/fa/ - Fashion

size 18 left, size 8 right

25% of British women are size 18 or larger, new research reveals. That figure is rising - up 45% in just five years. While the fashion industry may have reluctantly accepted it can no longer ignore this increasingly lucrative market, consumers want it to do more.

The findings by top market researchers Mintel revealed the most common size in the UK is size 12 with 31% of women buying this size, followed by size 14. Over 10 million women, or nearly 40% of the female population, wear size 16 or more while 6.2 million women are size 18 or bigger.

The market for so-called plus size fashion is worth around £3.8 billion a year, according to Mintel's calculations. But retailers are failing to seize the opportunity, it found.

Over half of women who are size 18 or more reported that not enough shops offered a range of choices to cater for different sizes. Tellingly, over 40% of the same women believe plus-size clothes tend to be less fashionable than smaller sizes.

Senior Analyst as Mintel Tamara Sender said, "Rising levels of obesity in the UK mean that plus-size consumers are increasing and these shoppers are looking for improved choice in plus-size clothing and more fashionable garments.

"Given the numbers... these consumers can no longer be considered a minority or niche sector and retailers of all types of clothing need to wake up to the growth potential of this market."