Slimming down the wardrobe: Clothing retailers see surprising trend due to weight loss drugs like Ozempic

Downsizing the clothes - but bloating the revenue.

As weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy gain a foothold in America and help lead to dramatic weight loss, retailers are reporting a shocking aftershock from the trend in that consumers now need smaller clothes.

“Before, I was insecure about my body,” Maggie Rezek told the Wall Street Journal. “Now, I feel like I fit better in clothes. That gives me the confidence to dress up and be more stylish.”

The Indianapolis native is one of the many helped by the weight-loss drugs. The 32-year-old shed 60 pounds and is now splurging a new wardrobe that includes crop tops and jean shirts.

About 15.5million Americans - roughly 6 percent of the entire population - have tried a weight loss drug, according to the Journal. Many of those people now need new clothes after losing dozens of pounds.

Sales of the three largest women’s button-down shirts fell by 10.9 percent to start 2024 compared to 2022, according to Impact Analytics, which helps brands in inventory management. Meanwhile, the sales of the smallest shirts grew by 12.1 percent over the same period.

At Lafayette 148’s, customers are looking for new outfits because of the weight loss, chief executive Deirdre Quinn told the WSJ. Many customers who were size 12 are now size 6 or 8.

It has led to a boost in sales and decreased costs because the company is spending less on materials for the smaller sizes.

Rent the Runways has also seen customers switch sizes at the highest rate in 15 years, co-founder and CEO Jennifer Hyman told the outlet.

Users are also experimenting more with styles they might have avoided when they were heavier such as designs that show skins or features.

“When you are more comfortable in your skin, you are more willing to try edgier looks,” Hyman said.

The trend is also reversing the post-pandemic search for larger sizes that many wanted as they left the home for the first time in months. At Allstar Logo, the demand for larger sizes has fallen by half in the past year, sales director Edmon Moss told the outlet.

“We used to sell a lot of fleece jackets in extra, extra large,” Moss said. “Now everything has gone down by at least one size.”