Meet Connally, founder of Connally Goods, a size- and gender-inclusive fashion brand that’s made locally in Vancouver. Connally tells us more about what led to creating Connally Goods, what the journey was like to create size-inclusive sizing (after hearing it wasn’t possible), what ethical production + sustainability looks like at Connally Goods, what the true cost of making size-inclusive, sustainable clothing is, and LOTS more!
Chatting with Connally and learning more about Connally Goods has been so inspiring and empowering, so we’re so excited to introduce you to them!
Hi Connally! Can you please introduce yourself and Connally Goods?
Hi! I'm Connally, a disabled designer in my late 30s, based in Vancouver, Canada, who loves cilantro and hates polyester. Connally Goods was grown out of frustration--so many clothing companies claim to be sustainable and/or size-inclusive, yet choose to put profits over people and the planet. Founding Connally Goods, putting actions behind intentions and making truly size- and gender inclusive clothes is my greatest joy and challenge.
Can you please tell us a little more about who you are and what you make?
I used to work for a clothing distributor, or as I referred to it, "satan," while I was building my brand and taking on custom orders. It was my job to be the "fit technician," measuring fast fashion samples from sweatshops and determining the size grading that was needed for a North American consumer market. Soul crushing is putting it lightly. I was lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you view success) that a skull fracture in 2018 forced me to quit that job, re-learn a lot of skills and most importantly, I realised I couldn't do everything alone and I needed help. The experiences of learning how NOT to run a business paired with adjusting to life with disability have brought me to a place where I can run a business that puts people and empathy first.
At Connally Goods, we focus on softly tailored work wear and denim--basically, the workhorse wardrobe staples like trousers, collared shirts, jackets, jeans, as well as a few special pieces like silk organza pullovers, pleated shirts and over the past year, I've been doodling and developed our first custom printed cotton voile that debuted end of May 2026.
You’ve been making clothes since 2009. What first pulled you toward garment-making, and what has kept you here all these years?
Clothing is a form of wearable, albeit commodified art. My academic background is in journalism (yes, back when you could take that as your major in uni), so I always thought that writing would be the only way I could be creative and earn a living... but as media moved to digital formats, I found myself craving pen and paper, physical forms of art, working with my hands. In hindsight, I look back at my childhood, playing dress up, drawing mermaids and knights in shining armour, I often wonder why it took me so long to fall ass-backwards back into design and fashion--my first loves.
Now, I see my peers all working 40, 50, 60 hour weeks and still struggling, not to mention spending their time in work environments that don't fuel their passion or soul. It's what most people have to do to survive in the 21st century. Sometimes, especially when finances are tough, people will ask me "why don't you just get a part time job at a coffee shop to make ends meet?" The reason is simple: I could either be struggling AND selling my values and mind for a piddly salary, or I could be struggling AND getting to do what I love, passing time in a way that feels authentically me...plus, I can sleep at night, knowing that nobody has been exploited along the journey to my success...even if success looks like just breaking even.
Connally Goods is size- and gender-inclusive. What does that mean in practice, beyond a size chart or a product description?
First off, how many times have we been told to find "the narrowest part of our midsection" for a waist measurement? This must be a shock to other brands who continue to get size grading wrong, but guess what: not everyone has an hourglass body type, and for many folks, our waist measurement is larger than our chest or hip measurements. It's about looking at the full spectrum of body sizes, shapes and proportions and designing around maximum inclusion. We purposely design everything to be easily tailored (either by us or tailors local to where customers are based), and nothing is meant to be skin tight. Our bodies need room to breathe, sit, eat, exist! We do fit testing on at least 5 different body types and our size grading isn't just scaling up from a size M, but rather fit tested and graded in size groups: XS-L, XL-2X, 3X-4X and 5X-6X. It means a lot more labour, but a much better end result.
What was the journey like finding a production manager and pattern digitizer who would create size-inclusive pieces with you, rather than exclusively straight or plus sizes?
It was a seemingly quixotic endeavour, just hearing no after no. "No, it's not possible to produce 10 sizes up to those measurements", "No, we don't have the space to cut out those sizes", "No, nobody makes clothes THAT big." Excuses, excuses, excuses, and perhaps that's why other brands stop at smaller sizes and don't bother pushing for more...but that's simply unacceptable.
Finally, shortly after the pandemic began, I met Gwen, owner of Symmetry Production here in Vancouver. She's a California transplant who used to do all the things for Nooworks, so she already had an irreverent attitude about fashion and was the ONLY person who entertained my requests for making garments larger than a 60" body circumference.
We've set up the infrastructure, calibrated the equipment and studio set up, and we produce the most comprehensively size-inclusive line that doesn't rely on stretch fabrics to cut corners or that larger bodies can squeeze into. When we make oversized styles, they're cut to be oversized across every size, not just for smaller bodies.
You’ve talked about wanting to see someone's abundance, not their absence. How does that belief show up in your design process?
Volume! So often we're told to dress in "flattering" ways, to try to make ourselves smaller, or to only wear one oversized piece in an outfit, and that thinking is more backwards that Reagan's head in that swivelling scene of "The Exorcist"...and we honestly should exorcise these limiting perspectives from the zeitgeist!
Show me pleats, wide leg trousers, tailored pieces that don't pull across the shoulders or bust. Show me prints, textures, colours and silhouettes that show personality. We don't need sad beige viscose...we deserve better. Why shrink when we can and should take up space!
