Universal Standard
With a complete line of wardrobe-building pieces in sizes 00 to 40, Universal Standard is working to bring dignity to the clothes-buying experience for all women.
About Universal Standard
Even though the average size among American women is 16-18 — with 70 percent wearing a size 14 or above — women who don’t fall within the industry standard of XS-XL are relegated to “specialty” sections that have fewer and poorer fitting options. Polina Veksler and Alex Waldman founded Universal Standard (or US) to revolutionize the shopping experience and make high-quality clothes that serve all women. Determined to make dressing and shopping with your friends enjoyable for any size, US fit tests every item in every size from 00 to 40, rather than simply scaling up or down according to a formula. It’s an approach to fashion that affords all women the respect they deserve.
Why we love them
Universal Standard’s aim is to let style, rather than size, determine a woman’s wardrobe, and it’s charted a course it hopes the rest of the fashion industry will follow. US rearranged the conventional size chart to match the bell curve of American women’s sizes, and if your size changes within a year of buying something from its Fit Liberty line, US allows you to exchange your original piece for a different size, free of charge. KCM’s Maggie officially lives in her Elastic Waist Weekend Jeans, which she says are buttery soft and endlessly stretchy but look like a structured jean — they just don’t feel like it…making them the “dream jean,” she says. They have deep pockets and easily stay up without a belt. For a sweater that can span the seasons, our colleague Lisa says her Lightweight Merino Double V Sweater is soft and versatile, with the perfect amount of give.
