Kin By Kristine Is Returning, And Plus-Size Closets Are Thankful

Plus-size style influencer Kristine Thompson is relaunching her Kin By Kristine fashion line. Thompson is one of the OG plus-size fashion influencers. She helped grow the body positivity moment. Her efforts have continued. She frequently challenges the ideas about what works for larger bodies on social media. The designer styles looks that some plus-size women might find “difficult” on her Instagram and TikTok accounts. 

Confused about bodycon dresses or halter tops? You can turn to Thompson. She takes her followers on date nights and vacations. Now, everyone will be able to recreate them a little bit easier with the new Kin By Kristine. 

Coming Back Stronger 

Kin By Kristine is returning with a new tagline. They’re sending a message to shoppers that “The problem was never your body, it was always the styling.” They’re blaming the lack of options on the industry.

According to their website, “KIN is the line built on that idea — fit that flatters, pieces that move, confidence included.” 

They’re bringing a new level of curation to the company too. Each drop from the collection will include complete styling options. It will cater to sizes 10 through 32. 

Gaps in the market led several Black plus-size women to build their own firms, including Gabbi “Fresh” Gregg and Angela Rene. 

Kin By Kristine launched in 2019 originally. Thompson named it after herself, Kristine, her mom Iris, and her sister Nicole.  She learned how to construct garments from her family and started the business in the basement of her townhome. It made it’s way to Nordstrom through Thompson’s determination. The company arrived at a time when brands like Rebdolls, Zellie for She, and Premme were trying to serve the stylish women who followed influencers, but couldn’t find looks that worked for them. 

The global COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 affected the trajectory of many of these companies. Retail looks totally different today. More influencer-led companies are thriving today. 

Related: 6 Times Samyra Stood On Business Against Fatphobia

Black Women And Body Positivity 

Black women built the body positivity movement. They showed that you didn’t need to be a stick figure to be stylish. Curvy bloggers spoke up without anything to gain. They called out brands that weren’t considerate of their larger shoppers. Creators recreated looks that smaller bodies got praised for, forcing people to confront fat stereotypes through creativity. Now, they’re offering options with the benefit of experience.

Thompson shared her motivations in a statement to HelloBeautiful. “After more than a decade of creating fashion content and listening to women share what they still couldn’t find, KIN feels like the natural next chapter for me,” she said. “I wanted to create thoughtfully designed pieces that consider fuller bodies from the very beginning. Launching KIN during New York Fashion Week feels especially meaningful because plus-size women have always belonged in the fashion conversation, and I’m excited to create something that reflects that.”

Filling The Gap

The gaps in the plus-size clothing industry have widened in the wake of the rise in GLP-1 medications. Retailers have begun to scale back on their commitments to plus-size consumers. 

Brands that made splashy announcements about placing plus-size options inside their stores banished bigger bodies back online. Some hired fatphobic spokespeople. They phased out activations. Plus-size models have been outspoken about the slowing demand for their services. Liris Crosse just had a designer play in her face on Project Runway. 

OG creators are insulting their supporters after losing weight.

The need for plus-size clothing has not shrunk though. “Even in the GLP-1 era, after all, the majority of Americans are still plus-sized, including those who have lost weight on GLP-1s,” according to The Guardian. 

Beginning Better 

Thompson shared the news about the relaunch in a post to her 1 million Instagram followers. 

“Beginning again is not the same as starting over,” she wrote in the caption of a carousel of images from the original brand and the reboot. 

“KIN’s first chapter began with a sample I sewed myself using skills my mother taught me. It grew from packing orders in our home to being carried by Nordstrom—and eventually became one of the hardest, most rewarding lessons of my life,” she continued. “I built KIN the first time with vision and determination. This time, we’re building it with more experience, deeper intention and an incredible team whose belief, expertise and hard work made this return possible.” 

She is optimistic about the next chapter of the brand, and so are we. 

“Everything we learned brought us here. So we begin again. The new chapter arrives 09.09.26 in US sizes 10–32.”