H&M Doubles Down On Size Inclusivity

H&M embarked on a commitment to diversity and inclusion in 2018 and has continued to grow its efforts ever since. Last year, H&M began working with Tess Holiday, a model and influencer in the size-inclusive space. Recently, H&M made Holiday its size and inclusivity consultant and introduced an expanded range in its plus-size collection.

“We have a curvy denim collection,” said Donna Dozier Gordon, H&M’s head of inclusion and diversity for the Americas region. “It’s something we’ve also been working on for the past couple of years and we launched earlier this year, with a focus not only on size, but making sure the denim has the right fit for a curvier customer.

Holiday has worked on global campaigns for H&M in the past and the company has been in conversation with her for the last couple of years. In relation to the current work she’s doing now, H&M formalized that relationship with a partnership in August of 2022.

“I think our aspiration has really been to ensure that there are options for this customer in the regular assortment, that’s why we’re proud that we have sizes up to 2XL in stores and up to 4XL online,” Dozier Gordon said. “Some of the research from customer insights that we’re gathering along the way, found that people want to feel like they can shop in the store like any other customer.”

“This is something that we’ll continue to reevaluate based on customer response and feedback,” Dozier Gordon said. “It’s been a gradual rollout for us, so as we continue to get customer engagement, we’ll continue to reassess and consider how we continue to deliver these options to this customer.”

Holiday is utilizing her extensive knowledge of the industry, personal experience as a plus-size shopper and advocate to affect change within H&M. Holliday was consulted to ensure H&M U.S. is equipped with the tools, information, education, and support to help mitigate bias, improve inclusion and promote diversity, from design ideas and product development to marketing and communications, the retailer said.

“We are confident that the partnership that we developed with Tess will insure that we’re doing this the right way and solidify our relationship with new customers,” Dozier Gordon said. “This is just an extension of the commitment we have to inclusion and diversity. We want all of our customers to feel like H&M is a brand for them and that they can see themselves reflected in the brand. We want them to come into our stores and have a great experience shopping with us. It’s part of our continual focus of delivering the utmost customer experience.”