You can recognize that chic cat from anywhere — the Baby Phat logo that we've known and loved since 1998. However, as the years went by, and fashion continued to evolve, we had to say goodbye to the beloved brand almost a decade ago. But if there's anything we've learned in the past year, it's that everything old can be new again. This '90s brand is no different.
So early this morning, when the line founded by fashion icon Kimora Lee Simmons dropped its first collection in what feels like ages, in collaboration with Forever 21, women everywhere were lobbing to the internet to buy it all.
Unfortunately, so many were disappointed for one very important reason. Check it out.
Baby Phat is back, everyone.
It's been nine long years since Baby Phat was at the forefront of streetwear fashion, and it's surely been missed. Those velour tracksuits were a must-have for brown girls everywhere, and former supermodel Kimora Lee Simmons was the epitome of goals in every way, shape, and form.
So when we found out that the brand would be relaunching, every bone in our body was jumping for joy. It finally felt like a chance to revisit our glory years and do so in the most fashionable way possible. Even better, the brand would be collaborating with Forever 21, so we knew it would be both nostalgic and affordable.
But when the collection dropped early this morning, there was something visibly missing.
And that was options for plus-size women, which came as a surprise to many. When Forever 21 Plus posted teasers of the collab to its Instagram, the assumption was of course that the line would be size-inclusive, and women couldn't wait. However, when the brand launched at midnight, that proved to be anything but the truth.
In fact, there were only three options in the entire collection.
And of course, people took notice, quickly.
The excitement faded rapidly as women realized that the options were so limited.
"Wow, y’all had me all excited for three things. Next drop please work to extend more clothing options to plus size. Would have loved to have been able to purchase more than three things," one disappointed person commented under a video of the new launch.
Even Twitter expressed their concerns.
And a few felt that the sizing was only one of the problems.
"We could’ve aimed higher than Forever 21. We could’ve came harder than the options released. F21 def slid in some very basic pieces of their own. This line is just “Baby”…they did not hold down the “PHAT” with S,M,L. I still supported with the classics that were available," one person wrote.
Even men took notice.
You know it's bad when even those who the collection wasn't made for notice the lack of size inclusivity.
"I couldn’t imagine being a bigger woman excited for the Baby Phat x Forever 21 line, then seeing there’s three plus-size options and everything only goes in a small medium or large… thought this was 2019 lmao," a concerned man shared.
What's more confusing is that Baby Phat was one of the first mainstream brands to sell plus-size clothing.
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the brand was one of the first to create streetwear for curvy women, setting the tone for dozens of brands to come.
"I’ve seen several people talking about Baby Phat introducing plus-size early [on]… They did. I remember getting a pair of jeans and a top," a reflective Baby Phat fan said.
This leads many to believe that this is the just the first rollout of clothing, and more sizes will be coming soon. We sure hope so, but it's still terrible that once again, plus-size women have to wait to be able to fully enjoy a collection.
Because hey, you can't have Phat without fat.
"BABY PHAT FOR MY ADULT FAT. I hope KLS bring back the plus for the + Queens!" a fan exclaimed.
Though disappointed with the first launch, our nostalgic love for velour and Kimora Lee Simmons makes us really hope that much more is to come. Still, we cannot overlook the fact that plus-size women were treated like an afterthought in this collection. It's not fair, and in today's fashion climate, it's also unacceptable.
