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Lane Bryant was the first producer of clothing for plus size women under the catergory of "For the Stout Women" in the early 1920s.
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America's fashion industry first began to embrace the idea of plus size models as early as the 1920s. The 1926 Miss America Silhouette was based of what was then considered a more "curvier" woman, measuring 34, 26.5, 37.5 (still much thinner than our average plus size woman of today).
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The Twiggy era of the fashion industry started the industry's idolization of waif thin models.
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As the successful era of the Juniors came to an end, baby boomers realized that they were outgrowing that industry and there was a need for more appropriate fitting clothing as they aged. A study by the Fashion Group of NYC predicted that the Baby Boomer's Junior Market would soon begin to decline as the Baby Boomers were falling into a new market that the junior market would no longer accomodate.
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Mary Duffy became one of the first plus size models. She is one of the highest paid models in the fashion industry, yet she never walked the runway of a fashion show,
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Mary Duffy started model agency Big Beauties Little Women, which was the first model agency to specialize in plus size and petitie women's fashion.
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In the 1990s larger model agencies like Ford Models and Wilhemina began expanding into the plus size industry.
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In 1998, Ford Model's superstar plus size model Emme was the first plus-size model to sign as a spokes model with a cosmetics company.
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Jean Paul Gautier, famous designer pioneered walking plus size models down the runway during his show Fashion Week of 2006. Stating he was inspired by the woman not her size.
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In September 2012, Ralph Lauren named Robin Lawley, one of the Vogue Italia cover models, its first plus-size model
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H&M has brought about a new refreshing approach to plus size fashion with Jennie Runk's beach wear shoot for their new plus size swim wear launch.
