Today we’d like to introduce you to Sami.
Sami, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m Sami Hernandez, founder and creative force behind FITSO Plus Size—an unapologetically bold apparel and accessories brand designing for the 60% of us living, thriving, and taking up space in fat bodies. FITSO is an acronym meaning Fit In – Stand Out where we reclaim our power by choosing to fit in or stand out on our terms. FITSO exists because plus-size people deserve fashion that doesn’t treat us like an afterthought. We create trend-forward, functional pieces in sizes 0X–7X, built from a plus-size perspective and fit on a size 22 body from day one.
My path here wasn’t linear or traditional. I didn’t go to fashion school. I didn’t grow up sewing. What I did grow up with was the constant reminder that the world wasn’t built with bodies like mine in mind. As a kid, I wanted what every kid wants—to explore who I was becoming. But when the clothes that defined a trend stopped at a size I couldn’t squeeze into, I learned early that self‑expression wasn’t always an option for people like me. I internalized that absence as a personal flaw. I now call it “involuntary othering”—the quiet, constant message that you don’t belong because the world didn’t bother to make room for you.
That experience stayed with me. It shaped how I moved through the world, how I saw myself, and eventually, why I decided to change things. After years of small attempts—hiring seamstresses, working with sewists, bringing on interns—I hit a point where my determination outgrew my resources. So I taught myself how to sew. No formal training, no roadmap, just stubbornness and a vision. I started making the things I wished existed: mesh cropped hoodies, bright statement tops, belt bags long enough to literally wrap twice around the alternatives. Pieces that said, “You deserve this. You always have.”
Today, FITSO is more than a brand—it’s a reclamation. It’s the result of a lifetime of being told “not for you” and deciding to build the “for us” myself. And we’re just getting started.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not even close — and honestly, that’s part of what makes FITSO what it is.
Building a plus-size brand from scratch means you’re constantly pushing against an industry that wasn’t built for you and quite honestly, doesn’t want to make room for you. From local landlords blatantly saying they didn’t want plus-size people in their buildings, to finding partners who don’t treat plus-size bodies like an inconvenience, convincing [insert anyone non-fat] that our market is not “niche” but the majority — none of that has been easy.
And then there’s the personal side. As a founder in a larger body, I’ve had to navigate rooms where people assume I don’t “look like” someone who runs a fashion brand. I’ve had to unlearn decades of internalized shame while simultaneously building a company designed to dismantle that shame for others. It’s exposure therapy.
But every challenge sharpened my mission. Every “no” forced me to innovate. Every barrier reminded me why FITSO needs to exist. These challenges fuel me now and when I am invited into any space, I know I am representing a majority of today’s society.
The smooth parts? Those are the moments when a customer messages us saying, “This is the first time I’ve ever felt seen.” or my favorite “I thought it impossible to find a belt bag that would fit my body.” A belt bag is making us feel involuntarily othered. Do you know how easy it is to extend the belt on a belt bag? It’s a -5 on the difficulty scale. A negative 5. That’s the fuel.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
FITSO is known for designing from a plus-size perspective, not just scaling up straight-size patterns or purchasing a size model in 1 of 3 fit styles (slim, athletic or curvy) like today’s largest apparel retailers do. We design based on real bodies and put in the work to ensure we fit the bodies we design for, That’s a radical difference in an industry where most brands treat plus-size bodies as an afterthought.
Here’s what makes us stand out:
– We design exclusively in sizes 0X–7X.
No token XL. No “extended sizes.” We start where most brands stop.
– We fit on a size 22 body from day one.
Our fit model is the center of our process, not an afterthought. That alone changes everything about comfort, movement, and confidence.
– We create trend-forward pieces plus-size people rarely get access to.
Mesh crop tops. Bright colors. Belt bags that actually fit. Pieces that say, “You deserve fun.”
– We care & mean what we say. In fact, we even add a visible affirmation to all of our offerings, a secret encouragement just for the wearer.
FITSO isn’t just clothing — it’s reclamation. It’s community. It’s a refusal to shrink.
– We’re built by someone who lives in a plus-size body.
I’m not designing for a hypothetical customer. I am the customer. That changes everything.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that you can’t build something revolutionary while trying to make yourself small. For years, I thought I had to shrink—my ideas, my voice, my body—to be taken seriously. But FITSO only started to take shape when I stopped apologizing for who I am, stopped trying to manage other people’s reactions to or about me, and started designing from the fullness of my lived experience.
I’ve learned that the world doesn’t change because you wait for permission. It changes when you decide your perspective is valuable enough to lead with. Once I embraced that, everything shifted: my confidence, my creativity, my willingness to take risks, and the way I show up for the plus-size community.
The lesson is simple but life‑altering:
Your lived experience is not a limitation—it’s your superpower.
And the moment you stop dimming it, you become unstoppable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fitsoplussize.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitso.plussize/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FITSOclothing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fitsoplussize/
