As the average American female changes so too should the retailers that cater to them. Our taste in music, food and technology has changed – suppliers have noticed this change and jumped at the chance to offer what we demand. Its high that the fashion industry realized that their average customer is no longer a size 6 to 10. It has long been time for a progressive company like Gwynnie Bee to come along and shake things up a little.
Christine Hunsicker came up with the idea after seeing women of sizes 14+ being massively underserved by fashion retailers. The average woman was being overlooked by the shopping malls as well as the fashion houses. Something had to change. Gwynnie Bee works on the try – wear – exchange model. The popular subscription service allows women to have fun with their clothing and to try out different styles, all with a lower financial commitment than buying items outright only to find that they don͛t fit their lifestyle.
A startup business is fraught with risk, and so many companies go under in their first year. So the fact that Christine went along a non-traditional route of catering to women, bypassed by much of the rest of the industry, was a bold move. For Christine it was the obvious choice. Although it is seen as a niche offering, it is actually providing for the majority of real women… and that offering has gone from strength to strength as the styles stocked by Gwynnie Bee has indeed made customers feel like real, beautiful women.
The passion that Christine Hunsicker and her team have for what they do shines through in every facet of the company. They source plus size clothing designers that carry sizes 10-32 and bring their clothes to the masses. This way, Gwynnie Bee members can access clothes that make them look and feel great. Much of the feedback centers on the confidence that it brings.
The future looks rosy too. Christine and the Gwynnie Bee team work with designers to bring exclusive collections in plus sizes to their members. Having access to high quality fashion really helps women to express their style and feel fantastic.