Plus Size Underwear…at Plus Size Prices? No Thanks!

Here at yours clothing we’re committed to keeping our fashion not only up-to-date but also fairly priced so you can imagine our dismay regarding the following story…

The bosses at Marks & Spencer have recently been forced to defend a policy of charging up to £2 extra on some of their bras that are bigger than a size DD. The High Street retailer has defended this policy claiming that the added cost was "standard industry practice". They added that in their experience they found most customers are “happy” to pay a small premium for the specialist work needed to make larger sizes of their bras.

Despite this explanation, the policy has sparked a nation-wide protest with over 6000 people joining the ‘Busts 4 Justice’ protest group on the Facebook website which was set up by disgruntled customer Beckie Williams. She argues that it is unfair that smaller bras are cheaper, because this logic does not apply to all garments. I have to admit that I am totally in agreement with Beckie; it seems more than a little unfair that fuller-figure women are forced to pay more for their clothes, especially the essentials such as underwear.

So, having looked into this story and deciding that we must raise the awareness of Beckie’s cause among all women, of all shapers and sizes, I managed to speak to Beckie and ask her a few questions. Here’s what was said:

Q: When and how did you realise that Marks & Spencer were charging extra for larger sized bras and did you manage to speak to a spokesperson from the company?

A: “M&S have been charging the extra £2 for a long time now, and I've been moaning about it for ages. I wrote to them back in October and they said 'bigger bras cost more to make.' I wrote back immediately to ask why they didn't apply the same policy to their other products, and they didn't reply.”

Q: Over 6000 members have joined your ‘Facebook’ group now. Are you surprised by the level response and what have you learnt from it?

A: “Aside from the M&S issue, our group has allowed women to talk about this issue in a way that they've never been able to before. It's so positive - so many brilliant women sharing their experiences and explaining exactly what they want from retailers. All the retailers have to do is step up. I know there are a lot of women in our group with larger back sizes who feel completely under-represented on the high street. I hadn't even thought about that before starting this group - it's been such an education. Some can't afford specialist retailer prices so I'm sure your company will be a welcome relief for such an everyday necessity.”

Q: Would you mind taking a look at the 'Yours' underwear range and commenting on the designs and value for money? We love nothing more than feedback from people who are passionate about fashion!

A: Of course! I think the girls will love the hot pink and black lace bras (Pictured). There's really a gap in the market for fun, sexy plus size bras for bigger ladies. After all, they want fashionable bras as much as smaller women - why has it been the exception rather than the norm to provide it to them?

As Beckie has rightly said, retailers now need to “step-up” and recognize the need of plus size women and women with a larger bust for good quality, attractive underwear at affordable prices. I truly believe that this is exactly what we at ‘Yours Clothing’ offer. Our bra sizes range from 38C to 46G…and our prices are certainly not dependent on the size of garment!

Check out our great range now!