And Comfort was born out of a deeply personal experience: Karine Hsu wanted to make clothes her mom could wear, after seeing the lack of options for her in the mainstream market. After working with several plus-size fashion brands at a financial firm in San Francisco, she realized the lack of quality clothing in extended sizes affected more than just her mother. So, she and her friend Jeffrey Zhao joined forces to address this glaring hole in the retail space.
Hsu is the founder and CEO of And Comfort, while Zhao serves as its creative director and co-founder. The brand, which launches today, offers a wonderfully minimalist line-up of wardrobe staples that focus on quality, clean design and inclusive sizing. There are four pieces at launch: a mandarin collar tunic, a classic tee, an apron dress, and a midi-length wrap skirt. All are available in sizes 10 through 28, and are priced between $45 and $140.
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
Over the past few years, there have been companies leaning into specific niches in the plus-size fashion space: Premme delivers on trend-driven pieces, while Universal Standard offers luxe everyday essentials. And Comfort enters the market with a commitment to using high-end fabrics and a thorough fit process.
“It took a lot of time to source our fabrics—which we found in China—and it took time to create them as well,” says Hsu, who was adamant about using premium materials, like organic cotton poplin and pima cotton. “We worked hard on it, and as we source fabrics for future pieces, we’re committed to using cotton and even Tencel or other sustainable fabrics that we can find.” The problem with cotton, they found, was its lack of stretch; the solution was to weave in elastane to achieve the desired level of comfort without compromising the integrity of the material.
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
Hsu and Zhao then fit-tested each And Comfort style on 18 different women—some influencers, some people that Hsu had met at plus-size fashion conferences—across the plus-size spectrum for feedback. She recalls the models marveling at the pieces’ wearability: “They would put on the garment, smile, and say, ‘[Oh my God], this fits so well,’—it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. The response has been overwhelmingly positive so far.”
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
The And Comfort team specifically wanted to see the pieces on a range of body shapes and sizes, as opposed to following the industry-wide practice of only fitting on a size 16 model, at this stage of the design process. This community-driven approach allowed Hsu and Zhao to really consider and problem-solve every issue, like adding adding more fabric to prevent the button-down from gaping or creating side vents on the tunic to accommodate different people.
And Comfort launches with four pieces, but plans to roll out one or two new styles every month. (Expect more dresses in the next drop; for fall, sweaters and coats.) As for the future of the brand, Hsu says it hopes to offer sizes beyond 28.
PHOTO: Courtesy of And Comfort.
Oh, and Hsu’s mom—really, the inspiration behind this all—is into the brand’s offerings.
“My mom grew up in Taiwan, so she has a more minimalist, Asian-inspired style, which has been hard for her to find in her size—she’s very excited about the pieces we’re making,” says Hsu. “I believe every woman deserves access to fashion, no matter their size, and we hope to become the go-to place for minimalist plus-size essentials.”
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