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The Spring/Summer 2026 season showed incremental improvements in size inclusivity on the catwalk, but not nearly enough to reflect the demand from consumers and the fashion crowd.
Of the 9,038 looks presented across 198 shows and presentations, 97.1 per cent were straight-size (US 0-4), 2 per cent were mid-size (US 6-12) and 0.9 per cent were plus-size (US 14+). The results were only a slight improvement (less than 1 per cent) from last season, which showed some of the lowest size inclusivity figures we’d seen since launching this report. In comparison, last season, 97.7 per cent of looks were straight-size, 2 per cent were mid-size and 0.3 per cent were plus-size. In comparison to SS25, this season’s plus-size representation is roughly the same, while mid-size representation has halved.
Many show-goers voiced frustration over the lack of diversity on the runway. Writer, consultant and content creator Brenda Weischer (@BrendaHashtag) pointed out the size of models and talent on Instagram after fashion month came to a close. “Scrolling through Vogue Runway has been depressing this season, especially in Paris,” she tells Vogue Business.
As with previous seasons, Vogue Business has analysed every runway show and presentation featured on Vogue Runway from the official New York, London, Milan and Paris schedules, to calculate the proportion of total looks that are straight, mid and plus-size. Brands were contacted to allow them to verify the data and informed that if they did not respond, the initial figures collected by Vogue Business would be used. Sizing ranges were determined based on typical sample sizes for straight sizing and established definitions of mid and plus-size.
At New York Fashion Week, size inclusivity declined overall. Mid-size looks dropped from 2.8 per cent last season to 1.5 per cent, and plus-size looks increased from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent this season. Straight-size looks increased from 96.7 per cent last season to 97.5 per cent this season.
In Milan, just four brands included non-straight-size models — the least we have seen since the start of the Vogue Business size inclusivity report. Last season, eight brands included non-straight-size models, including Marni, Fendi, Etro and Ferragamo. The percentage of looks that were straight-size stayed exactly the same this season, at 99.1 per cent, while mid-size looks dropped from 0.9 per cent to 0.7 per cent this season and plus-size looks increased from 0 to 0.2 per cent.
In Paris, size inclusivity increased slightly compared to last season. Mid-size looks increased from 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent, and plus-size looks increased from 0.1 per cent to 0.6 per cent this season. Straight-size looks decreased slightly from 98.9 per cent to 97.9 per cent. The top 10 most diverse shows this season included some familiar names: Xuly.Bët, Ottolinger, Cecilie Bahnsen, Julie Kegels, Givenchy and Matières Fécales each featured for AW25.
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London Fashion Week remained the most size inclusive of the big four. Size inclusivity improved slightly, from 6.5 per cent mid-size and 1.6 per cent plus-size looks last season, to 6.7 per cent mid-size and 2.8 per cent plus-size looks this season. Straight-size looks decreased from 92.8 per cent to 90.5 per cent.
Off the runway in London, a group of fashion insiders gathered for a panel discussion on the industry’s size diversity — or lack thereof. The conversation, titled ‘Recalibrating fashion’s inclusivity lens: With purpose action’, was co-hosted by plus-size model and consultant James Corbin, alongside his agent and casting director MC Barnes.
“What surprised me most was how full and mixed the room was — straight-size, mid-size and plus-size creatives, designers, stylists, movement directors, art directors, photographers and consumers all sitting together. It proved this isn’t a niche issue; it’s something everyone recognises as long overdue for change,” says Corbin. Corbin explains that designers have privately messaged him since, saying how it’s inspired them to create bespoke pieces and think more about embedding inclusivity throughout their wider collections, too. “Many said they finally saw how beautiful and commercially strong inclusivity can be when it’s not treated as a one-off campaign but as part of a brand’s design DNA,” he says.
What’s holding back size inclusivity?
There are a number of factors that indicate why size inclusivity remains low on the runway. Firstly, there’s been a cultural shift towards conservative values in the past two years. “What we are seeing in the world, politically especially, is white supremacist ideas spreading rapidly, and that is tied to beauty standards, too. In the past, brands have cast more diverse [models] with the wrong intentions — to sell. Still, somewhere there’s a girl at home watching and feeling represented at least,” says Weischer.
The structure of fashion week also means that creating a size inclusive fashion show requires much forethought. Brands typically cast models only a few days before their shows, meaning they must fit into the same sample size. If a brand wants to include a non-straight-size model, they’ll need to create the samples with that in mind. London-based size inclusive brands Sinéad O’Dwyer and Karoline Vitto typically pre-cast their models, and may have to remake the patterns to fit them before the show. O’Dwyer was missing from this season’s London schedule, while Vitto hosted a runway for a group of her customers and filmed it, presenting a digital collection at fashion week (the Vogue Business size inclusivity report does not include digital shows, so Vitto was not included in our calculations).
When it comes to selling the collection, buyers rarely purchase the full size range from size inclusive brands. When selling direct-to-consumer (DTC), offering a full range of sizes can lead to SKU-heavy operations. In any case, there’s a lack of standardisation available for pattern grading for extended sizes, which leaves it up to designers to teach themselves (extended size pattern grading is rarely taught at fashion school, Vitto and O’Dwyer have told Vogue Business in the past).
Manufacturing can also pose a challenge, as size inclusive brands grapple with meeting minimum order quantities, and creating everything in-house can only take a brand so far. From sampling to casting to production, being inclusive can cost more time and effort than small brands can afford. To overcome these barriers, further teaching and funding is required to extend size ranges. Bigger brands with more resources are well placed to lead the way, but usually fail to do so, especially in recent times.
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Despite minimal progress in size inclusivity on the runway, there’s still consumer demand for broader sizing. We surveyed 687 Vogue, Vogue Business and GQ readers to better understand how sizing affects their purchase behaviour and brand loyalty, and found that poor fit and inconsistent sizes are among the top deterrents to purchasing a garment from a brand or retailer. Amid a challenging retail climate, with sales suffering across many brands, labels that don’t invest in sizing are leaving money on the table. “I find [inconsistent sizing and poor sizing availability] incredibly frustrating, especially since I end up questioning whether or not something will fit,” said one plus-size respondent. “I also hate having to return or exchange clothing, so I’m left wondering if I should even make the purchase.”
Vogue Business surveyed almost 700 consumers about sizing and representation in fashion. It underlines a missed opportunity for brands.
With data analysis by Emily Forkan and data collection by Morgan Harris and Alyshea Wharton.
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
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