Why we don't see plus size people on outdoor brand's social media

Are we bad for your aesthetic or do you not want our business?

Despite a quarter of women wearing a size 18+ in clothing, plus size people are seemingly a group that outdoors brands and shops don’t want to acknowledge. They make little clothing to fit us (little technical clothing above a size 16-18 and very little outdoors clothing at all in a size 22 or above) and the clothing that is made has been graded up from a size 8 block without considering how body shape changes with size. Added to that, essential safety gear like Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) and climbing harnesses aren’t made to fit heavier or larger bodies.

But there’s a large community of plus size people hiking, cycling, swimming, paddle boarding, climbing, kayaking and more; we just do it in clothing that doesn’t fit us and isn’t suited for the activity – men’s coats that are too tight round the hip and too long in the arm, trousers that don’t cover our bums and bellies, harnesses that are uncomfortable because they aren’t made for larger hips and thighs.

Even the plus size outdoors clothing that is made is hidden away - if you look at the website and social media of major brands and shops, you wouldn’t know that plus size outdoors clothing existed. Whilst mainstream sports brands like Nike (who go up to size 32) have been using plus size models for years, and even fashion companies like Marks and Spencer have caught on, the outdoors movement is still stuck in 1990.

Mountain Warehouse, a brand who you would presume sell a fair amount of plus size clothing since they make it up to a size 30, still show all their clothing on size 8-12 models. Other brands who make above a size 20-22, such as Regatta and Peter Storm are equally guilty, as are the shops who stock these items such as Go Outdoors.

The high end technical gear brands don’t get off the hook either – even if you only make clothes up to a size 18, you can still show that clothing on a size 18.

So why don’t we see clothing on all the sizes they’re made in? The most common excuse is that the samples come in a size 8-12, and these are the clothes that are used in the photo shoots. But choosing the easy path is still a choice. Samples can be requested in different sizes if you care enough to do it differently – just look at brands in America like Eddie Bauer, or the UK based Fat Lad At The Back and Deakin and Blue. You say it’s not possible but this just means you’re not willing to try.

Maybe brands think their clothing won’t look as ‘good’ on a larger body. Perhaps they think these images will result in them selling less clothes to non plus size folk. However, the latest research shows that the opposite is in fact true, and that showing clothing on plus size models has a positive impact on brand attitude, which indirectly affects peoples intent to purchase. So it even makes business sense.

Not being represented makes me feel unwelcome. It means I have to buy clothes with no idea as to how it might fit my body. It makes people treat me like I’m a beginner or inexperienced because they never see bodies like mine represented. It makes me feel like the outdoors isn’t for me.