Bonobos is becoming more inclusive.
The Walmart-owned men's clothing retailer has developed and launched larger, extended sizes for its most popular products. But Bonobos didn't just add extra fabric to its classic fits.
While most larger sizes from other brands are "optimized for body coverage," Bonobos instead focused on fit, which Brad Andrews, the company's co-president and chief merchandising officer, said is its calling card.
Instead of simply adding additional fabric to shirts, pants, and suits, Bonobos said it did its research to figure out the pain points for larger men and their clothing. With that in mind, it added details like an extra seam in shirt sleeves, a larger collar to allow shirts to be buttoned up all the way, and hidden stretch in pants.
Bonobos is offering most of its popular products in the new sizes, like its stretch chinos, button-down shirts, and Jetsetter suits.
Andrews said that the brand "always knew there was an opportunity in extended sizes and larger sizes."
He said Bonobos sees an opportunity as sales growth for extended-size men's clothing outpaces men's clothing as a whole.
The first version is targeted at the guy who is proportionally bigger. Next, Andrews said, Bonobos is looking to iterate and add fits for guys who are more triangle-shaped and upside-down-triangle-shaped.
The new inclusive sizing dovetails with Bonobos' recent marketing messaging, which addresses inclusivity in what it means to be a man.
"We don't believe there's a one-size-fits-all message for men," Andrews said.
"We want to celebrate that. We want to be a brand that doesn't stick to one definition of masculinity."
