Plus-size fashionistas worry GLP1-s will make it even harder for them to shop | CNN Business

Buying clothes has always been challenging for Ann Lindsay. As a plus-sized 41-year-old, she finds many stores’ plus-size offerings too matronly or too expensive. Lately, it’s gotten worse: Last month, she noticed that her local Target in Chicago removed plus sizes entirely. There were significantly fewer options online, too. In the pre-Covid era, big box retailers pushed inclusive sizing with fanfare. (“Whatever the tag says, you’re always a size YES to us,” Old Navy proclaimed in a massive campaign in 2018.) But now plus-size shoppers say inclusive sizing is dwindling, as the rise of GLP-1s fuels worries about a return of skinny culture – a fashion and culture resurgence in thinness. “I see the direction of skinny culture,” Lindsay said. “Brands are just falling right in line with what they think people want.” Plus-size clothing in the United States generally starts at size 14 or 16 for women. Extended sizes for women’s apparel on Target’s website fell 37% from March 2025 to March 2026, with a 30% downturn in just the past six months, according to data from retail intelligence firm EDITED. Similarly, at Old Navy, plus-size options fell by 12% this year com

Apr 5, 2026 → Apr 5, 2026