Universal Standard's Denim by US collection.
Universal StandardUniversal Standard has built a business on offering sleek, minimalist pieces to a full range of consumers—and it is now tackling the holy grail of styles, jeans. The New York-based apparel brand has recently launched its Denim by US collection, which comes in sizes from 00 to 40, and starts at $90.
Founded by Alexandra Waldman and Polina Veksler, Universal Standard, as its name suggest, aims to appeal to all women, and not just those that many in the industry tirelessly, and perhaps carelessly, cater to.
Indeed, when it comes to fashion, size matters. The way garments fit the body, allowing consumers to feel at ease and emboldened is the major reason why fashion is a billion-dollar industry. Yes, design and creativity play a large part, but at the end of the day, fashion is a utilitarian medium. To whit, a dress or pair of jeans needs to be suitable on a range of forms to really have an impact and generate enough sales to be commercially viable.
Sadly, most big-name brands stick to a very antiquated mindset, one that proselytizes an ideal body type. It is slender, often devoid of curves and, most important, unattainable for real woman. To be sure, the average American figure ranges from 16 to 18. Yet, many labels don’t offer styles in this bracket. And if they do carry larger sizes, the styles are just enlarged variations of what was made for a petite form.
“People always think fashion is fashion, that you can compare straight-size fashion to plus-size fashion,” said Waldman over the phone. “But you cannot. It’s like comparing oranges and giraffes. They have very little in common.”
Alexandra Waldman and Polina Veksler.
Universal StandardThis is what led to Waldman and Veksler to create Universal Standard. In 2014, the duo couldn’t find a dress for Waldman to wear to an event. They searched up and down 5th Avenue, looking for an item that worked for her figure. And when they finally did stumble on a selection of larger sizes, what they saw was far less then stellar.
“There was a small little corner of the worst polyester you’ve ever seen—the kind that would set you on fire,” recounted Veksler. This was it. That was the first time this world opened up to me. This was the first time I realized there was a problem. This was the first time the light bulb went on in my head that we should do something.”
With virtually no background in fashion or production (both had careers in finance), Waldman and Veksler went to work on a creating a brand that spoke to all women, to gals who valued great quality and even greater fit. They started with an eight-piece capsule collection of basics: two dresses, two tops, a coat, a jacket and other pieces that they couldn’t remember. But what they did recall was that the entire collection sold out.
Universal Standard's Denim by US collection.
Universal StandardThe reason for this successful drop, as the duo learned, was the power of word of mouth (or in this case, social media). Women with larger builds had dollars to spend, but couldn’t find substantial pieces to warrant a purchase. So, when they did find something that flattered, that was made for them in mind, they were ready to share it with world.
“There is such desperation on the side of the double-digit-size women to find clothes to dress herself with,” said Waldman. “She is very actively combing through the internet, reading everything she can, networking and going through social media to find anything that’s out there. When we created jeans, a few people bought them and loved them. Then they started talking about it on their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. It kind of blew up from there.”
Universal Standard’s denim was so popular that it eventually amassed a waitlist of 1,700. And seeing how the market was ripe for the taking, Waldman and Veksler decided to launch Denim by US. That said, they also realized that offering more sizes wasn’t enough. “There are a lot of peccadillo to a consumer who is on the larger side and prefers to shop on the internet,” Waldman observed. “And we thought about what it would take for people to have a better understanding.”
Universal Standard's Denim by US collection.
Universal StandardTo that end, Universal Standard’s online platform showcases its jeans on models in its full size range. From 00 to 40, every denim style is shot separately at differing angles, allowing shoppers to fully realize their purchases. There is no second-guessing—or, as Waldman put it, “eye-zhoozhing”—if, say, a size 10 would look good on a size-28 frame. “We decided to build See It in Your Size, which is a much more digestible shopping experience if you are direct to consumer,” she said. “And I think that a lot of brands are starting to notice how it is very helpful, and are starting to adopt it.”
By May, they plan on expanding See It in Your Size into all categories. With this display, consumers no longer have to wonder if a garment will fit them. They can be content with their purchase and wear it unabashedly. And that, for all intents and purposes, should be a universal standard.
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Follow Barry Samaha on Twitter (@barry_samaha) and Instagram (@barrysamaha).
https://www.forbes.com/sites/barrysamaha/2019/03/31/universal-standard-how-to-shop-plus-size-fashion-online-denim-by-us-collection/
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