There is a definite skinny bias among US retailers. Of the jeans offered for sale in one of the country’s largest malls, only 13 per cent would fit women of typical size or larger. Even online offerings don't get better. Only 19 per cent of the sizes available through retailers' websites would fit a woman with a waist larger than the national median.

If one were to line up the waist sizes of all American women, from smallest to largest, who are ages 20 and older, the number in the middle would be 37.3 inches. If one were to add all of those sizes up and take the average instead, the number goes up a bit to 38 inches. Most well-recognized retailers don't have either of those sizes in stock at their stores.

Every single store that sells women's jeans offers options for women whose waists are smaller than the national average, but only 50 per cent of stores have any sizes for women with waists larger than 38 inches.

Even of the stores that do offer at least one option larger than 38 inches, many of them only offer those choices online rather than in the physical building where consumers could try them on before making a purchase.