Fashion

New Look accused of fat tax after charging up to 30% more for larger clothes

New Look accused of 'fat tax' after charging up to 30% more for larger clothes

(Picture: New Look)

New Look has been called out for imposing a fat tax on plus size clothing.

It comes after a shopper discovered a pair of trousers from its Curve range were being sold for 15% more than the standard size version in the main collection.

Maria Wassell, a retail supervisor, is now calling on people to boycott the chain.

Shes worked in retail for 26 years and says that she was disgusted to discover that a pair of green striped trousers were £22.99 in the larger sizes, compared to £19.99 in the standard range.

Maria then went online and found that the price disparity continued there too; she found that the 18 t-shirt shed bought the previous weekend was being sold for just £12.99 in the standard range – a 30% difference.

Its like Im being discriminated against for being plus size when Im only slightly bigger than average, she says.

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The average size for a British woman is now a size 16. Plus size purchases are on the increase. If you look at the statistics, theres more money being spent on plus size clothing now then there was even three years ago.

MERCURY PRESS. 14/5/18. Pictured: Maria Wassell, 43, with a top from the Curve range. New Look has been slammed for imposing a fat tax on plus size customers after a shopper discovered a pair of trousers from its Curve range on sale for 15 per cent more than an apparently identical pair from the main collection. Retail supervisor Maria Wassell, is now boycotting the chain after she noticed the pricing difference when she browsed through the rails at the Ashford branch last Wednesday (May 9). Maria, who has worked in retail for 26 years, said she was absolutely disgusted when she discovered a pair of green striped trousers were ?22.99 in their Curves range, compared to ?19.99 in their standard range.

(Picture: Mercury)

Why should we be penalised for being slightly bigger? A lot of retailers do this.

Some retailers have claimed that plus size clothes need more fabric and thats why it costs more. Thats basically rubbish.

I used to work for a plus size brand so I do understand a lot about how it works.

(Picture: New Look)

(Picture: New Look)

(Picture: New Look)

(Picture: New Look)

And she doesnt buy the argument that it costs more to make bigger clothing, because she claims that the clothing in New Looks tall range is priced the same as regular sizes.

But there are reasons why some brands may charge more, or might not offer larger clothing at all.

It takes more time to develop a shape which is an average of the plus size population, so as to not have something which only fits very specific body shapes, Rob Williams, from clothing manufacturer Hawthorn, tells Metro.co.uk.

Some garments are more affected by this than others.

MERCURY PRESS. 14/5/18. Pictured: Maria Wassell, 43. New Look has been slammed for imposing a fat tax on plus size customers after a shopper discovered a pair of trousers from its Curve range on sale for 15 per cent more than an apparently identical pair from the main collection. Retail supervisor Maria Wassell, is now boycotting the chain after she noticed the pricing difference when she browsed through the rails at the Ashford branch last Wednesday (May 9). Maria, who has worked in retail for 26 years, said she was absolutely disgusted when she discovered a pair of green striped trousers were ?22.99 in their Curves range, compared to ?19.99 in their standard range.

(Picture: Mercury)

When producing more common sizes, the difference in fabric consumption between a size 10, 12 and 14, for example, isnt actually that much. However the difference between a 10 and a 20 is considerable, so manufacturers will compensate for that in pricing, usually with sizes 10-16 being one price, 16-24 being another price, and so on.

But it does sound like Marias caught New Look out, judging from their response.

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A New Look spokesman said: To ensure pricing differences like these dont happen in future, we are in the process of reviewing the pricing structure of our plus size collection in a way which works best for our customers and our business.

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We are proud of the ranges we offer to our plus size customers and value all customers, no matter what their body shape or size.

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