Athleta has announced the expansion of extended sizing (1X-3X or sizes 18-26) to 350 styles across its collection. For Spring 2021, 70% of the Athleta collection will be available in sizes 1X-3X.
Athleta designers and technical experts spent the last two years working with thousands of women to re-engineer and expand the brand’s extended sizing offering. By March, the number of styles available in extended sizing will exceed 500, and new styles will be added each season. In its continued commitment to size-inclusivity, Athleta will offer extended sizes across all categories by the end of 2022.
“Empowering women and girls is core to our Athleta DNA. This brand promise comes to life across our expansive product offering and inclusive shopping experience,” said Mary Beth Laughton, president and CEO of Athleta. “We see this extended sizing offering as a key pillar of our growth goals, allowing us to invite even more customers into our community.”
All Athleta locations will feature size-inclusive mannequins for more accurate representation of styles and fittings, the brand said. Additionally, all Athleta store employees will be bodyStrong certified through participation in mandatory inclusive sizing training. In this training, associates learn the principles of body-positive-appropriate language and tools for assessing comfort level to better serve customers.
“We don’t make assumptions for personal preference when it comes to fit, color, pattern or trend,” said Jolene Danielson, director of technical design at Athleta. “Each piece is tailored and designed to look and perform the same, regardless of a woman’s size, to provide her with choice based on style, first.”
This spring, Athleta will launch a new, holistic brand campaign entitled “All, Powerful,” a multi-platform celebration of the beauty and power in all women. The brand will release an evocative manifesto alongside striking “All, Powerful” campaign visuals, including a takeover of the iconic billboard atop the flagship Gap store in New York’s Times Square, featuring women styled in Athleta’s extended size range.
More information on Athleta’s Extended Sizing can be found here.
