<P> The first plus - size fashion line to show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was Cabiria, featured in the Fashion Law Institute fashion show in the tents at Lincoln Center on September 6, 2013 . </P> <P> Nowadays, the plus size section doesn't suffer from any restrictions, becoming more welcoming to various types of garments now . Moreover, there has been the increasingly positive trend to offer premium flattering fit to the customers. There are companies which offer great fit along with varied ranges of clothing including sweaters, dresses, non-iron work wear shirts, cardigans, bottoms and skirts . </P> <P> Plus size clothing patterns have traditionally been graded up from a smaller construction pattern, however many retailers are using statistical data collected from their own measuring projects, and from specialized Body Scan Data collection projects to modernize the fit and construction of their garments . U.S. companies Lane Bryant and Catherines teamed up over a three - year period to source data to modernize the companies' garment construction . 14,000 women were measured in what was the most extensive female sizing study in the U.S. in over 60 years . </P> <P> The Australian plus - size clothing market has been growing since at least 1994, with major department stores such as David Jones, Myer, and Target producing their own brand ranges, and an increase in the number of individual boutiques and national chain store outlets across the country . Sizing in Australia is not synchronous with the US; plus size garments are considered to be size 16 and upward, which is the equivalent of a US size 12 . </P>

When did the term plus size come into use