Curves Ahead! A Great Big List of Lovely Size-Inclusive Australian Labels
Drab dresses designed to “hide sins”? Yawn. Give us the big bows and neon swirls of a made-to-order Dowk dress, the exquisite cut of a Made590 jumpsuit or the gothic black tulle of Peloponnese the Label, thank you very much. Because we reckon bodies are beautiful. And it’s pretty great to have one to dress up.
So, whether your heart beats for romantic, vintage-inspired florals or you’re in the market for an office-appropriate jumpsuit, we have you covered with this ginormous list of the very best body-loving, size-inclusive (and sustainable!) Australian fashion labels…
feature image MADE590
DOWK
Size range: 4-30
Price point: $$$$
Good for: Party dresses that turn heads
Why we love it… A size-inclusive label that shows its wares on curvy models? Groundbreaking! And that’s just the beginning. Produced with organic cotton and eco-friendly dyes, Dowk’s bright, sunshine-filled dresses are stitched at ethical studios in Melbourne and Bali. The made-to-order model eliminates waste but you’ll need to plan ahead: pre-orders open periodically and your forever frock will take about six weeks to arrive.
EMBODY WOMEN
Size range: 8-26
Price point: $$$
Good for: They have jeans! Jeans for curves!! (And lots more)
Why we love it… Whoever designs these jeans knows what they’re doing – just read the reviews. Granted, they’re not cheap but like all of Embody Women’s products, they’re made in Australia with fair working conditions. And did we mention the curved (tummy-friendly) waistbands? And the clever pockets, designed to show off an ample bottom? We heart.
MILK & THISTLE
Size range: 8-20
Price point: $$$
Good for: Timeless dresses, skirts and jumpsuits
Why we love it… Founder Danielle Atkinson keeps things small at Milk & Thistle, at least in terms of her product range. Her pieces are made by a team of four in Sydney and each style is sampled in multiple sizes to ensure they fit every kind of body.
BOHEMIAN TRADERS
Size range: 6-22
Price point: $$$
Good for: Floaty dresses, smart separates and athleisure wear
Why we love it… Because they triumph where many others fail: Bohemian Traders creates matching sets that don’t look like PJs. Keep an eye out for the label’s sustainable collection, which includes digitally printed fabrics and blazers made with plant-derived, biodegradable Tencel.
FAYT
Size range: 6-26
Price point: $
Good for: Affordable office basics, jeans, swimwear and athleisure wear
Why we love it… Founded by Newcastle gal Brittney Saunders, Fayt is giving the high-street staples a run for their money. We love that she’s committed to fair wages and reasonable working conditions – and stocks all sizes in her bricks-and-motar stores.
KOORI THREADS
Size range: 6-24
Price point: $
Good for: Puffer jackets, suits, party dresses and swimwear
Why we love it… Koori Threads founder Debbie Lee takes typically dull wardrobe items (suits, puffer jackets et al.) and breathes life into them with personality-packed prints. A Kuku Yalanji Gomeroi woman, Debbie paints each design herself, using the fabric to tell a story, be it about endometriosis, birthing on Country or children in custody.
SÜK WORKWEAR
Size range: 4-30
Price point: $$
Good for: Hard-wearing workwear
Why we love it… For fuss-free gear that doesn’t take itself too seriously (case in point: the singlet shown above, called a Wife Pleaser). A favourite of baristas everywhere, Sük was created by Mimosa Schmidt, who was working on farms and building sites, and grew frustrated by her workwear options, which were mostly ill-fitting menswear. So she created a clothing range that’s designed to let women get on with the task at hand and “look hot while doing it”.
MADE590
Size range: 8-26
Price point: $$
Good for: Fun dresses, well-cut pants and flirty skirts
Why we love it… Take a trip to Sydney’s Inner West and you’ll soon discover that Made590’s quirky prints and artist collabs are even more prevalent than craft breweries. We’ve been eyeing off the much-loved Madesuit for some time now, but it has a habit of selling out. Don’t worry, there are plenty of other gorgeous, great-sized goodies up for grabs.
YEVU
Size range: 8-20
Price point: $$
Good for: Shirt dresses, boilersuits and wax-prints-on-prints
Why we love it… Because blending in is boring! Co-owned by an Australian, Anna Robertson, and a Ghanaian woman, Felicia Adwubi, this social enterprise makes the world a brighter, happier place. Yevu employs 27 full-time workers in Ghana, many of them single mothers, and ensures they receive fair, dependable wages that create lasting change for their families.
