A Remi Bader x Sam's Club clothing line
musings on inclusive fashion for the budget-conscious buyer
A new size-inclusive clothing collection dropped yesterday from perhaps the unlikeliest of sources: Sam’s Club. The bulk retailer partnered with internet star Remi Bader, a divisive figure for many of us in the plus size community, to create a clothing collection of over 20 pieces all priced under $30. Yes, under $30. Pieces in the collection mostly range from sizes XS-6X, or 2-32. While Remi Bader is not my personal first choice to be the face of an inclusive line, let’s discuss the synergy and potential efficacy of the collaboration.
Bader has undeniable influence and has previously released clothing collections with Revolve, but at a higher price point and a smaller size range (XXS-4X). At first glance, partnering with Sam’s Club may seem like an odd choice (and it’s not *not* an odd choice) but a little social listening tells us this may actually be an unexpected yet relatively harmonious partnership.
While Bader’s previous collections appealed to a younger, arguably more fashion-minded audience, this new collection has broader appeal for an often underrepresented key profitability group: middle America and suburbia, Sam’s Club’s bread and butter. The designs are simple and mostly conservative enough that they can work for a decent variety of ages and style preferences. A majority of Sam’s Club’s shoppers are between 18-34 years of age (73.4% as of 2023) and have somewhat limited discretionary funds for purchases like clothing or, at the very least, are very budget-conscious. A study from earlier this year showed that over 50% of their 2022 customers had a household income of below $50,000. The pieces in the collection are shockingly affordable (more on that momentarily) and benefit from the mass appeal of versatility and ambiguity in style. Simply put, they’re functional and easy to incorporate into your wardrobe even if you’re not fashion-savvy.
It’s clear why Sam’s Club would want to enter into this partnership. It certainly gives them a sense of cultural cachet, an important factor as they work to increase their membership in younger age ranges and to expand their number of stores. Perhaps most notably, this is a clever acquisition tactic for the membership-only retailer. The items from Remi’s edit are shoppable on Sam’s Club’s website regardless of membership status; however, there is an upcharge to purchase for those who are not cardholders. If you are not already a cardholder, Sam’s Club is offering up to $50 in Sam’s cash + free shipping as an added incentive to register and shop the line at the lower member price. You do have to be a cardholder to shop in store.
The hundreds of comments on Remi’s announcement post are wholly positive. More importantly, they point to success for Sam’s Club in regards to brand visibility/affinity and membership acquisition specifically. Many Costco loyalists in the comments expressed their interest in shifting to the Walmart-owned bulk retailer instead, eager to shop the affordable and inclusive collection. At the time of writing this, Sam’s Club has not posted anything on their own Instagram account regarding the collaboration.
Not only is it appealing to and converting new customers, the collection is resonating with current Sam’s Club consumers. Meeting these shoppers in a physical place where they’re shopping weekly or biweekly is mutually advantageous. Providing them with affordable and accessible clothing in their size lends itself to increased order value for many customers as they excitedly toss a jacket and jeans into their cart along with their usual rotisserie chickens and popcorn. I’m intrigued to see if Sam’s will capitalize on this momentum by continuing to invest in opportunities like this one, and what types of creators or tastemakers they may choose to work with next.
One major criticism I have of the line and its rollout is that not all sizes are available in store. This is an often perpetrated offense by fashion brands both big and small, leading to increasingly frustrating shopping experiences for plus size consumers. Edited By Remi Bader will be available to purchase in 100 store locations, but only up to a 4X, excluding the two largest sizes from shopping in store - sizes which already have the least amount of overall options available to them. At this time, some pieces in the collection are only available up to a 5X online.
On Remi’s Instagram story at the time of launch, she mentioned that 6X was a last minute addition in an effort to be more inclusive. Because of this, the collection went live with no 6X options at first, but she said they would be available “within the hour”. Whether the remaining lack of 6X on some of the product pages is a timing-related tech glitch or an intentional decision, it is unfortunate either way.1 It’s also worth noting that, based on a size chart shared to Bader’s Instagram (but oddly not available on Sam’s Club website that I can find) the largest jeans size of 32W is equivalent to a 5X, not a 6X.
“Remi is a firm believer in making small steps in the right direction, as long as you're making those steps, and that's what she sees this as. 'It's a start," Remi says of this launch. "I care more about doing the baby steps where maybe not everyone loves that, but for me, I'm like, I'm in the door.’" - People
The reality is that all issues in plus size fashion can be traced back to lack of equity and accessibility, a chasm that only becomes more stark as sizes increase. For a line to be truly inclusive, all sizes should be equally priced and available in the exact same points of access. Additionally, all pieces should be offered in the full range.
