Is Garment Size Material to Pricing?

Dear Fashion Police: Why do catalogs charge more for plus sizes when they do not charge less for petite sizes? I realize that there is more fabric in a plus-size garment--but, conversely, there is less fabric in a petite. It is depressing to me to have to go into larger sizes, and having to pay more for them is the last straw!

--MAD AS HECK

Dear Mad: Pardon us, but did anyone say life is fair? Hmmm?

Well, it isn’t. But we did get an explanation for the price discrepancy from Olga Conley, chief financial officer for DM Management Co., the parent company of J. Jill catalog, which offers great women’s clothes and accessories, in sizes 4 through 20 in petite (4-foot-11 to 5-foot-3), misses’ (5-foot-4 to 5-foot-7), tall (5-foot-8 to 6 feet) and women’s (5-foot-4 to 5-foot-7, 1X to 4X).

But, as you said, prices for women’s sizes tend to be approximately $5 to $10 more than the others. The reason for that, Conley explained, is “more than just the amount of material. There has to be a separate pattern made for a women’s size so that it looks and feels the same way as a misses’. With a petite we’re not significantly altering the pattern. Some of our vendors just refuse to do large sizes, but those that will do it charge us more money.” The company recently started adding tall sizes, “and right now there is no price difference there.”

Call (800) 642-9989 for a J. Jill catalog.

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