Demand exists for comfortable, visually appealing maternity
wear for women earlier in pregnancies
Fashion retailers have seen an increase in demand for
maternity wear in recent years, as sales for maternity clothing have increased
while overall women’s apparel sales have declined. Currently, most retailers
produce maternity wear using a standardized size chart that begins with women
in their seventh month of pregnancy. Retailers produce garments for women who
are earlier in their terms by adjusting the sizes smaller proportionally based
on the standardized chart. In a recent study, University of Missouri researcher
MyungHee Sohn, an assistant professor of textile and apparel management in the
MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, has found that retailers should
re-produce the industry standardized size chart to size maternity wear for
women entering their fifth month of pregnancy.