159. How GLP-1 Drugs Are Reshaping Fashion

So shape where it's a really interesting one. We are seeing, you know, it rise, if we look at hashtag tummy control, it's seen huge growth on social media. And I think the takeaway here is that consumers are seeking smoothing and structure. Now, you know, particularly as skin elasticity, tissue distribution shifts, and some are experiencing side effects as well with skin irritation, with bloating. So I think what's really interesting with shape where is it moves the conversation beyond sculpting alone. I think it's about having breathability as well. It's about being comfort driven. You know, it's not just about holding everything in, holding everything together. There's got to be a comfortability element there as well. That is Laura Yanakue, Senior Women's Restrologist at WGSN. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Create Tomorrow podcast. I'm your host Cassandra Napoli, head of consumer forecasting at WGSN. Every two weeks, I will take you on a journey to examine how trends are translated into aesthetics and product design. In this episode, we discuss how the widespread adoption of GLP1 drugs is driving prolonged periods of non-linear body changes, weakening traditional-sized loyalty, and accelerating demand for clothing that can adapt to fluctuating fit, comfort needs, and purchase timings. Laura, thank you so much for being here. Can you briefly share who you are, what you do, and a bit about your career journey so far? Yeah, sure. I'm Laura Yanakue. I'm the Senior Strategist of Women's Wear at WGSN. Essentially, my role is to cover what's relevant now in Women's Wear, that looks through to the longer term, cultural and commercial shifts that happening, connecting culture, consumer behaviour product, and packaging it all commercially and ensuring that we're catering to our clients with the biggest opportunities in Women's Wear. But I actually started my career in fashion design, so I worked across luxury and high-street brands. I've also trend-forkasted in-house for retailers as well, so I've been on both sides of the coin. Today, we're here to talk about the rise of GLP1s and how it's actually impacting products and fashion in particular. So you've wrote a forecast that I thought was really interesting, and you reported that overall the projected size of the global market for weight loss medication by 2035 is set to be around 150 billion with huge impacts for onto fashion in terms of sizing and then also returns. Can you tell us a little bit about how the use of these weight loss drugs are actually impacting the industry as a whole? I think the most important thing to understand here is that this is not just a weight loss narrative. You know, this is about non-linear body changes at scale. So, you know, we have millions of consumers who are experiencing rapid sizing shifts. I have a relatively short period as well. You know, I think this is the newest thing for us is that, you know, as part of Women's Wear and Fashion and product, we've always had to consider, you know, weight loss and diets, but this is really sort of accelerated that, you know, so thinking about how rapid those shifts can be and what that means for product, you know, it's definitely weakening traditional size loyalty when we look at size curves at retail and, you know, how we design into that. Yeah, I think historically retailers could rely on relatively stable size distribution curves and now that's all been turned on its head, you know, they're really distorted. So, I think, you know, the key things we're observing is, you know, increased sell through in smaller sizes in some markets when we've looked at the data. Higher return rates as well in fit sensitive categories like denim and tailored bottom. Also, you know, where the consumer's head is at. So, you know, yes, there's evidence to show that there is increased spend as part of this journey, but you also have that hesitant consumer who may not want to invest in a permanent wardrobe while their body is in flux. And then growth in categories that offer flexibility. So, you know, a lot of buzz around the active wear market, around shape wear as well, particularly within the intimate category. And tailoring as well and looking at that sort of relax side of tailoring and how that plays into it. I think, you know, when we looked at the data over time for women's wear particularly for dress shapes, it is showing that, you know, that that's slightly more kind of relax silhouette when we're looking specifically at something like the body con dress. And, you know, I think it's easy to associate this journey with, you know, really sort of structured form fitting silhouettes. And yes, there's lots of emphasis on the waist, but actually when you look at the shifts over time, the body con is actually losing share at retail. And it's the column dress, so those slightly more flexible, I would say figure enhancing rather than figure grabbing silhouettes that are really gaining ground. What's important is it's this idea of weight loss or weight changing, you know, weight change not being permanent, you know. I think the reality is the journey for most of these, these drug users is that their weight can plateau, you know, they can regain the weight. The weight may redistribute. So a design strategy based purely around shrinkages is actually an incomplete one, you know. We need to sort of think longer term about this and what it means in terms of design. - Speaking of long term, I think that's an interesting conversation. You