“If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself” is the mantra that Rebecca Alexis followed when creating her size-inclusive brand known as SIZED. While shopping as a plus-size woman, the Long Island native realized that sizes for garments rarely went past an extra large or a size 32 for pants in addition to select plus-size styles rarely being attractive to her. Thinking to herself, she knew something needed to be done and that something was: SIZED.
Offering a wide range of sizes beyond your typical fashion brand, SIZED supplies women with stylish, edgy pieces that’ll leave you feeling confident and ultimately like “that girl”. Once at 43 followers on Twitter, the brand now has over 5,000 followers on the social media platform after a picture of two women rocking their SIZED dresses reached 72.6k likes with the brand tagged and mentioned in the replies. Since then, the SIZED brand has going viral twice more with its latest release as fans reeled over the founder and her friend posted in the latest drop beside fan art by Dominique Davis.
We got the exclusive opportunity to chat with SIZED founder Rebecca Alexis to discuss the birth of the brand, its exclusivity, her personal favorite piece from the line, and what’s next for SIZED.
Tell us a little about your background in fashion.
I’ve always wanted to make clothes since I’ve seen That’s So Raven, she’s really like biggest inspo. I honestly started like last year, but I’ve always had ideas of making clothes since high school. I’ve always had a passion for fashion. Plus, I’ve always been a big girl, and they don’t make cute clothes for big girls like that forreal. I had to do something about that because that is just not right.
How long have you been running SIZED?
Literally, this month makes a year. I don’t know when exactly, but I know I started around June like around my birthday of last year. That’s when I really get into designing, but its always been in the back of my head.
Did you expect it to take off like this in just a year?
No, not at all. I’m a Gemini, so I have low expectations for a lot of things. I don’t get myself overhyped because I’m the type of person who gets really hyped, so I had to calm it down. I had to tell myself things like “Okay, it’s going to be really really slow” and “I’ve seen how other people’s things take off and it takes time”. I was shocked by the messages I received. It was really crazy.
What drove you to launch the brand?
There was a huge surge in black-owned fashion brands last year and I realized none of these brands had plus-sized clothing that’s actually cute. So, I was like I need to do something about this. I don’t want to wear Forever 21 no more, I can’t. I stayed wearing sweatpants because there was nothing cute in my sizes.
Why no restocks? Is it to maintain a level of exclusivity?
One, I want to be exclusive. Two, I am a small brand and I do everything by myself. Everything, literally by myself. So, I can’t really afford to do restocks and I can’t really get the same thing over and over again. Personally, I don’t like to see the same thing over and over again. I like to move on to the next thing, that’s just the way I am.
I usually have enough for the people that want it. If you miss it, you better hope someone sells theirs on Depop.
What’s the size range for SIZED pieces?
Before, it was just small to 3x. Then, @botanicabrat told me for my previous photo shoot that “I feel you could’ve used bigger girls” and “they’re not sure if this stuff is going to fit them.” I was like, “You’re so right!” I needed to extend my sizing and show more people of different sizes in my clothes. So, now I’m officially extra emall to 5X in everything that I’m going to do. She really opened my eyes. I felt like I needed to do more because that wasn’t enough.
When you see women wearing SIZED unapologetically, how does that make you feel?
It gags me every single time! I’ll literally look at pics and start screaming. It doesn’t matter where I’m at, I’ll start screaming right there. I’m just like, “Oh my gosh, yall look so good and you’re kind of wearing it better than me, I’m jealous.” I love when people post pictures in their SIZED.
I’ve been seeing it everywhere lowkey. I’ll just be scrolling and I see it, and it’ll gag me. I feel like Fashion Nova or something. It just makes me so happy. If I’m having a bad day, it’ll make my whole day better.
What has been your personal favorite SIZED piece and why?
I’m going to go with the new dress (SIZED Blue Dragon Mini Dress) because it is literally everything I wanted. I’m very inspired by Ed Hardy and colorful things. As a plus-size girl, all you got was graphic t-shirts and you better hope it comes past an XL. Putting that on a dress, it gagged me. I was just so happy with the outcome and it was so colorful.
What’s next for SIZED without giving too much away?
I do have a few things in my little back pocket. I do want to get into menswear. I get messages from guys saying, “What’s going on? What about us?” I also want to get more into elegant, luxury pieces. It’s this one piece I’m working on. When I’m done, I hope it gags everybody. It kind of came late into the making and it’s getting cold soon, so that might have to be for Spring 2022. Essentially, I have one thing that should be coming in like October or November for men. Then, I have one luxury item for Spring. Then again, it might just come out whenever.
People also keep asking about tracksuits. There won’t be tracksuits for awhile because that’s too basic and I don’t do basic, outside of maybe a tee.
SIZED is currently offering its Blue Dragon Mini Dress as a pre-sale item with plans to release very soon. Select sizes are still available, but we don’t think they’ll last long.
Discover more from Rebecca Alexis’s SIZED brand by following them on Instagram or Twitter. Also, tap in via the website at www.sizedthebrand.com.
Photos: Marie Sommers