Clothing sizes are shrinking, but revenues are swelling.
As weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegobee take hold in the US and lead to dramatic weight loss, retailers are reporting a shocking aftermath: consumers now need smaller sizes of clothing.
“I never felt confident about my body before,” Maggie Rezek said. The Wall Street Journal“I feel like my clothes look better on me now, which has given me the confidence to dress up and be more stylish.”
The Indianapolis native is one of many who have benefited from weight loss drugs: The 32-year-old has lost 60 pounds and is now buying new clothes, including crop tops and jean shirts.
According to The Wall Street Journal, about 15.5 million Americans (about 6% of the total population) have tried weight-loss drugs, many of whom have lost dozens of pounds and now need new clothes.
According to Impact Analytics, which helps brands manage inventory, sales of the top three sizes of women’s button-down shirts fell 10.9% by the beginning of 2024 compared to 2022. Meanwhile, sales of the smallest shirt sizes increased 12.1% over the same period.
At Lafayette 148, customers are looking for new clothes because they’ve lost weight, CEO Deirdre Quinn told the Journal. Many who were size 12s are now sizes 6 or 8.
The company reduced material costs for the smaller sizes, which increased sales and reduced costs.
Jennifer Hyman, co-founder and CEO of Rent the Runways, told the outlet that the rate at which customers are exchanging sizes is at its highest in 15 years.
Users are experimenting more with styles they may have avoided when they were heavier, such as designs that show skin or features.
“When you feel more comfortable in your own skin, you’re more likely to want to try edgier styles,” Hyman says.
The trend reverses a desire for larger sizes that many people sought after after the pandemic hit as they went out for the first time in months. At All Star Logo, demand for larger sizes has halved in the past year, sales director Edmond Moss told the outlet.
“We used to sell a lot of fleece jackets in extra-large sizes,” Moss says. “Now everything is at least one size smaller.”