know, this isn't necessarily set to be a sort of fleeting trend. This is here to stay. All the data says that Goldman Sachs has projected that by 2030, 15 million US adults will be on these medications. How are retailers starting to plan for this now? You've just highlighted a bunch of ways that they need to do. You know, are there any retailers really stepping up to plan for this? Has this been something that clients have been talking you guys about on the fashion side of things? - Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's a really big topic of conversation. As you can imagine, for our industry, and a lot of it will stem from sizing and that shift. - I think, you know, when you look at the implications that are playing out, I think firstly, it's definitely put a lens on what we call flexible fits and adjustable clothing. So this is no new news. You know, it's something, you know, proud to say. We've been analysing for some time. I think particularly around, you know, COVID and when that peaked. And, you know, the consumer was still wanting to feel smart, but in a very sort of comfort driven way, we saw the rise of flexible fits there. Those of you who are really familiar with them of our reporting might remember the term two mile wear. So that idea of garments that can be worn in the home, but also within sort of a one to two mile radius of your home, if you're nipping out to, you know, pop to the shops to get a snack or pick up the kids, whatever it is, that idea of, you know, presentable but flexible casual wear. So it's a concept that we have been tracking for some time, but it definitely has put the lens back on to that kind of a parallel product. And I think what's going to happen is just that is going to become more mainstream and more apparent across product categories. So seeing more garments engineered to flex across, you know, two to four sizes, for instance, and some of those details that really do facilitate adjustability and customisation. I think in terms of size ratios, of course, there's going to be a need for a level of calibration there. I think what's tricky is, you know, excuse the pun, but there's not a one size fits all here. I think that size architecture can be highly regional and it's really about brands needing to understand their local data and work with data really closely before they apply that sizing strategy. You know, there isn't a globalised ratio here. You know, also what works in all the new won't necessarily translate into the US or APAC, for instance. So it's really drilling down to your customer and knowing your market again and really sort of scrutinising that data. I think it's also thinking about how that's embedded and I think we'll reach a point where it just feels a lot more discreet and it just becomes part of everyday wear. So, you know, button tabs that are internalised, you know, waste lines that are adjustable but may not be, you know, a great big elasticated waste. And this, of course, is, you know, part of the piece, you know, part of the static, you know, really clever, convertible pleats. All these features that are just going to become normalised and, you know, part of the parcel of design. - Are there any examples of retinolos doing a really good job of this? Like, on insight, we had reported on universal standards fit Liberty Collection, which allows customers to exchange items for a different size within a year's time. So, if that weight fluctuation does happen, you can actually exchange it for, you know, a size that's more conducive to your current body weight. Is there any, you know, case studies or examples you can share with us from a design perspective? - Yeah, definitely, there are quite a few actually. One of them I came across was this lovely, this small brand called Ginger and Dandelion and they have tummy technology embedded into some of their garments and the construction actually expands and smooths whilst also reducing the visibility of bloating. So, it's that intelligent design coming through that it's, you know, it's not just about fit. It's also about. enhancing wellbeing. Does that reduce the need for shape where then? Now, you know, particularly as skin elasticity tissue distribution shifts. And some are experienced side effects as well with skin irritation with bloating. It's about being comfort driven, you know, it's not just about holding everything in, holding everything together. There's got to be a comfortability element there as well, you know, from a temperature point of view, I've spoken to breathability because as well users can sometimes experience temperature sensitivity. So really like, I guess it's positioning the shape where category as as supportive but also adaptive rather than just being purely corrective or constructive. I think that's the key evolution and the take away for shape where. And I think yeah, it's thinking about shape where not just as an undergarment that that is sold, you know, on the on the lingerie floor, you know, within the intimate category. It's about thinking about how to integrate some of those shape where attributes and shape where qualities within within within a parallel as well. I think from a messaging perspective, that's positive as well, right? It's not less about contorting to fit into something and we're about just making you feel confident and comfortable. And I think that's something that a lot of women can resonate with. Exactly. And you know, this is this is a wider need for women, isn't it? It's not just women on a weight change weight loss journey. I think