Selling clothing to plus-size women

[ladyjanelly]

I've got a few non-custom-order 2XL sweater-hoodie projects in my work-stream and I'm wondering how to handle a couple of issues and I'm hoping to get some feedback from anyone who wants to give it, but especially you ladies who are around that size.  I apologize in advance for anything I get wrong and hope I don't offend anyone.  

Using upcycled materials for plus sizes is a little different than using stock fabric, in that it requires quite a bit more labor to go along with the larger amount of sweaters.  There is more piecing required to make it large enough and to keep it from having too much non-altered space.  Also, "found" zippers only come 22", maybe 24" and are too short for the plus sizes so I need to buy new decorative hooks that are almost the same cost as the sweaters themselves.  

So to be fair to myself, the finished 2XL product needs to be around 1.5 times the price of a medium.  But I feel bad charging more, I feel guilty that i don't have any of that size up yet, and I feel it's being condescending to explain why it's more in my product notes even though I know I probably should so it doesn't look like I'm taking advantage of the larger size ladies.  

Does that makes sense at all?  I don't even know for sure what my question is, I just would like your thoughts and maybe that'll give me a starting place to tease through my own emotions on this issue and figure out what I'm even asking.

Thanks for any feedback,
-J

Comments

[macbyrne.livejournal.com]

I've always been so grateful to find anything that fucking fits, pardon my french, and is stylish/comfortable/not-a-potato-sack, that the extra cost barely registers. Unless it's bras. Then I'm in a rage, b/c the cost is so much greater from the little A/B cups, and they're for the most part horrible looking, or horribly uncomfortable. But I digress.

Most plus-size customers will be expecting to pay more for a plus-size garment. I had no idea that the zippers/hooks were so problematic/expensive, so you could certainly add a note in regards to that.

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

The materials are such a small part of my costs since I use recycled/thrift store materials, so anything I have to buy new is sort of painful for me. I found a jacket today with $12 worth of hardware on it for $3.50. I'll have to look for more of those.

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate everyone's thinky thoughts.