Wet Seal officially made its comeback this week with the launch of its plus size/curve line.
The fast fashion retailer shut down last year after filing for bankruptcy in 2017. The company, which has been around since 1962 and whose core customer demographic is between the ages of 13 and 40, was then acquired by Gordon Brothers Brands, who relaunched the company in early June as solely an e-commerce business.
Wet Seal waited on launching its plus size line, instead focusing on its collaboration line with YouTube stars and 23-year-old twins Niki and Gabi DeMartino, called Niki & Gabi, as the kickoff to their comeback.
Ramez Toubassy, the president of both Wet Seal and Gordon Brothers Brands told California Apparel News about the relaunch of such an iconic store brand and how their focus will be more online:
“The biggest challenge, with all the mall-based Wet Seal stores closing, was figuring out how to let our customers know that we were back in a big way online. With so many companies trying to grab their attention, traditional media methods have a limited impact. We have opted to take a more organic and entrepreneurial path by rebuilding the customer base in an authentic way, heavily using email and social media to let people know we are back.”
“We really hope bloggers and influencers will start to see Wet Seal as a canvas for them to express their unique fashion point of view, and we plan to dedicate significant resources to building these programs for the foreseeable future.”
The plus size/curve line launched on Thursday, July 19th, coincidentally the same day California-based plus size company Soncy launched, using solely influencers to promote its brand. 
However, one major difference between Wet Seal Plus and Soncy is sizing. Wet Seal Plus offers sizes XL – 3XL, with some of leggings sized OS (one size). Soncy offers up to a 6X, 10 – 32.
Wet Seal is promoting their plus size line as being available in sizes 14 to 24. And as we always have said, it’s all about looking at the size chart and the measurements per size.
In comparing Wet Seal’s size chart above to Soncy’s, it appears that Wet Seal’s 3XL is the equivalent of a size 22. So keep this in mind when shopping the new Wet Seal Plus line. Prices range from $8.99 for a basic sports bra to $42 for a distressed denim jacket. 
We also compared their sizing to fellow “junior plus” fast fashion brands Forever 21, debshops and Charlotte Russe – measurements for their size 3X are as follow:
Forever 21: Bust 49-51″, Waist 42-44″, Hips 52-54″
debshops: Bust 47-49″, Waist 40-42″, Hips 50-52″
Charlotte Russe: Bust 49.5-51.5″, Waist 43.5-45.5″, Hips 54-56″
It appears that Wet Seal’s sizing is slightly bigger than those three brands with the exception of Charlotte Russe’s hip measurement, which is the same.
The verdict here is that in terms of sizing, Wet Seal can give these other brands a run for their money and make a successful comeback. However, with Soncy and other brands using visibly plus models, it would make sense for Wet Seal to insert a size 3X model into the mix to show diversity, especially with them using the hashtag #WetSealGetsReal on social media.
We also hope they will follow Charlotte Russe’s lead and add a 4X to their size range, which will still be equal to a size 24/26 but in junior plus, that would be a major move.
According to California Apparel News, the brand will drop 100 new styles every week and will be launching sunglasses and beauty products later this year.
Click here to shop Wet Seal’s new plus size/curve line.
What do you think of Wet Seal’s relaunch? Will you be shopping the line? Follow us on social media @plusmodelmag and let us know!