Even so, the line itself is a drastic improvement on what is currently available at Sam’s Club, from a style perspective, yes, but especially in regards to sizing. At least online, the majority of the overall women’s clothing items offered are only available in straight sizes (up to an XXL) which feels like a major miss for a mass retailer like Sam’s Club. While the sizing is certainly a positive change for their brand, the unbelievably low price point may be a point of contention. Many commenters expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude that something they want to shop is actually available in their size at a price they can afford. However, for those with knowledge about fashion supply chains, clothing at such a low price point raises some red flags.
My initial reaction upon seeing that all items were available under $30 was genuine disbelief. Upon a closer look, the prices are in line with the typical Sam’s Club clothing offerings, so it’s possible that they’ve mastered some sort of economies of scale and/or vertically integrated production to get their price points this low. But even producing at scale, it’s difficult to imagine how they can effectively and ethically manufacture clothing at this price. I do feel the need to make a disclaimer that I am unfamiliar with how specifically bulk/wholesale retailers like Costco and Sam’s produce and mark up their product, so I won’t speculate further on the implications at this time.
The collection includes a denim jacket at $19.97 and a bomber jacket at $25.88, numbers that are reminiscent of 2009 Walmart price tags. Many of the pieces are heavily polyester, as can be expected at this price point, with simplified finishes as seen below. Just as there is in straight sizes, there is a market and a plus size consumer for styles like these, in moderation.
I strongly believe that we cannot have true equity as plus size consumers until we have the same exact options as straight size consumers. It’s still true that straight sized women can much more easily find clothing in their size at any price point, whether that be luxury or extreme fast fashion, so we should advocate for plus sizes to be available in the same ranges, high and low. It’s also inherently true that creating clothing at drastically low costs is typically bad for the environment and for workers, no matter the size being produced.
There are many benchmarks among the plus size community for satisfying the elusive concept of true inclusivity in fashion. The general ask is fairly simple - we want what straight size consumers have, where they have it, at the same price they have it at. For the most part, this collection fits that bill. Ensuring that all sizes were available in store and all pieces were available from XS-6X would have fully satisfied the requirement. Beyond this, other considerations include body diversity in models used and proper measures taken in order to guarantee good fit for plus size bodies - not just grading up from straight size patterns. This is a step that can be costly and time intensive, but a plus size collection cannot succeed without it.
While I can’t speak to the behind-the-scenes creation of this line or the fit of the pieces (but I would love to, if anyone from Sam’s or Remi’s team is reading this), I think the models chosen decently highlight the range of the collection more than many campaigns do - although I ALWAYS want to see more drastic range of bodies and the largest sizes represented in the marketing materials. Push the boundary further! More bellies! I also appreciate that there are both a straight size and a plus size model on each of the PDPs. If we’re really splitting hairs, a size range this wide would greatly benefit from at least 3 model options representing different body shapes on PDPs to offer even more diversity of choice and relatability. This would likely increase conversion as plus size customers are more likely to purchase when they can envision the clothes on their own body.
While a sub-$30 collection shouldn’t and can’t be the standard moving forward, I am always glad to see more options in plus sizes, especially beyond a 3X. I imagine that there are women in underserved states who have never had the experience of walking into a store and finding their size in a piece of affordable clothing they’re actually excited to wear - and it’s a win that they now have that ability. An ideal future would bring less clothing manufacturing overall, but would be inclusive of full size ranges at every price point in a more intentional manner. Body diversity will always exist, and people in every income class will always need to be clothed. We’ll continue advocating for improved shopping experiences and equitable access in the hopes that we can work successfully toward a more inclusive and more responsible future ahead.
Hi! I’m Jo 👋🏻 I live and work in Brooklyn. By day I work in branded partnerships at a popular women’s media company, and by night I write to you here about books, bodies, and culture. I previously worked in fashion, particularly in size inclusive fashion, before making the switch to media. I am relentlessly passionate about changing the conversation and inviting more people to the table in the fashion and beauty industries. I look forward to covering more plus size news like this for you soon as we grow together in this space.
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A disclaimer was added to the product pages stating “Additional Sizes Coming Soon!”
really enjoyed this piece Jordan! I'm unsure how I feel about the general trend of influencer-led limited edition collabs. On one hand it does increase the number of trend-forward options in the plus market, but I also worry that it still contributes to the volatile changes in reliability and availability of inclusive options. I'd be curious to see if Remi has any plans to launch her own clothing line or label independently; obviously a ton more overhead and preparation needed, but maybe could be a more sustainable approach?