it's it's for all of us and expands beyond the women's wear category as well. It's it's a modern need, you know, to want to feel comfortable, confident, presentable. And this is about designing into shape where that speaks to those modern needs. Yeah. And in your report in your forecast, you talked about the idea of rebound fashion items. So essentially items that move with the customer as the weight fluctuates. We've talked a little bit about this. I want to get into materiality. What sorts of materials are important when incorporating this idea of rebound fashion into collections and assortment? Rebound fashion is a big opportunity. Essentially, it's built on material intelligence. So we're looking at fabrics that expand and contract. But the key here is that they retain that silhouette integrity. So it could include, for instance, by-stretch wool blends. They can provide structure, but can also, you know, recover within that, you know, qualities within knitwear like ribbing. So constructions that hold a strong shape memory. We discussed a little bit about pleats, but also heat set pleated textiles that can, can hold form as well. And also just textures that provide that natural give. For us, we're talking a lot into cut and sew at the moment as well, you know, jersey wear. It's a really flexible fabric and can touch into quite a few of the trend aesthetics we're talking into. But yeah, it does, does have that ability to stretch and give and, you know, work, work across weight change, but also work across different elements of of that customer's day. You know, we have hashtags on the feed like day to night, for instance, you know, that idea of not only flexibility through the design of the garment, but flexibility in terms of end use of that garment. So, so yeah, that idea of really driving home versatility and what that can mean in terms of product. Yeah. And from like a consumer perspective, I feel like as we all become more fragmented and live as your lives, that's so important. Yeah. It goes beyond just this conversation of from a flexibility perspective, how can you translate something that you wear during the day to pick up at the kid's school line to, you know, date night or something like that. Yeah. And also actually another really important one along the same vein, but but a different need is that idea of softness. And, you know, we did talk into, you know, looking at some of the aesthetics coming through as part of this movement, you know, that that your one can drift to, you know, does that mean everyone is going to wear, you know, skin type, waist accentuating, rigid, rigid product. But actually, when it comes to the fabrication, the materiality, softness is so important. Again, it comes back to, you know, a lot of users report reporting increased sensitivity to fabric and temperature. So it really is going back to looking at the quality of the fabrics. And, you know, in many cases, ensuring that that fabric is low friction, you know, even skin-safe materials, we've done a whole intelligence report around skin-safe materials as well. You know, it's absolutely critical that the fabric can sort of facilitate comfort from, you know, a health and softness point of view as well. Again, coming from a consumer lens here, when, when you talk about that, my mind goes to cost, right? So that sounds maybe potentially expensive. Is this something that's going to be offered, you know, at a mass level on the high street or is this reserved for luxury? No, it's absolutely not reserved for luxury. I think it's about playing into the market, you know, that you're serving and being clever with the details essentially. And yes, you know, there's a wide array of details and fabrics and finishes out there. But it's, it's about honing in on what's right for your market. And you know, we talked into cut and so as an example, I think, you know, Jersey, there are so many benefits. It doesn't have to be expensive. You can be really clever with draping, you know, from a, from an adjustable point of view that we've been talking a lot into monomateriality as part of sustainability as well. But, you know, it might be that that garment doesn't need all the extra linings, the extra components as part of it. So it's about almost a bit of a trade off, like working out what those important details and fabrications and the must have of the actual piece are and and really sort of scrutinizing, you know, what is essential versus what it's a nice to have and working around the cost element that way. I imagine categories like denim are really primed for some innovations in this space. I think like every woman listening to this has like fought with the denim department at some point in their lives, right? Like jeans just don't fit. And I think I'm seeing a lot of innovations recently, good American is probably the best example. They have a new adaptive denim, meaning that it actually fits across four sizes. So I think it's double zero to four, six to 12, 14 to 18. And if you fit within that range, which is a vast range, you know, four sizes, it's supposed to fit you. And that's something I've never seen before. And I think that's something that all women are probably, you know, really excited about. That's probably why the item has sold out. It's everywhere on tiktok. It's like an ad every day of my life. Yeah, this is such a big one. Like for women, especially as you say, and this really rings true for me because my first job ever was working for Levi's on the shop floor. So the training we had was absolutely rigorous. You