What has working with real bodies taught you that fashion school or traditional fashion systems never did?
Everything. There's nothing you can be taught in school (design wise) that you can't learn better by working with real people in real life. There wasn't an inclusive system, a blueprint for me to base things on when I first started out, so I had to do the hands-on labour and build it myself.
Connally Goods is made locally in Vancouver by you and your small team. Can you tell us about the people behind the pieces, and what ethical production looks like day to day?
This is going to sound sad, but it's important for people to know: sweatshop production happens in every country, and the people exploited are often women and teens. There are home sewists making criminally low piece rates that don't meet minimum wage unless you're severely overworked. There are factories with dozens and dozens of rows of machines squashed close together, and brand owners who don't know or care to learn the names of the people making their clothes...
I knew from day one that we weren't going to do that. Instead, working with Gwen at Symmetry, the team of four sewists (Ele, Paula, Stuart & Ngoc) are all paid hourly, not based on how many pieces they can crank out, plus they also get benefits, vacation time & health insurance (which I hope to be able to give myself in the next 6-12 months!). Symmetry does do production for a couple other local brands, however Connally Goods is the only label that our team actually wears, because we make sizes for everybody...and I hope more brands clue in to the magic of inclusive sizing!
Some of the people behind Connally Goods are plus-size people themselves. How does it change the work when the people making the clothes can actually try them on, move in them, and see themselves in them?
It's transformational. It means we can have more thorough fit feedback and come up with innovative solutions to common issues like gaping across the chest, thigh rub, etc., because we're getting long-term wear-testing to see how the longevity of Connally Goods pieces compare to other brands.
What do you wish more people understood about the true cost of making size-inclusive, sustainable clothing with care?
Fabric that doesn't feel like (and isn't made of) plastic costs more than you think, and people are starting to learn that, however fast fashion has messed with our perception of how much labour goes into a garment. Sure, a T-shirt might seem simple, but you need specialized equipment and skills to produce clean finishes and use materials that don't stretch out of shape. A collared shirt takes much, much longer, more precision, and many more pattern pieces. I challenge anyone to cut & sew a tailored shirt in fewer than 4-5 hours and then complain about the prices. We've also got much higher overhead costs than brands that only make small sizes or use polyester, viscose, cheaper fabrics, since we recycle every scrap and remnant from production, not to mention more photography to show the range of sizes, more time to source and verify that fabrics and suppliers are GOTS certified. It's a labour of love, when it should be the bare minimum for every brand.
You offer custom sizing and make space for bodies that fashion often refuses to imagine. What does it mean to create clothes for people who are often treated as if they are outside the “standard”?
It's exhilarating. Watching people try on clothing that actually fits them, when they feel fabrics that are supple, soft and durable, when they catch their own gaze in the mirror and their postures change-- that moment is like seeing someone be introduced to themselves for the first time.
What are some small details in your garments or your studio that feel deeply important to you, even if someone else might not notice them right away?
Actually roomy, functional pockets, using snaps for shirts in lieu of buttons, little loops at the back of shirt necks to make them easy to hang on a hook are some design hallmarks Connally Goods is known for.
In my home studio, I make sure to have seating that's comfortable and sturdy for people living in larger bodies and make sure everyone tries on their clothes both standing and seated...and on a quirky note, while I don't have a guest book, I do have a guest height chart marked into the doorframe of the sewing room.
What are 1–2 pieces in your current collection that you’re especially excited about right now, and why?
I'm currently obsessed with the Katrina Silk Organza Pullover, because it's unexpected: a silk sweatshirt! Most organza is made from polyester, making the wearer feel itchy, sweaty and stinky...silk breathes and helps us regulate body temperature, so the Katrina Pullover is a year-round wardrobe staple that balances whimsy with function, form with fashion.
The Amy Trousers are our bestselling style, sometimes referred to as "magic pants," because they feel like jammies but look like polished work trousers. Different fabrics allow for different vibes, different drapes and flow of the materials against your skin, and both these pieces (Katrina & Amy) are machine washable!
What does it mean to you to have Connally Goods spotlighted and available to shop at Viva Voce?
It's a joy and honour, getting to share my work with a wider audience. We don't have investors or venture capitalists bankrolling anything, so that means we get to make the rules and stay stubbornly committed to our core values....and when we get to connect with like-minded businesses like Viva Voce, it's a natural extension of those commitments to people and the planet, and so exciting to reach folks that otherwise may not have found Connally Goods or discovered the delight of truly inclusive fashion design without the work Viva Voce is doing.
If you had a megaphone and the whole world was listening, what would you say?
STOP. BUYING. FROM. MEGA. BRANDS! STOP BUYING POLYESTER! That can be difficult when the options are scarce or you live in rural areas. I acknowledge that I'm speaking from a place (and literal location) of privilege, in that I'm based in a large city, I know how to sew and I live in a small-fat body. That being said, there are options beyond Torrid, Amazon, Shein, and the online community makes it much easier to access plus size clothing second hand, lots of tutorials and lessons on youtube to learn how to sew, not to mention just mending and maintaining the clothing we already own. We don't need more fast fashion. Billionaires don't need your order, but small businesses like mine will not only serve you better, we also remember each order we get, because it has a direct and positive impact on us, our families, our communities. It's what allows us to pay rent, feed ourselves and continue building a future that's brighter, kinder and more inclusive.
