Mother-daughter duo Taudine Andrew and Lillian Sanders opened Curveture, a new business focused on plus-sized clothing, on Oct. 12.
Curveture is an exclusively plus-sized thrift shop in Provo. With their business, Andrew and Sanders said they aim to provide a welcoming environment where customers can feel “like a queen” while shopping sustainably.
“We both love to thrift, we’re interested in fashion, we love a good deal," Sanders said. "As my mom is a plus-size woman, the idea she had was creating a space that would be dedicated for women who are curvy to be able to come in and have a comfortable experience where they can afford a lot of clothes and have a really wide selection."
According to a 2016 study featured in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, the average American woman wears a size 16, but most retailers begin plus-sizing at size 12 or 14.
So, while plus size means larger than standard sizing, average American women don’t wear these standard sizes, the study said. This means that most clothing doesn't actually fit the average American woman.
Some women said they often find plus-size clothing is available, but the selection is often minimal and unflattering.
“It’s easier than it used to be to find clothes in my size, but a lot of them give grandma or mom vibes or feel kind of tight," Nicole, a Spanish Fork resident who didn't feel comfortable putting her full name on the internet, said. "Options aren’t always great."
The top three priorities for their business were selection, atmosphere and price, Sanders and Andrew said.
“The things that we found people are struggling the most with when doing research is having a lack of selection, and all of the plus-size stuff is relegated to one dark corner of the store," Sanders said. "So, what I want everyone to know when they come in here, they’re not only gonna have a wide variety of different kinds of clothing, but there’s a lot of pieces and a lot of sizes."
The body positivity movement has put pressure on retailers to sell plus-size clothing, but it isn’t always accessible, Sanders said.
“There are other stores that are dedicated plus-size stores, but they’re expensive," Sanders said. "Businesses will say that they carry plus sizes, and then it’s XL to maybe 2X, or they’ll say that they carry it but it’s online only, so you can’t even go to the store and try stuff on."
This issue extends to all body types, she added.
"I think that’s a big part of it, is giving people the opportunity to try things on and see how they fit, because every body is different no matter what size you are,” Sanders said.
Sanders's spiritual views have played a big role in the company’s mission to help everyone who comes in to feel welcomed and confident, she said.
“Taking a more spiritual look at body positivity, feeling appreciative of the gift of a body matters so much," Sanders said. "I feel like that’s one of the main ways that Satan tries to trip us up, is beating ourselves up for what we feel like isn’t good enough. … I think being able to have gratitude and appreciation and love for ourselves matters so much in every aspect of our lives."
The response from the community has been positive. “As a mid-size girly, I often struggle to find clothes that fit, but I found a bunch of stuff here,” one user said in a Google review.
The store’s grand opening was a hit, Sanders said.
“I think, even though we’re just new and starting out, obviously word is still spreading … but we’ve already had repeat customers and everybody who comes in is saying how great of an experience they had,” she said.
