Finally, A Jewelry Line Meant For Bigger Bodies

Even as plus-size clothes become more widely available, plus-size jewelry has been virtually unheard of — but that's changing.

Plus-size clothing brand Universal Standard is launching a jewelry collection on Tuesday, July 11, Mic reports. The silver necklace, choker, bracelet, earrings, and rings are designed to fit around and lay elegantly on larger bodies.

"The most basic problem [with mainstream jewelry] is just that it doesn’t fit," Universal Standard co-founder and creative director Alexandra Waldman told Mic. "Regular jewelry isn’t made to scale. This is a line of jewelry that is meant to look native on a bigger body. The longer necklace falls exactly as it should on a longer body. The rings fit. The jointed choker always lays flat on the chest, and can be worn on a larger neck really beautifully."

This isn't the first jewelry of its kind. Ashley Nell Tipton's "wide-fit jewelry" collection, ASOS's plus-size jewelry, and Torrid's jewelry for plus-size women are geared toward wider circumferences. Still, there's a long way to go before plus-size people can accessorize the same way straight-size people can. Man Repeller's visual manager Emily Zirimis explained that while there's some great minimalist plus-size jewelry out there, she'd like to see bigger, more fun pieces.

Waldman explained to Mic that the reason we're finally starting to see this jewelry is that plus-size people are demanding that the fashion industry take them into account. "I think that unless you are a person experiencing it, you don’t know it’s a problem," she said. "It’s been going on for so long, but I think plus-size women are waking up to the power of speaking about it. For a very long time, we were taught that you get what you deserve for being bigger. Your lack is a state of being in response to a bigger body. But I think with everything happening right now, it’s turning on its ear. We want to be able to make things for this woman that straight-size women have had for years."