Is Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie really size inclusive?
But will she be able to repeat her inclusive success in this new venture?
No one is questioning whether the Diamonds singer can pull off a line of nudes to match a wide variety of skin tones (which is what her foundation line quickly became praised for), but even with 36 total sizes, some are questioning whether she will provide bras and panties that truly fit the body types of all of her fans.
When the Savage X Fenty sign-up website went live in April, people took to Twitter to share their frustration that the sizes advertised (which ranged from 32A to 44DDD on the sign-in page, but only go up to 44DD on the product pages) didn’t meet their needs.
“rihanna’s lingerie line is being advertised as size inclusive, but only carries 32a to 44dd……. lmao ok sure… whatever body positivity sells your product i guess,” one user tweeted.
“Ri, the woman in this video is talking about having really giant boobs, but your sign up form only goes up to DDD cup sizes, which seems incongruous,” one user wrote. “Is @SavageXFenty going to have pieces that fit cup sizes larger than DDD?”
“Me as a 46G trying to squeeze into a 40DDD,” another wrote.
“As much as I love Rihanna why do her bra sizes only go up to DD? Not very inclusive,” another wrote.
So is Savage X Fenty a major fail in the inclusivity department? Experts say not quite, but it could still do better.
Susan Moses, celebrity stylist and author of The Art of Dressing Curves: The Best-Kept Secrets of a Fashion Stylist, told USA TODAY she views the line as inclusive.
While panty sizes typically correspond to women’s pant sizes, bra sizes are measured with a band size (the number), which is the number of inches just below a woman’s bust. It also includes a cup size (the letter), which corresponds with the size of the fullest part of a woman’s breasts, normally measured around the nipple line. They typically begin at size 42A and progress from there.
“Traditionally, many brands only went up to a size 40DD in bras and an XL in panties and other pieces. As the industry evolves we are seeing brands go up to to a size 44DDD, a 3X and larger,” Moses said. “That size range generally fits women that are size 14 through size 24, which is a large demographic of plus-size women.”
She added that to be truly inclusive, however, the larger options will need to have the same design integrity as the smaller sizes. In addition, it would be truly ideal for the brand (and other brands) to carry even larger sizes regularly, she said.
“Because I think all women deserve beautiful options, the ideal size range I think brands should carry would start at a size 32A and go up to sizes 46H in bras and up to size 5X in other offerings,” she said.
Jené Luciani, best-selling author of The Bra Book: The Fashion Formula to Finding the Perfect Bra, agreed that the line could do more, describing the line as only “somewhat inclusive.”
“She has been heralded since the line’s launch for ‘plus size’ inclusiveness, however, with bra sizing, most lines that cater to full-figured women will go up to at least a G-cup,” Luciani said, adding, “This is a start.”
Not everyone has problems with the brand, however. Many have been excited for Rihanna’s take on lingerie, and since the launch, have praised the line’s fun styles and decent price points, which keep things in the double-digit range.
Although representatives of the brand were not able to comment specifically on whether more sizes will be coming to Savage X Fenty, they did hint that it could be a possibility.
“All I can say is there are plans to expand in the future!” senior publicist for KCD Worldwide Andria Arizmendi told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.