Australian womenswear label Witchery has responded to backlash over its decision to withdraw size 20 clothing from its ranges following a recent rebranding.
Sydney-based shoewear business owner Nikki Holloway joined a chorus of others across social media lashing out at the sizing decision. In a TikTok post, Holloway said she didn’t think the Witchery rebrand was great, highlighting in particular the sizing reduction.
“Think about the message that sends,” she said. “It is so disheartening to see big brands that have budget, that have reach, that have the potential to influence the industry do things like this.
“And this is coming from someone who is a size 14 to 18 depending on the day.”
A Witchery spokesperson has since responded to the backlash, saying its decision to remove size 20 from its collection came after careful consideration.
“This size accounted for a small percentage of our sales, and when we asked our customers why, the feedback revealed inconsistencies in our sizing between styles,” the spokesperson told Ragtrader.
“In response, we embarked on an extensive project to improve the accuracy and consistency of our sizes and fits across our whole collection.
“Our updated design direction means that sizes from 10 and up are now a more relaxed fit, with the new size 18 fitting closely to the previous size 20.
“While size 20 is currently unavailable, we're committed to learning from and listening to our customers as we refine our sizing. We welcome our customers to come in-store to experience the new collection and try on the new fits."
The spokesperson added that size inclusivity is important to the brand.
“We're proud to be one of the few high street fashion brands in our category to offer such a wide range of sizes in our main range.”
The Witchery rebrand was announced several days ago just after the brand deleted its history on Instagram and TikTok. Late last week, Witchery then began posting up pictures of its new range, including a bubble skirt, a suit jacket and a double denim outfit.
Witchery is a brand under the Country Road Group, with that owned by Woolworths Holdings Limited in South Africa.
The brand has over 150 retail locations globally, including owned stores and department store formats.