PELOPONNESE THE LABEL
Size range: 6-26
Price point: $$$
Good for: Eveningwear
Why we love it… If metres of gothic tulle is your jam, have we got something special for you: think sheer skirts, structured sleeves and little bows placed just so. The label’s creative director, Patricia, describes Peloponnese the Label as “power dressing with a touch of romance and femininity”. She makes each piece to order at her Adelaide studio.
LITTLE TIENDA
Size range: 6-24
Price point: $$$
Good for: Floaty dresses, separates and chunky knits
Why we love it… For pretty shades and easy-to-wear shapes! Plus, Little Tienda is serious about ethical production, committed to the use of natural fibres and aims to help preserve traditional handcrafts. The label also has its very own size range, which goes from Ethereal to Vivid – because you’re so much more than a number!
Read more – Little Tienda’s Em Dezentje on Creating Sustainable, Size-Inclusive Styles
SANCT
Size range: 8-30
Price point: $$$
Good for: Tops and bottoms
Why we love it… Elastic waistbands! Plus, Sanct is setting the bar when it comes to sustainability and transparency. Not only does the Melbourne brand put deadstock fabric to work, it details the supplier of every material used in the production of each garment (right down to the Tencel thread manufacturer).
YARN
Size range: 8-26
Price point: $
Good for: Workwear, including polos, hi-vis gear and scrubs
Why we love it… Yarn (a non-Indigenous-owned company) gives Indigenous-owned businesses a platform to sell their wares and also creates an enormous range of clothing for women, men and kids, featuring designs by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. All of which means you get art-laden goods – especially workwear – that are designed to spark conversations.
ELK
Size range: 6-20
Price point: $$
Good for: Office-ready dresses, knitwear, separates… the whole shebang
Why we love it… As well as making infinitely wearable clothing, this beloved Melbourne brand is committed to sustainability and transparency (jump online and you can get the name of the factory that produces each piece of Elk finery). Most importantly, their goods never fail to look great on bigger bodies.
VARIETY HOUR
Size range: 8-22
Price point: $$$
Good for: Prints, quilted jackets and matching sets
Why we love it… Because Variety Hour is making the world a brighter place, one snappy crocodile print at a time. Founded by textile designer Cassie Byrnes, Variety Hour produces its products in Melbourne and is committed to extending its size range every year. Hazzah!
KOWTOW
Size range: XS-XXL
Price point: $$
Good for: Fashion-forward dresses, knitwear and denim
Why we love it… This B Corp-certified brand isn’t actually Australian – it hails from New Zealand – but we’re going to claim it as our own because it’s one of our faves. Not only does every piece of Kowtow clothing ooze cool-girl vibes, the entire collection is plastic-free (that means buttons made of shells and nuts, and elastic made of latex rubber).
CITIZEN WOLF
Size range: Made to measure
Price point: $$
Good for: T-shirts, button-ups and sweatpants
Why we love it… Because there’s no sizing at all! Instead, you tell Citizen Wolf your height, weight, age and bra size, then the brand’s fancy Magic Fit technology will make the perfect top or bottom for you. Because everything is made to order, there are no unsold products destined for landfill. Plus, when you’re done with your duds, the good folks at Citizen Wolf will turn them into new clothing. Nifty!
KIRRIKIN
Size range: 6-20
Price point: $$$
Good for: Eveningwear, resortwear and dress hire
Why we love it… Because the name translates to “Sunday’s best clothes”! And that’s exactly what you can expect from this label by Wonnarua woman Amanda Healy, who specialises in sculptural details, vibrant prints and natural, flowy fabrics. The best part? Kirrikin loans out some of its most exquisite dresses, so you can try without the commitment of buying. Sunday best, indeed!
HOPE + HARVEST
Size range: 12-26
Price point: $$
Good for: Wedding gowns, matching sets and casualwear
Why we love it… Hope + Harvest does smoking-hot custom gowns for weddings and red carpet events (do yourself a favour and check out their Instagram account), so it tracks that their everyday gear – dresses, knitwear, pants, blazers – are also beautifully cut. It’s clear this design team knows (and loves) curves.
