Inclusive fashion: what is it? it's us !
Imagine a fashion in which everyone could recognize themselves. In which everyone could dress too. In which everyone could express themselves! It's certainly utopian, but that's what we're trying to achieve with Houblon Platine. It's inclusive fashion and it's our nindo.
WHAT IS INCLUSIVE FASHION?
Inclusivity in a nutshell
Before going on a lyrical flight on inclusive fashion, let's stop for a moment on the definition of inclusivity!
The primary definition of inclusion is the fact of including, of integrating an element into a set, a whole. A society that aims to be inclusive will leave no one behind, no matter what. It identifies the characteristics of its members, understands the difficulties encountered that they imply and accompanies them to avoid their withdrawal! Everyone can thus participate in the life of society and feel represented!
What about inclusive fashion then?
Transposed to fashion, this principle of inclusiveness comes down to understanding the different characteristics that can keep people away from fashion and make them feel bad and offer them an alternative. Inclusive fashion is fashion that brings people together and allows everyone to feel good, to feel represented and to express themselves through their clothes.
THE CHALLENGES OF INCLUSIVE FASHION
The challenges of inclusive fashion are none other than the limits of traditional fashion. If it is changing little by little in the face of the controversies that continue to appear and multiply, we have identified several issues.
A lack of representation of different bodies
Too big, too thin, too black… The first issue of inclusive fashion is representativeness. This can happen, for example, by choosing models of all generations, of all sizes, of all disabilities or of all origins! The Big Bertha is our muse!
A lack of choice for sizes far from the norm
For various reasons (ideological, strategic or even economic), a majority of brands, from fast-fashion to responsible fashion, are confined to sizes 36 (S) to 42 (XL). People with bodies that do not meet these standards are limited in their clothing choices and thus find themselves sidelined! The second challenge of inclusive fashion is to expand the size ranges.
A lack of inclusiveness of non-binary minorities
Fashion is strongly gendered: the majority of brands offer Men's models, Women's models and Children's models. This raises several questions.
On the one hand, although people are cis, they may not recognize themselves in the cuts and models offered. Parents regularly complain that they don't want to dress their daughters in tight-fitting clothes on the pretext that they are girls!
On the other hand, non-binary people, who do not recognize themselves specifically in one gender or another, can feel sidelined by the bodies and outfits that are offered! Offering unisex clothing, which adapts to all body types, is thus a third issue of inclusive fashion.
Finally, we can wonder about the vocabulary we use! Rather than talking about male models and female models, why can't we talk about human beings and differences in morphology? Questioning our vocabulary is also essential!
INCLUSIVE FASHION IS US!
When we created Houblon Platine, inclusiveness was our nindo. Our objective has therefore been to respond to all the issues that we have highlighted: here is our approach and our commitments for a more inclusive fashion.
The highlighting of all the bodies
Our visual communication highlights all bodies and all sizes! It is really our will, our choice and our desire: to put everyone forward, whatever their size, their origins, their physical particularities!
unisex clothing
We have also chosen to offer unisex clothing. No women's model or men's model, no women's shop or men's shop… The cuts are unisex and our e-shop does not offer categories or tabs for women and men. It is a strong choice that is close to our hearts. All the clothes are accessible to everyone and the photos of the products worn highlight both men and women as well as people who have chosen to assert themselves as non-binary.
The only place on our site where the mentions man and woman are indicated concerns the choice of the size of our clothes. For several reasons, it seemed easier to us to choose this denomination but we remain open to other proposals! First, the morphologies of each and everyone impact the fall of the garment. Secondly, choosing your size and looking for your clothes using the Male / Female gendered vocabulary is a consumer habit: we prefer to keep these designations so that everyone can find their way around while waiting for mentalities and habits to change.
A WIDE RANGE OF SIZES, FROM XS TO 5XL
Third commitment and not least: all Houblon Platine models are available from XS (34-36) to 5XL (50-52) . That is nine different sizes offered! This aspect was essential for us so that you can adorn yourself with a Houblon Platine piece, whatever your size!
Fair and accessible prices
This is a point little addressed by inclusive fashion and yet: inclusiveness also requires accessible prices. If our strong commitments impose a certain level of price on us, without which it would not be possible for us to make the brand last, we try to keep prices fair and limited. Our goal: that our products can remain accessible to the majority of wallets! Being popular and reaching as many people as possible is in our DNA. But it's hard ;)