know, we had to know every size, every half size, we had to be trained into the fact that women would often come into the store and not buy the right size or try on the size they thought they were. And it wouldn't be the right size. So historically, we know like denim has always been a really tricky one. And then you throw in the fact that, you know, a lot of women now or shop online, you know, in terms of, you know, the return rate, you know, it's a really, really tricky category. So yes, when we look at it within this context, it's those the waste in the hip zones, they're the most fluctuation prone areas as well. So yeah, if we throw that in alongside the fact that this category can be like really high return rates, you know, there needs to be some answers here. And as you've spoken into with that good American example, it's one that is going to really fly because it's going to resonate really well. And ultimately, that is what the consumer needs, you know, I think when you look at the innovation within some of these brands, like particularly denim, we're seeing waistbands with, you know, that sort of internal elasticity that we've discussed, even adjustable rises. So a lot of brands also doing the external buttons and making it part of the design. So you might want to wear the denim high-waisted, but you can also loosen it if you want what kind of more of a low rise look. We spoke into ginger and dandelion and they're controlled waist shaping as well. So that idea of offering a shape where attribute as well. And as you said, I think this idea of spanning two, three even four sizes just makes sense on so many levels, you know, for not just denim, for, you know, a range of products, and also half sizing as well, because let's be real, you know, who is actually a standard size eight, standard size ten, you know, very few of us, you know, lucky if you are, but, you know, I think to be able to respond to that, you know, with intelligent, flexible design is a no brain already. Another obvious category here that I think of as active words, interesting what you said in the beginning, I want to circle back to it, you were saying that it's not, you know, the rise of GLP ones does not equate to just like bandage dresses from every leisure, right? Like that's not what people are, are gravitating to, it's more of that column, sort of relaxed look. I start, I'm starting to see that in active wear. Right, like you had this decade of leggings everywhere. And now there's like a lot of slouchier styles that are really trending. I even see myself gravitating towards more baggy styles to work out in as opposed to leggings. And I'm curious where do we go with active wear? I think we had a stat in your forecast that GLP1 users are exercising more up from 35% to 70% with over a fifth investing in more active wear. So they're obviously going to need adaptable to our styles. Leggings are naturally a good fit because they do expand. But as we see trend-wise, you know, bagier styles more relaxed. Where do you think we go from here? I think when we look at active wear, it's an interesting one because a lot of the messaging can be based around performance and optimization and the end result. But actually, the users here, some of them may be re-entering movement and the exercise space after long gaps or some of them for the first time. So I think that emotional reassurance and instilling that level of confidence as they begin or re-enter this journey is as important as the physical support and the physical side of what that product can offer. I definitely think when we were speaking about shape where that idea of wellness and comfort alongside, you know, it also just smoothing and sculpting also is applied here within active wear. So that idea of engineered compression that can also improve posture and reduce discomfort, you know, it might be that the straps are wider, they're more adjustable and, you know, going back to the waistband detailing. In terms of temperature, temperature again, it could be a temperature-relating fabric that idea of breathability with active wear as well. You know, there tends to be a lot of seeming. Is it, you know, about minimizing some of those seams to reduce the friction and irritability that we discussed? And the idea of hybrid styles as well that, you know, we were talking about the, like the day-to-night dressing or the city-to-beach dressing in this case, it's going to be users looking to transition from gym to more sort of wellness-focused social settings as well. So again, that idea of end use and versatility coming into play. From a fabric point of view as well, we are seeing more bio-based and skin-safe innovation, even microbiome-supporting textiles as well. So, you know, really going to the next level in terms of wellness within active wear too. - So I've been reading a lot about the resale and rental markets, really thriving at the moment due to sort of shape-shifting fashion, the shape-shifting consumer, as you described them, who is hesitant to invest in really permanent wardrobes as their weight is in flux, right? 