Jessa Maddocks Wants to Change How Fashion Brands Treat Plus-Sized Women

Jessa Maddocks, the founder, CEO, and head designer of JessaKae, is one of the women founders looking to make a difference. Her goal? Aside from being an inspiration to other female entrepreneurs, she aims to change how fashion brands treat plus-sized women. She is doing that with her dress and mommy-and-me brand, which makes all of its pieces available in a full range of sizes.

Jessa Maddocks Before JessaKae

Jessa Maddocks has always followed her passion. While it included many projects, her previous photography business stands out. During that time, she began to play with the idea of combining her love for fashion, design, and photography together. It clicked further when she noticed how many women were missing out on brands because of clothing sizes.

Jessa saw the division between “regular” and “plus-sized” sections and decided she wanted to create a brand devoid of division, where women of all sizes could purchase pieces. She wanted to eliminate the segregation that told some women they weren’t good enough. Thus JessaKae was born, a brand and site without sections for different sizes, where every piece is made for every person.

The JessaKae Way: No Barriers

There is a tendency for brands to create and sell dresses meant for size 0 women, neglecting a large portion of the world. Jessa Maddocks wants things to work differently. She once said to Forbes, “The movement I would love to inspire is holistic size inclusion for women in the entire fashion industry.”

To her, that means taking sizes past XL, which is where many brands stop. Therefore, all of the dresses at JessaKae range from XXS to 6XL. Beyond that, Jessa would like to “remove the term ‘plus-size’ altogether,” saying that brands “should make their piece of clothing and adjust it to fit every size for women.”

However, Jessa’s passion for breaking barriers is not limited to the fashion world. Instead, she is using her experience to inspire women entrepreneurs.

Inspiring Other Women Entrepreneurs

When it comes to women founders and entrepreneurs, Jessa Maddocks believes that “The world often suppresses the creativity they have to offer.” However, she also thinks that can change, continuing to say, “The world needs their ideas, visions, and leadership. Female founders can provide those to any and all industries.”

How can it change, though? It comes down to banding together. “The community of women entrepreneurs is so strong, and I love it when we root for and support each other. There’s room for everyone,” said Jessa.

That mentality is incredibly important, and if enough people move in that direction, it can inspire many women to become entrepreneurs. However, education is just as vital, and it needs to be made available to younger people, regardless of their gender.

There is power in banding together, something Jessa wants to express through her brand and outside of it. It is also the mentality that has helped her get to where she is today.