If we’re going to talk about size inclusive style than Universal Standard has to be part of the conversation as it is the most inclusive brand in the US clothing market. This brand offers size 00 – 40 and frames their lettered sizing around the average US woman’s size. Since an 18 is the average woman’s size in the United States, Universal Standard calls an 18/20 a medium.
Universal Standard is female owned and was founded in 2015. I really wish they had been around when I graduated college and was a young woman building her wardrobe. Although the brand does offer seasonal collections you aren’t going to see trendy silhouettes, loud prints or fun embellishments. Universal Standard is a wonderful go-to for quality, classic pieces that can be worn for years. If you are looking for something like a pair of wear anywhere black pants or a dress I would recommend their site be the first place you look.
Of course with quality comes a higher price point. For example, a solid colored turtleneck is $88, dresses run from $88 to $168 and pants are $90 to $190. These prices are understandably just not practical for some but I also think there is a lot of value in having pieces that are closet classics and can be worn for years. I really want to get a pair of the day to night jersey pants (they are currently waitlisted) as an example of such a wear for years staple. I am also at a point in my life where I find a lot of value in finding the type of piece I am looking for without spending hours searching so knowing that no matter the current trends Universal Standard is going to have certain classic silhouettes available is comforting to me.
Although Universal Standard does not have sales frequently throughout the year they do from time to time offer mystery boxes at a significant discount. My first time trying this brand was through purchasing a mystery box – while boxes can be purchased around a theme such as athleisure, workwear etc or a particular garment type I selected a box that offered miscellaneous favorites and received a black dress, blue sweatshirt, and coral turtleneck. The black dress was the real star of my box as it is something I can dress up or dress down and would work for most occasions. If you are on a budget but in a wardrobe building phase I would definitely recommend following Universal Standard on social media to keep a lookout for these sales.
Most items Universal Standard offers are what I would call Closet Classics, i.e. pieces you can have in your closet and wear for years. I have been impressed with the Universal Standard pieces I have and think their quality will stand the test of time. For anyone looking to build their wardrobe or fill it out with a particular classic piece I definitely recommend this as one of the first places to look.