tracks with a literal eternity of double standards.)
In the end, Racked argues that not charging more for larger sizes isn’t just good humanity, it’s also good business. “Being inclusive is not just morally right — it also pays more in the long run,” by “[broadening] one’s clientele and [staving] off bad press.”
You can read more about it at Racked.