Paloma Elsesser Poses in Zara Fall 2021 Plus-Size Knits in a Complex Retail Market

ELLE Spain writes that Zara bets again on Paloma Elsesser as a plus-size model to show off their new collection of Fall 2021 knits. The magazine takes a strong stand on body sizes writing:

We have to begin to understand that in this life there are no better bodies than others , that they are all beautiful and wonderful no matter how different they are. And of course, although we continue to see models with slimmer bodies, there is nothing wrong. Because that's what we say, there are women with all kinds of constitutions, sizes and weights . And Zara knows it and knows the great importance of this and that is why more and more it decides to bet on different models.

ELLE Spain continues [translated]: “In short, we have to be clear that a number does not mean anything, as long as we are happy with ourselves. And a great example of this is the world-renowned model, Paloma Elsesser .”

AOC thinks the Zara campaign is exciting and Paloma is the best, but it’s not clear where the plus-size market is headed in America, An already complex retail landscape is further complicated by COVID. In early August 2021, WWD ran a feature The Growing Plus-size MarketFaces Itty-bitty Assortments and Lack of Options.

Reporters and experts cite the closings of 157 Lane Bryant stores and the Loft closing down their plus-size offering totally as examples of the trend. The Loft decision got our attention as well. Lane Bryant, not so much, because Victoria’s Secret closed down even more stores and that decision had nothing to do with plus sizes.

What does seem to be a fact of reality is a tightening of plus-size offerings for their “captive” consumer. And a lack of expansion among new retailers entering the market. One possibility for plus-size, body-loving women — although it won’t happen fast — is Amazon’s expansion into 30,000 sq ft retail stores in Ohio [test market of America] and California.

Amazon is now the largest apparel retailer in America, and they believe that revenue can be grown exponentially because many women still want to try on clothes. The WSJ article discussion around the openings of large Amazon stores doesn’t note this possibility, but with Amazon’s existing same-day delivery structure for Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, the possibility of offering larger sizes that are delivered for PRIME customers seems like a real opportunity. We suspect that many non-PRIME members would also be delighted {even grateful] to try on a wider range of clothes and have them delivered in a day or two.

AOC’s theory is that Amazon could stock a significant larger-size offering for customers to try-on and then ship the purchases free of charge. Amazon offers next-day service even when the central warehouse is over an hour away. Amazon is running 24-7, and I do think that they could become a significant player in helping to solve this plus-size conundrum of stylish clothes for larger women. If anyone can solve this problem of offering larger assortments for plus-size women that allow for try-on and then deliver, I would bet on Amazon. The delivery costs would kill most retailers, but Amazon has an existing on-the-road infrastructure, so the challenge is not as awesome.

Returning to Paloma Elsesser and the new Zara knits collection for fall 2021, bravo to all. AOC loves the body-baring, body-loving ‘exposure’ that represents the positive psychological experience that collections like Zara’s offer larger women.