This isn't some abstract complaint. It's the lived experience of countless SF women who are ready to invest in well-made garments for weddings, birthdays, and festivals — women with wallets open and credit cards drawn — only to discover that the city's curated shopping scene wasn't curated with them in mind.

Let's talk numbers for a second, because this is ultimately a market failure. The average American woman wears between a size 16 and 18. The plus-size fashion market is valued at over $30 billion nationally. And yet small boutiques — the kind SF loves to champion with "shop local" campaigns and small business grants — routinely stop stocking at sizes that exclude the majority of American women. That's not body shaming. That's just bad business.

Now, we're not in the business of telling private retailers what to stock. That's their call, and the market should sort it out. But here's what's worth noting: the city spends significant taxpayer dollars on small business support programs, storefront subsidies, and economic development initiatives. If we're going to subsidize local retail, maybe it's worth asking whether those businesses are actually serving the local population — or just a narrow slice of it.

The real issue isn't vanity. It's that a consumer segment with serious purchasing power keeps getting nudged toward online-only options, which means local dollars flowing to national corporations instead of neighborhood shops. Every time a size-14 woman walks out of a Hayes Valley boutique empty-handed, that's revenue leaving San Francisco.

For those navigating this frustration right now: consignment shops like Crossroads and larger retailers with extended size ranges remain your best bets. Some local tailors will also alter vintage finds to fit beautifully.

But the broader point stands: in a city that talks endlessly about equity and inclusion, the shopping experience tells a different story. And unlike most equity problems, this one has a straightforward market solution — stock the sizes people actually wear, and watch the money follow.