The five most inclusive fashion brands are…

Two athletic apparel and footwear giants are rated the most inclusive fashion brands in a new survey.

Adidas took the top spot (42%), followed by Nike (31%), in a survey by RushOrderTees regarding inclusivity in the fashion. Rounding out the top five were American Eagle (25%), Old Navy (19%) and Fashion Nova (16%).  The company surveyed 1,000 individuals who identify as plus-sized, disabled, senior (55-plus), LGBTQ+ and BIPOC.

According to respondents, the best way for a brand to improve its inclusivity was to offer an extended range of sizes (67%). In women’s clothing, the term  plus-size is used to refer to anyone that wears a size 16 or beyond. However, the average American woman ranges from a size 16 to 18 so it’s important that models are representative of this and that extended sizes are available not just online but in store as well, according to the study.

“Otherwise, retailers risk decreasing their market and frustrating or upsetting the average consumer,”  thestudy stated. (For the full study, go to https://www.rushordertees.com/fashion-industry-inclusion/.)

Highlights from the RushOrderTees survey are below.

• Nearly 23% of respondents don’t think the stores they shop are inclusive. Overall, more than one in four BIPOC, disabled, plus-sized, LGBTQ+, and senior respondents are unable to find trendy clothing in their size in-store or online.
• Individuals with a disability had the most difficulty finding trendy clothing in their size both in store and online. Only 35% of disabled people were always able to find fashionable clothing that fit them, even when they had the entire internet at their disposal.
• More than one in five LGBTQ+ are unable to find clothing that expresses their identity in stores (23%) or online (24%).
• Eight in 10 believe the fashion industry is making an effort to be more inclusive, with plus-sized models (58%) and BIPOC models (40%) having the most representation among the brands people shop.  Models with disabilities (21%) are the least represented.
• All respondent groups were more likely to shop at a brand that incorporated inclusivity into their marketing and advertising. BIPOC people (80%) were most likely to agree with this sentiment, while seniors (67%) were the least likely to have strong feelings on this subject