In The Thick Of It

curvycouture:

 

Hey Everyone! I was approached recently about Ideeli.com and how they are now carrying more items in sizes 14 and up! So, I got a little more in depth in the situation! I interviewed Mary Harmon, the group vice president at Ideeli! Here is that interview:

What is typically the largest size available by designers you carry on Ideeli before the plus size brands started appearing?

Typically, most designers go up to a 12 or 14. 

What made Ideeli decide to start carrying plus size brands?

Ideeli decided to expand its plus size offerings in response to overwhelming feedback from its member community. The conversation around special sizes first began with ideeli’s followers on both Facebook and Twitter, where members began expressing a strong interest in seeing plus size options on the site. In response, the ideeli buyers worked with the social media team to gather members’ suggestions for preferred brands and styles. In November 2010, the site hosted its inaugural Plus Size Perfection event, a multi-brand sale that included the very same brands requested by ideeli members. Member feedback will continue to be a valued component in the evolution of the series, with weekly sales featuring looks from over 100 brands including Suzi Chin, Tahari Arthur S. Levine, CJ by Cookie Johnson and Donna Ricco. 

Are you excited to carry these brands? 

Yes, we are thrilled to offer all of our members the brands they desire at the prices their wallets will love! We could not ignore the overwhelming member feedback we had from our inaugural plus-size sale event in November and could not be happier to have a dedicated sale on a biweekly basis. 

What plus size brands are you beginning to carry at Ideeli? 

Past plus size sales have featured sexy frocks from Monif C and Donna Ricco as well as JS Collections and Taylor. We’ve also included jeans from Salt and Seven, and lingerie from Body Wrap and Rene Rofe in past Plus Size Perfection Sales.

Would you wear some of there items? 

Absolutely! At ideeli, we carefully curate every sale to include the freshest styles at the best prices.  

Do you think there is a lot of variety for girls who wear sizes 14 and up? 

Many designers cap their collections at size 10, yet there is clearly demand for contemporary styles in fuller-figured sizes. Typically, plus-sizes have been underrepresented in retail— particularly in the popular flash sale category –and the plus-size options that are at stores usually have less of a selection and higher price tags. We are excited to bring the most-desired plus-size brands to our members and offer a great selection of styles and sizes on a consistent basis.

How can smaller plus size designers get their clothing on your site? 

Our buying team is always looking for new designers to partner with. All inquiries should be directed to merchandising@ideeli.com. 

I know I am excited to see some companies respond to the ‘overwhelming feedback’ to provide larger sizes! Now we just need more plus size brands! ;) What do you think of this interview?? Was this helpful? Thanks everyone!

I was so happy to see that a designer deals company was selling plus size items, but I was appalled by the reality.  I am so disappointed in my customer service experience with ideeli.com that I refuse to ever order from them again. 

Story: I ordered some plus size designer jeans from them.  1) It took almost 5 weeks to receive my order.  2) I paid over $35 for the jeans and when I received them, they had a tag on them from ROSS with a sale price of $21.  3) When I alerted them to this situation, the only option they offered me was for me to return the pants.  No apology, no statement about their policies. 

I will never order from them again and I would never recommend them to anyone.