Queen Latifah's clothing line caters to all sizes

“Plus size is a word we need to bury.” As someone who herself has struggled with her weight, singer and actress Queen Latifah knows what it’s like to be plus-size in a fashion industry that is catering to size zeros. Last year, she decided to launch her own fashion collection – the Queen Collection (available through HSN), which does not perpetuate size discrimination. In an interview, Latifah explained that she wanted to create something that represented all women. And the great part is that it’s affordable – with no item priced over $100. ‘I wanted to make something size two and up. The truth is, we all would like to wear the same clothes. We all want to wear beautiful, fly clothes no matter what size you are, and so for me it was important to match with a company that understood and respected that ideal.’ Of the term ‘plus-size’ she said: ‘It is a word we need to bury at this point. It’s for all sizes.’ Queen Latifah admitted that the reason she had not agreed to collaborate on a collection in the past was due to a biased fashion industry. ‘I felt like larger girls were not respected, even though we are huge consumers,’ she explained. ‘I felt the marketplace didn’t respect us in the way it should. I was not going to step out with a clothing line that didn’t respect a fuller-figured woman or a curvaceous woman, and really all women.’ The plus-size market, which caters to women of a U.S. size 12 and up, represents 16% of the country’s $107.3 billion clothing industry. Definitely an area where more designers could benefit from venturing into. The Queen Collection really does promise a flattering fit for all body shapes, with softly-draped dresses and waterfall-neck jackets to jeans that unzip at the ankle and versatile knitted ponchos.

About The Author

Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.