Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Zara, Cortefiel, Corte Ingles stand up for Plus Sizes

Leading Spanish fashion houses including Inditex and flagship brand Zara agreed an unprecedented move to draw up a beauty “canon” including harmonizing dress sizes after a recent storm over the number of young women suffering from anorexia.

The 12-point package of measures, or beauty “charter” — drawn up with the health ministry — includes a stipulation that shop windows display sizes of 38 minimum (size 10 in Britain, eight in the United States) and that size-46 apparel be placed in easy view in stores under the generic label “large sizes.”

In a joint statement the couturiers said they intended to harmonize sizes in a bid to reduce the possibility of “consumer error” with sizes currently not in sync from one firm to the next.

Aside from Zara, other signatories included Cortefiel, Mango and chain store Corte Ingles as the Spanish firms, most of whom also sell their wares abroad, are reacting to concerns that anorexia is on the rise and that models are “excessively thin.”
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