I knew that one size of towel would not be enough when it came to creating physical towels during product development. The plus size/ fat community for so long has been using bath sheets and beach towels to bridge this gap in the towel market. Beyond this, for many large bodies, bath sheets and beach towels are still too small and people need extra options. We wanted to make a towel that was larger than most towels currently on the market.
I also knew that bodies can come in many shapes and sizes and just having one style or size was not going to suffice. This is when I came up with our first three styles: Ava, Joni, and Gemma. These three styles allow you to have options because as we know it, the “one size fits all” Narrative is really outdated and so is the sizing standard.
In fact size standards are so varied and inconsistent there is no real size standard for clothing. Additionally the median size for the American woman today is a US 16/18 but then why is a common “women’s medium” in American Clothing a US 6/8? It doesn’t make sense. This means most clothing brands do not offer sizing for most American Women and when it comes to towels the number is even lower. Because I know sizing standards are all smoke and mirrors and the negative stereotypes around sizing that make for mental and emotional hurdles I opted to name our first styles after people: Ava, Joni, and Gemma. These three styles cover a range of size standards for the average American sizing up to Adult 7X. Ava is a suggested fit for up to 3X, Joni is a suggested fit for up to 5X and Gemma is a suggested fit for up to 7X.
We use the word suggested because sizing is up to your interpretation of how you like your towel to be sized. I personally like to wrap and tuck my towel so I can walk around without my bits being exposed and that is how our towels fit.
I do believe the structure of sizing has a long way to go, but for now, baby steps. Today TOWEL offers the most large-towel options and largest selection for plus size, size inclusive and large towels on the market. I know everyone deserves a towel that wraps them up like a hug because all bodies are good bodies.