NOT TOO SHABBY MARKETS
Size range: 6-30
Price point: $$
Good for: Corduroy overalls, printed dresses, blanket coats
Why we love it… Because NTSM founder Atlantis is the queen of dopamine dressing – we’re talking hot-pink overalls, Ken Done prints and sparkly dresses with big, ruffle-y sleeves. Plus, she has a BYO option: if you’ve come across a fabric gem (even a bed sheet or doona cover), you can send it to Atlantis and she’ll whip it up into one of her signature tops or dresses.
AMPLEFOLK
Size range: 18-34
Price point: $$
Good for: Towels, cover-ups, activewear
Why we love it… This clever little brand has branched out from plus-size towels and beach cover-ups and now offers a sports bra and leggings. Granted, the range is very small, but what it lacks in variety, it makes up for in carefully considered details. Take AmpleFolk’s bra, which is super-adjustable, features internal slings and an anti-chafe zipper, and even doubles as swimwear. We can’t wait to see what these folk come up with next.
SLOAN
Size range: Made to measure
Price point: $$$
Good for: Romantic dresses, cropped tops and cute sets
Why we love it… Another Kiwi brand has snuck onto our list, but we’re prepared to make Sloan founder Ange another honorary Aussie. Because not only does she preach body positivity in the most heartfelt way, she makes each garment to the wearer’s specs: you choose from her lovely fabrics (we’ll have all of the vintage florals, thanks), send her your measurements and then wait for the postie to deliver the dress of your dreams.
MAGPIE GOOSE
Size range: 6-22
Price point: $$$
Good for: Playsuits, dresses and shorts
Why we love it… It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Magpie Goose here at Peppermint. And that’s because it’s a low-waste, Aboriginal-owned social enterprise that is committed to ethical production and natural fibres. The label also happens to have a pretty good size range and some seriously covetable prints, which are created in collaboration with Indigenous artists and art centres.
KABLOOIE
Size range: 4 to 26
Price point: $$
Good for: Look-at-me prints, custom ra-ra skirts and breastfeeding-friendly dresses
Why we love it… Because we’re ready for the return of the ra-ra skirt with all its flouncy, flirty layers. Good thing Kablooie is already on to the trend, offering custom creations with a choice of prints (including exclusive Ellie Whittaker designs). The ra-ras are part of the Brissy brand’s custom range, but because founder Keneena makes all products to order, she’s happy to adjust the hemline and sleeve length of any piece (free!) to make sure your dress/top/summer jacket fits just as you like it. We heart.
HILDAS
Size range: 8 to 34
Price point: $
Good for: Comfy dresses, robes and PJs
Why we love it… because brand founder CurvySam understands the desire to pad about the house in loungewear that’s as cute as a button yet also fit for an all-night Bridgerton marathon. She named the brand after her 93-year-old “sassy yet sweet” great grandmother, who always made everyone feel at home with a cup of tea and a spare robe. Awww.
THE LULLABY CLUB
Size range: 6 to 26
Price point: $$
Good for: Mamas, matching sets and comfort
Why we love it… What’s not to love? Originally founded as a collection of maternity and breastfeeding-friendly clothing and loungewear, their range is now loved by all. Extra points for the gorgeous plus-size models! Comfort is key with matching lounge sets in plains and patterns, smock dresses, oversized flowy pants and stretch denim. This club is one you’ll want to join.
THE SPOTTED QUOLL
Size range: 6 to 24
Price point: $$$
Why we love it… As the founder, director, designer, maker and captain of this sustainable ship, Tamika has worked tirelessly to bring an ethically-produced range to the people. And the people approve. Many of the organic linen, hemp and denim pieces are made in Tasmania, with others produced by ‘Eco Partners’ in India, all adorned with prints that speak of the local flora and fauna.
BEDTONIC
Size range: S-XL (10-22)
Price point: $$$
Good for: Oversized, easy-to-wear staples for all seasons
Why we love it… Classic, tactile pieces in European linen like the Poets Tunic and Boxy Top can be dressed up or down and layered for year-round wear, with special attention paid to the seam finishes. Thoughtfully designed with circularity and longevity in mind to minimise environmental impact, over half of Bedtonic’s clothing range is made in WA in small batches.
