Written by Shaa Ravine
Long gone are the days of throwing on any old thing to work out in simply because major brands do not cater to curvier body types. Nike, with their latest expansion into the plus-size market, will now be creating athleisure and high impact gear for women who fit into the 1x-3x size range. Including sports bras that go up to size 38E, the line will broaden the shopping options for women who are not necessarily a size 2.
“Strong is the keyword for us; size doesn’t matter,“ Helen Boucher, VP of women’s training apparel, said according to TODAY. “While strong looks different for everybody, what’s consistent in athletes today is that fitness is very much a part of her lifestyle. Our motivation is to ensure she has the solutions to achieve her full potential as an athlete.” The 200 new pieces, set to release this spring, include sports bras , leggings, shirts, hoodies and more for running, training, and sports. The line is not only inclusive to all body types but to stylistic palettes as well with bold prints/patterns as well as a black and white line for the more minimalistic ladies.
Representatives and designers at Nike seem to have the right idea about expansion into plus size territory as they keep in mind that no two curvy ladies are alike. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Helen Boucher also said, “When we design for plus size, we aren’t just proportionately making our products larger. That doesn’t work because as we know, everyone’s weight distribution is different.”
Nike is no stranger to leading the pack for diversity and inclusion with brand expansion. Their “Nike Pro Hijab,” slated for release in Spring 2018, will be a high performance Hijab specifically for Muslim women athletes. Nike has centered these new expansions and products around becoming aware of cultural shifts where more women are embracing sports.
The “Nike Pro Hijab” was inspired by Saudi Arabian runner Sarah Attar and Emirati weightlifting Olympian Amna Al Haddad. Al Haddad discussed issues she had with existing athletic hijabs with Nike exclusively, which led to the creation of a lightweight, airy, stretchy and opaque garment. It also includes an elongated back so that the top does not become untucked when athletes are in motion. It will come in neutral colors and have two sizes, XS/S and M/L, to fit different face sizes and shapes.
Plus-size women and women of other cultural backgrounds have had to fight assumptions that they don’t exercise, resulting in a struggle to find good and proper workout gear. Seriously overlooked by major brands, women’s needs have often been swept under the table. Thankfully, Nike has set the bar high for their competitors by catering to the needs of their customers from all shapes and backgrounds. More women can now feel cute and comfortable working out in clothing catered to and for them specifically. This also opens the door to a more socially acceptable society as we move towards body positivity and cultural/religious tolerance in fashion. It’s a win- win for fashion/ marketing/consumer industries, and a major step in the right direction.
