To wonder why clothes aren't more expensive in bigger sizes

[mrsfoof]

If you buy children's clothes, you'll have probably noticed that you have to pay a good few quid more for a T-shirt in age 12 than you would for the exact same T-shirt in age 5. Fair enough, the bigger size uses a lot more fabric.

Why then, is a size 24 ladies' T-shirt the same price as the same T-shirt in a size 6, despite it using a lot more - maybe even twice as much - fabric?

Would people be more motivated to stay a healthy weight if they had to pay more for bigger clothes? Why don't we charge more for bigger clothes? Are the prices based on the average amount of fabric used - so skinny people pay more and very large people pay less than they should do based on the resources used to make their clothes?

FWIW I'm marginally overweight and wouldn't have a problem paying more for my size 14 than a 6. I think it would motivate me to lose some weight if the size 10 was cheaper though!

Would people be more motivated to stay a healthy weight if they had to pay more for bigger clothes?

No, it would just be another opportunity for fat shaming.
Just a horrible suggestion, really.

And what are people on low incomes supposed to wear while 'motivated' to lose weight? A potato sack? Duvet with a hole cut in the top? Rags?

I'm quite tall. Perhaps you think I should pay more, or alternatively chop my legs off to save money?

And why are mens clothing cheaper? They tend to be taller. Their pants and trousers need all that extra zipper work and extra fabric?

Absolutely not. Are you going to charge more for longer lengths and less for shorter aswell. 🙄

You pay a premium for petite clothing, use less cloth but it's supply and demand. There was a poster months ago saying that larger size do cost more due to material and shipping costs. No idea how much work would have to go into working out actual costs plus the same % profit margin.

I think plus size clothes do cost more actually. New look and Asos are particularly awful for this and to get comfortable, nice fabrics you tend to have to shop at plus size shops like Yours and Simply Be who charge £30 ish for a dress that in a “normal” size wouldn’t be more than about £15/20 somewhere else.

I am plus sized btw.

We all pay the same for shoes whether you're a 3 or a 9. Why would clothes be different?

If manufacturers sell (and therefore make) significantly higher numbers of larger sizes than small ones, the costs for those may be cheaper, even though more fabric may be used.

Clothes for "plus sizes" (I'm one) are already more expensive. Few clothes shops sell the same range of clothes in a size 6 and 26, those that do are not really in keeping with the body shape differences between all those different sizes.

I would say those that do tend to be already fast fashion, buy cheap and dump in 2 months pieces of clothing (terrible for many reasons obviously).

So clothes for people larger than size 18, definitely size 20+ are already more expensive and harder to find (especially if you don't like waterfall cardigans).

Well why not? People do it for kids clothes. If you have a tall 8 year old and have to buy age 10 trousers for them, they'll probably be more expensive than if you had a short 8 year old and bought them age 6 or 7 trousers.
My point is why is it the norm to pay based on size for kids' clothes, but not adults'?

There are a couple of outdoor companies that price their products by size. But they phrase it like you're paying less for the smaller sizes because of less material

You do in adults' sizes yes. But not kids'. A child's shoe in size 10 will usually be cheaper than the same style in size 2 (big 2). It would be fairer to pay based on size would it not?

Fabric cost is pennies compared to the other costs and profit margins.

It's not just about the cost of the fabric - that's a minimal difference. All the other overheads are the same regardless of size.

My point is why is it the norm to pay based on size for kids' clothes, but not adults'?

I don't know where you're shopping but my local shops don't charge differently for the same child's t-shirt in different sizes.

Some companies charge more - for example Lands End T-shirts cost approximately £4 more in plus sizes.

I'm not talking about making all plus size clothing expensive for the sake of being expensive. But shops like Next, Primark and so on that sell the exact same top in sizes 6-22, why is the bigger size the same price as the smaller one despite using twice the fabric to make it?
Perhaps we should look at it as making smaller sizes cheaper rather than larger sizes more expensive?

Really? It must take longer to put a big top through a sewing machine than a small top. Then there is the extra weight for the shipping costs etc.
Otherwise, why do double duvet covers cost more than single duvet covers and older kids' clothes cost more than little kids' clothes?

You keep talking about the cost of the fabric. JUST the cost of the fabric. This is only a small percentage of the total cost of a garment. The other costs (rent, utilities, staffing, management, support costs, transport, etc etc) are the same regardless of whether the T shirt is a S or a L.

@DropYourSword. This is a screenshot from Next. I've seen pricing like this in loads of shops - M&S, Tesco, Primark etc.

"I'm not talking about making all plus size clothing expensive for the sake of being expensive. But shops like Next, Primark and so on that sell the exact same top in sizes 6-22, why is the bigger size the same price as the smaller one despite using twice the fabric to make it?
Perhaps we should look at it as making smaller sizes cheaper rather than larger sizes more expensive?"

What exactly is the motivation for doing this? Is it as you say upthread to incentivise being smaller in size for health? In which case would very slim people need to prove that they fall within a healthy BMI and don't have an eating disorder to benefit from the cost reduction.

And as an amateur dressmaker, little fiddly things are a darn sight more difficult and take longer to make than larger ones.

This just seems like fat shaming, and spiteful at that. If it makes you feel better OP, busty women have to pay more for bras than smaller chested women

@mrsfoof tell you what. You make clothes and then make them more expensive for tall people, fat people etc. see how many people buy them..