“Fat People Exercise Too!”: Perceptions and Realities of Shopping for Women’s Plus-Size Exercise Apparel

Abstract

Women, regardless of size, should have access to functional, fashionable, and affordable exercise apparel. Grounded in Lamb and Kallal’s Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic Consumer Needs Model, we explored (a) women’s perceptions of plus-size exercise apparel and shopping experiences and (b) plus-size exercise apparel at online retailers. In Study 1, women reported their shopping behaviors, satisfaction, affect, and feedback for designer and retailers. In Study 2, availability, cost, and color variety of plus-size exercise T-shirts were documented at online retailers. Images of product models and sizing chart variations were examined. Women were generally dissatisfied with apparel-related functionality, fashionability, and cost. Plus-size exercise T-shirts at online retailers were limited in color variety and size availability and cost more than straight-size apparel. Unrealistic models and wide sizing variations appear problematic. Advocacy and action are needed to provide women with larger bodies’ equitable access to functional, expressive, aesthetic, and affordable exercise apparel.

Living in a Larger Body: Do Exercise Motives Influence Associations between Body Image and Exercise Avoidance Motivation?

“…Exercise environments may be unwelcoming for women whose bodies deviate from size-normative standards of attractiveness, beauty, and the thin ideal [ 1 , 2 ]. Indeed, women living in larger bodies report a desire to avoid physical activity and exercise [ 3 ] and face many barriers to physical activity (e.g., apparel, stigma) [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Yet, not all actually avoid exercise [ 2 , 7 , 8 ].…”

Pandemic Fear and Weight Gain: Effects on Overweight and Obese Adults’ Purchasing Exercise Apparel Online

“…They had negative experiences often while shopping for exercise apparel both in-store and online, and reported feeling embarrassed, discouraged, frustrated, and angry (Greenleaf et al, 2020). According to qualitative findings of Greenleaf et al (2020), larger women wanted more exercise clothes in correct sizes that were both fashionable and functional but often confronted a lack of availability and variety in stores. Compared to shopping for exercise apparel in stores, they preferred shopping online where they had less frequent negative experiences (Greenleaf et al, 2020).…”

“…According to qualitative findings of Greenleaf et al (2020), larger women wanted more exercise clothes in correct sizes that were both fashionable and functional but often confronted a lack of availability and variety in stores. Compared to shopping for exercise apparel in stores, they preferred shopping online where they had less frequent negative experiences (Greenleaf et al, 2020).…”

“…Overweight and obese adults in the United States face constant problems purchasing exercise apparel because of limited supplies and an inaccurate sizing system (e.g., Greenleaf et al, 2020). Because of their frequent negative experiences when shopping for exercise apparel in stores (Greenleaf et al, 2020), overweight and obese adults may prefer to purchase exercise clothes online, even more so during the pandemic.…”

“…Overweight and obese adults in the United States face constant problems purchasing exercise apparel because of limited supplies and an inaccurate sizing system (e.g., Greenleaf et al, 2020). Because of their frequent negative experiences when shopping for exercise apparel in stores (Greenleaf et al, 2020), overweight and obese adults may prefer to purchase exercise clothes online, even more so during the pandemic. However, weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic may weaken pandemic fear's positive effect on their attitudes toward purchasing exercise apparel online, because their increased weight may create greater body image self-discrepancies between their actual and ideal body image, leading to lower intention to shop online.…”