By Mamamia Team
Way to go Best & Less. Way. To. Go.
The retail chain have introduced a positive equal pricing policy for plus-size women making the same styles of clothing across all sizes, eight to 26.
The new structure is already in place with their latest summer collection, which went on sale yesterday.
It addresses the frustration felt by many women and one that is evident on the company’s Facebook page.
One woman, Em Mastronardi, contacted the company when her friend Katie experienced plus-size discrimination at a regional store.
“I am disgusted at the obvious lengths of discrimination against plus size women in your store,” Mastronardi wrote. “How dare you expect women who are either plus sized, or just prefer bigger pajamas, to pay 25 per cent more for a product.”
“Women come in all shapes and sizes, and are beautiful just the way they are. No one has the right to say one size is ‘norm’ and another is not.”
Head of Best & Less merchandising Sarena Campbell told News Ltd the reason why many brands charge more for plus-size clothing is the increase in fabric wastage needed to make larger sizes.
“It depends on the garment but if you look at a size 12 compared with a size 24 you would use around 25 per cent to as much as 30 per cent more fabric,” she said.
“Your wastage of fabric is greater the higher size you go for more complicated items such as dresses and can be as much as 40 per cent.”
Have you ever experienced discrimination when buying clothes?
Top Comments
This was the response on the Facebook page. I think she sums up pretty good points here.
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Best and Less,
I am disgusted at the obvious lengths of discrimination against plus size women in your store.
Yesterday my best friend Katie Hall, her daughter and I went shopping in the Dubbo, NSW store. We were there to purchase swimmers but also browse at the lines of clothes and pajamas.
Katie had found a pair of pajama pants that she loved in a smaller size, with a tag that said $15 - a bargain, she thought. She continued to rummage through the racks and found her size, plus sized, with a tag that said $20. Confused and thinking it was simply a mislabeling, considering they were EXACTLY the same pants by the exact some company, we approached the check out operator who was just as shocked as us. She kindly got the manager who was abrupt and rude. The manager claimed that plus size clothes are supplied and handled by one person, and the smaller sizes are another - so that's how they justify charging different prices.
Let me just say, excuse you. How dare you expect women who are either plus sized, or just prefer bigger pajamas, to pay 25 per cent more for a product. That is absolutely disgusting. They were exactly the same pants - one was just 8 to 18.
I have never in my whole life seen this sort of obvious attempt at ripping off bigger people who already struggle to find nice clothes in their sizes. I have never known your rival department stores to do this.
There is no justification that is valid for that sort of behavior. Just because someone has a size 11 foot doesn't mean a pair of leather Mary Jane's are dearer than a size 5 (and that's with more leather and stitching on a bigger size!).
And what has upset me most is the kind of message this sends to younger girls who are already subject to society's body image pressure. By putting a 25 per cent increase on clothes it's almost saying that because it's not the 'norm', you can expect to be punished.
I am absolutely appalled and disgusted. You and your organisation should be ashamed.
Women come in all shapes and sizes, and are beautiful just the way they are. No one has the right to say one size is 'norm' and another is not. And you certainly don't have a right to charge plus size women 25 per cent more simply because of their size.
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Here is the link to my full comment on the Best & Less Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/be...