National Curves Day is a holiday that was originally designed to combat the problem of body shaming on social media platforms. It’s a day that’s observed on the second Wednesday of October and one that celebrates curves in all of their glory. It’s also a day on which people are encouraged to wear red to show support for plus-sized men and women all over the U.S. 

The History Of National Curves Day

National Curves Day was launched in 2015 by the Creative Director and CEO of the John Marc Collection. It was originally intended to encourage plus-size women to love their own bodies and be more self-confident, but it has since expanded to also include men. 

Facts About Plus-Size Fashion

As we dug into this holiday, we found out some interesting facts about the plus-sized fashion industry. Facts that we intend on sharing with everyone right now. Although how fashion regards plus-sized fashion has slowly been changing over the past few years, many people believe that there’s plenty of room for this industry to make improvements. Below are some of the facts that we’ve learned about this industry. 

• The average American woman is between a size 16 and size 18.
• The retail market for plus-sized women has grown by over 17% since 2002. 
• The plus-sized fashion industry was a $28 billion industry in 2019.
• In 2021, the market value of plus-sized fashions was valued at almost $50 billion. 
• Less than 9% of all dresses sold by Nordstrom were plus-sized. 
• More than 80% of plus-sized women say they would spend more money if they had better clothing options. 
• Almost 40% of plus-size women wear men’s apparel to work out in.
• Almost 70% of all women believe that plus-sized women are ignored by the fashion industry.
• Only about an 8th of women’s clothing offered in the U.S is designed for plus-sized women.

Observing National Curves Day

National Curves Day can be observed by wearing something red on this day to show your support for this holiday, sharing your favorite plus-size style on social media using the hashtag #NationalCurvesDay, exploring fashion designed for curvy men or women, or by taking a stand against body shaming.