Ban.do Is Launching Its First Plus-Size Collection — And The Rompers & Dresses Go Up To Size 24

For the past two years, Ban.do has been working on expanding its size range to be more inclusive with its offerings. After surveying, designing, and road-testing, the brand is finally ready to launch its first extended in-house capsule collection. Ban.do's first plus size collection will have sizes ranging from XS to 3XL. This first launch is not just a one-off line, but the beginning of a long-term effort to work towards expanding Ban.do's size range.

The flexible fit apparel line includes two jumpsuits, two pinafore dresses, and one wrap skirt. All the pieces have pockets, can easily be styled a multitude of ways, and was designed with the customer in every step of the process.

In fact, the collection was developed because of the amount of customers that reached out to Ban.do, asking for expanded sizes. After getting continually asked on customer surveys for dresses and jumpsuits, the brand jumped into the designs of the capsule collection.

The sizes run from 00 to 24, and in order to make sure the capsule pieces fit correctly on different body types and shapes, Ban.do directly worked with its shoppers. The brand held fittings with real girls in sizes 00 to 24, and were open to their feedback on what could be tweaked and changed.

"We truly worked with our customers on this collection, bringing them into our office to test out the product and affecting our final fit with their feedback. All three silhouettes are designed to compliment our existing apparel categories as well as the clothes already in her wardrobe," Ruthann Clawson, merchandise director at Ban.do, tells Bustle.

The collection uses crossover bucket sizing (XS/S, S/M), allowing the shopper to choose their fit preference. While this is the first plus size collection for the brand, Ban.do's tee and sweatshirt line currently fits up to a 26. Ban.do also has other products that go up to 2XL and some that go to 4XL.

Ban.do only plans to keep going forward from there, expanding to other categories. "We look forward to continuing to make strides in making ban.do apparel inclusive for everybody in every body," Clawson says.

While the brand has already had a few items that go up to 4X, Ban.do wants to commit to expanding all of its categories to include more body sizes. "It's important to us that what we create and put into the world is a reflection of our community, and because of that we're making the long term commitment to continuously work to expand our size offering with each collection," Ali Labelle, creative director of art and design at Ban.do, tells Bustle.

In order to do so, the Ban.do team is working on scheduling fittings for different body types, taking customer feedback into serious consideration, and doing its due diligence in market research.

"This collection is the first step in a series of many towards our vision to offer a wider variety of sizing through all of our garments so that every woman can feel great wearing Ban.do," Labelle says.

This five piece capsule collection is a great start — and there's more to come.