'Cause it can be a large investment, especially in a time when cost is high and inflation is high and all the things. So how can and should brands leverage subscription or rental models to allow consumers to really test newer edger styles? And are there any case studies, right? We can talk about it for days, but are there any actual brands that are doing this now or investing in this space now? - Yes, there are, and you're right. I mean, transition wardrobes, they're a very logical response to fluctuating bodies, aren't they? So consumers often being hesitant to commit to fix sizes, they can turn to a subscription and then, you know, lowers wardrobe risk, even, you know, rental. I think with brands, I think there's opportunity to offer size flex subscriptions, definitely build into the idea of a transitional capsule as well and be with them on that journey. Also integrating retail into some of those higher frequency categories. Also thinking about Guarantee Buyback programs. In terms of examples, I found a really great one from StitchFix. For those of you that don't know StitchFix, it's an online personal styling and subscription service founded back in 2011. Essentially it combines AI data and also human stylists to deliver curated apparel tailored to a customer's size, budget and style preference. And the business has recently updated its algorithm to better support consumers navigating weight change journeys. So this model, it's a flexible model and it allows users to frequently adjust their size profile. So enabling them to access just in time wardrobes solutions that will reflect whatever their current body shape is at that point without requiring the long-term investment. So I thought that was really smart. And then similarly, rent runway, they reported an increase in customers shifting into smaller sizes, as we know. But they are actively positioning its offer as a transitional wardrobe. So supporting consumers through periods of physical change, but without that commitment of the permanent purchase. I mean, also, again, when we look from a wider sustainability angle, body fluctuation can accelerate wardrobe turn. If they go the other way and they feel like they have to buy close for every stage, we don't want to be increasing that waste. But I think this model comes in in line with that adaptability message and that idea of having the potential to really talk into products to meet their needs at whatever point they're in at that journey. You mentioned in your forecast how body confident consumers are actually moving away from what you describe as camouflage clothing towards more edgier trend-led styles. What should retailers keep in mind as a result? Like, what are people buying into that are on these weight loss journeys at the moment? Casualization has reached this mature phase. And what we're seeing is consumers wanting to almost selectively upgrade with products that are going to enhance their wardrobe. So it's really thinking about some of those designs that facilitate that essentially. We've been talking a lot into boho. I'm sure you've seen like boho has just gone from strength to strength. Also, the idea of new femininity, another trend we've called pretty feminine, sort of along the same lines. But essentially, it's just about that, you know, a beautiful, classic feminine product that never really goes out of style, but is figure enhancing and works across a breadth of, you know, shapes and sizes and demographics. So I guess what I'm saying is there's a level of timelessness coming through as well with product. But, you know, really enhancing some of these products through seasonal colour, seasonal print, and ensuring that they are in line with the fun of fashion and the trends that are happening right now, you know, I think functionality doesn't have to mean serious or boring design. It can also be injected with the aesthetics that we're seeing hit down right now. Like always, I ask of my guess. Who is somebody that they admire that they think is creating a new version of tomorrow that they find deeply inspiring? So who is your pick? Yeah, sure. I mean, obviously as part of this report, I was looking for those brands that, you know, who's doing it now, you know, who's ahead of the curve here? And as part of my research process, I came across this lovely brand called the Female Archetypes. Yeah. It's an innovative London-based brand. They're quite small. They create what they call shape-shifting clothing, which I thought was a lovely term. So they design clothes that adapt to women's bodies to evolve through stages like motherhood, so maternity, for instance, menopause. So not necessarily down to sort of weight transition, but I thought actually the principles of this really sort of play into what we're talking about in this era of adaptability. They design all their clothes sort of around, not necessarily rejecting the traditional sizing formula, but they're definitely in favor of adjustability, high quality garments that are, you know, designed ultimately to empower women, you know, making them feel confident without them needing to change their physical selves. You know, they have shirts that, on the side seams, they have adjustable side panels, so you can, you know, they've really worked into different products. It's not just about elasticated waistbands, it's about sort of clever panelling that you can piece together, take apart, you know, super clever with their construction and being really mindful of what that, you know, modern women needs in today's society. Thank you to my guest, Laura Yamaku, senior women's religious strategist at WGSN. If you're a WGSN subscriber, look out for more trends at WGSN.com. If you're not a subscriber, please come and discover our services. We'll be back in two weeks with our next episode. In the meantime, you can catch the CEO of WGSN, Carla Buzashi, next week on our other podcast, Lives of Tomorrow. I'm your host, Cassandra Napoli. Be sure to follow and subscribe to this podcast and see you next time.