Charlotte Oxnam on the Big Problem Cue the Curves Solves for Women's Clothing

Charlotte Oxnam has a presence. She showcased that during Chicago StartUp Week when she wowed the judges all the way to taking home the top prize in a sea of some incredible competition. I was lucky enough to judge that group of competitors and I haven't let Oxnam get rid of me since. She's the founder of a platform that's equal parts community and commerce and meant to serve the needs of plus size women as they shop for apparel. Cue the Curves is the answer for the women’s plus-size apparel market, which is vastly underserved. It's valued at 9.8 billion U.S. dollars as of 2019, and the average woman lives in what's considered to be plus-size clothing - wearing a 14-16 on average. We've been talking about size inclusion all month on #WeGotGoals and we've spent a lot of time on apparel - it's not because clothes are the most important thing, but they are a thing that touches our lives every day. Today, women who wear sizes outside of what's considered a "straight size" face a dramatically different shopping experience that's equal parts rejection and trying not to get your hopes up. That's what Oxnam hopes to solve. In today's episode, she tells a beautiful story of her best friend - who wears straight sizes - creating an inclusive shopping experience for her at the mall. Oxnam tells us that her friend researched where she could shop and spent time in those stores, even when Oxnam protested, "but you can't shop there." "Yeah, but you can," Oxnam's friend said. And in a way, that's what Oxnam is hoping to build with Cue the Curves, a network of friends who watch out for each other in a way that is unique to best friends in a dressing room. And on this week's episode, you'll hear this 19-year-old talk about how she sees the problem and how she'd solve the problem. Oxnam is currently a sophomore at Northwestern University studying engineering and we can't wait to hear where she takes this thing. Resources: Join the Cue the Curves community Read Oxnam's reaction to winning Chicago StartUp Week's pitch competition Follow @CueTheCurves on Instagram