Where’s the Target Men’s Plus Size Clothing Line?

Ava & Viv at Target

Earlier this year, Target unveiled Ava & Viv, their new women’s plus size line. It was a big step forward for a company that has been criticized for a lack of stylish clothing in extended sizes. In fact, our friend (and Chubstr Crush alum) Chastity Garner called Target out on their lack of plus size clothing options in an open letter she penned in 2014.

It turns out Target heard Chastity loud and clear, launching the Ava & Viv brand, and even making her one of their models. A plus size line featuring true plus sizes? Check. Stylish clothing? Check. Affordably priced? Yes indeed.

My 2X Mossimo shirt from Target

The question: Where’s the Target men’s plus size clothing line?

If you’ve shopped at Target, you know what kind of options they have for big guys. It’s not horrible. I’m a fan of their button downs when I can find one in my size (see both photos of me in this post for examples of 2X shirts I’ve found at Target), but the pickings are generally slim.

Head to their website, and you’ll find a small and less stylish selection of shirts in 4XL, with more inventory available in 3X, 2X, and XL. It’s a similar situation with their pants and jeans. So, there ARE options available at Target, but there’s not a specific line on the men’s side, similar to Ava & Viv. Wouldn’t it be great to see them create a men’s line that focused on style and fit for bigger bodies?

Bruce Sturgell Chubstr at Ryerson University in Toronto

That shirt? Also from Target

The Road to a Target Plus Size Men’s clothing Line

The growth of the menswear market has outpaced womenswear for years now, and retailers are starting to take notice. New brands with a focus on the “modern man” are cropping up all the time, and many of those offer a made to measure component, if not extended sizes. Plus size clothing is always a secondary consideration for most retailers, so chances are, once we see more options in mainstream sizes, we’ll get some in extended sizes.

What’s that? You don’t want to wait? Reach out to Target – let them know you’d be willing to back a plus size men’s clothing line. Even with the growth of the menswear market, there’s still an incorrect belief that big men in the 25 – 45 demographic aren’t that interested in style, so we don’t often get great options.

We Want to Give You More of Our Money, Target

Many of us can find clothing that fits in the sizes we need at Target, but after seeing what they’ve done with Ava & Viv, it’s obvious they could do so much more! Stylish and affordable men’s clothing that’s made to fit bigger bodies? That’s something we can all get behind.

What would YOU like to see from a Target plus size men’s clothing line? Tell us in the comments below.

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