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After Only 15 Years, Singer Got Her Overnight Success

By RACHEL BECK; AP Business Writer
 Monday, September 23, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





NEW YORK -- Jennifer Diaz used to dread shopping for clothes to fit her
size 18 figure. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I used to put it off until I couldn't stand myself anymore," the
48-year-old New Yorker said. But when she finally went shopping, "it wasn't
like there was anything out there that I was dying to buy."` &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's changing for the special-sized woman. More manufacturers are
producing classy, contemporary clothes to fit petite and large sizes and more
retailers are making room for the garments in their stores. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For years, women who were larger or smaller than "average" were left
virtually abandoned in the marketplace, able to rely only on specialty stores.
Those clothes that were available weren't stylish or practical. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Petite lines, which are usually geared toward the small-framed woman under
5 feet, 4 inches tall, comprised mostly business wear -- sleek suits and
dresses. And large-sized women, size 16 or above, encountered ultra-casual
clothes -- stretch pants and oversized T-shirts, with hardly any work attire
in the stores. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Overlooked no longer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In recent years manufacturers and retailers have started to take note of
the overlooked woman who has the same needs -- casual, work and evening wear
-- as the rest of the market. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And these newly targeted consumers are buying, particularly baby boomers
who have seen both their bank accounts and clothing sizes grow as they age. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Nationally, large sizes had sales of $20 billion last year, up 6 percent
from 1994 and 21 percent from 1993, according to Port Washington, N.Y.,-based
NPD Group, a market research firm. Petite sales in 1995 totaled $3.9 billion,
up 4.6 percent from 1994, but virtually unchanged from 1993. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Department stores in particular have been aggressive in their expansion.
Big retailers like Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue are dedicating
more floor space to special sizes, offering customers a wider array of
clothing lines to choose from. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In downtown Wilkes-Barre, Boscov's, responding to consumer demand, has
increased the space devoted to both its petites and women's wear departments
and has rearranged merchandise to create one-stop shopping for women seeking
specialty sizes, said Tom Jacobs, store manager. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Over the past year, floor space devoted to Petites clothing has more than
doubled from 1,500 to 3,500 square feet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On the store's second floor, the toy department was moved out to allow
expansion of the women's department. Women's size lingerie is positioned
conveniently across the aisle from sportswear and dresses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For Boscov's, the additional space for specialty sizes has paid off: Sales
of petites sportswear is up 20 percent in a year, and sales of women's size
clothing is growing at a rate of about 5 percent a year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last week, the store ran separate promotions for its petites and women's
departments. Each promotion was advertised with a direct mailing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "That's how important they've become. They'll stand on their own
advertising," Jacobs said of the specialty departments. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Across the country, other stores, too, have improved their special-size
departments. Federated Department Stores Inc., which owns Macy's and
Bloomingdale's, is introducing its private-label I.N.C. International Concepts
and Charter Club lines in petite sizes this fall. At Saks in New York, petites
and large sizes both have their own floors, filled with high-end designer
clothes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The clothes are beautiful and the setting is just as nice," said Dawn
Schmidt, who was shopping for fall clothes at Saks' Salon Z large-size
department in New York. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Better merchandise &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Much of the expansion in the department stores has been fueled by better
merchandise available from clothing makers. Well-known brands like Jones New
York, Liz Claiborne, Ellen Tracy and Dana Buchman have lines for special
sizes, and much of the apparel is designed with the petite or large-size buyer
in mind. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The consumer is telling the department stores that they want more," said
Karen Greenberg, president of special sizes at Liz Claiborne Inc. "And they're
reacting." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Discount retailers are also getting into the game. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
dedicated 20 percent more floor space to large sizes this spring and is
looking into expanding its petite division. Kmart Corp. is bringing in more
fashions, silhouettes and fabrics for its special sizes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We have mirrored the labels and the looks and styles in the plus-size
department that we have in the misses department," said William DuBose, vice
president of ladies sportswear at Wal-Mart. "And what we've seen is our
(large-size) sales have continued to far outpace any other department." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As retailers expand, so does their advertising for special sizes.
True-to-life models -- whether big or small -- wearing everything from jeans
to designer suits grace the pages of The New York Times and Vogue magazine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Our audience loves to see people they can really relate to," said Williams
of Carson, which like many retailers also distributes catalogs specifically
for petite and large sizes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Special sizes are also a growing category in men's and children's clothes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Men's lines are being extended to add extra sizes, bringing big and tall
men into the regular men's department. And children's clothing manufacturers
have come out with lines designed for larger girls and boys, allowing them to
still wear popular kids' clothes regardless of their size. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At Boscov's, the young men's department has also become a specialty
department, mirroring the appeal of the long-established junior department,
with young men looking for a slimmer, more fashionable look than they find in
a traditional men's department, Jacobs said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Customers like it," Jacobs said of the store's increased emphasis on
specialty sizes. "Obviously, as nice as an item might be, if it doesn't fit
you, it's worthless." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader staff writer Pamela C. Turfa contributed to this story. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

1c Mon Consume 
Size, Page 3c 
Size 
1c 
Size Wise 
Stores And Manufacturers Are Learning There Are Profits To Be Made In Catering 
To The Clothing Needs Of Large And Petite Women

1c Mon Consume Size, Page 3c Size 1c Size Wise Stores And Manufacturers Are Learning There Are Profits To Be Made In Catering To The Clothing Needs Of Large And Petite Women