(Fashion)

How This Renowned Researcher Helped Old Navy Start A Fashion Revolution

Creating a more inclusive shopping environment for everyone.

by Erin Cunningham

Aug. 20, 2021

The shopping experience we all know too well meant “specialty” plus sections in-store, inflated prices for those sizes, and mannequins that assume one size fits all.

Enter: Old Navy’s BODEQUALITY movement, which aims to cultivate a more inclusive environment that caters to all women. Find styles in sizes 0-28 in the same store sections and online, and discover an updated fit, led by product design expert Dr. Susan Sokolowski. The result? Old Navy created space for women to celebrate their personal style.

Old Navy’s modernized fit isn’t just marketing lingo — it’s research-backed.

Sokolowski was enlisted by the retailer to reevaluate its sizing standards. “There has been a lot of momentum in the extended sizing space,” says Sokolowski, but many apparel companies are working with just one plus-size fit model. Instead, Sokolowski modeled fits on 389 different body types for Old Navy, creating a more comfortable, consistent size run.

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