Between keeping up with emails and picking up the kids from school, being a working mum is tiring, wherever you are in the world. But in Japan, where Shinzō Abe’s commitment to getting women in the workforce is seeing a spike in their ranks, it’s presenting a host of new business opportunities.

One third of shoppers say jeans are the hardest garment to buy because it's very difficult to find the perfect fit. Offering 400 sizes, start-up Qcut promises a product that will fit 99% of women, disrupting the apparel industry and destroying one-dimensional body image ideals.

Picking up a last-minute party dress is easier said than done for plus-size women. The likes of Lululemon and Urban Outfitters don’t make clothes above a US 14, and the industry is losing out on as much as $14 billion by failing to serve this market. So what do curvy women want from their clothes?

“The plus-size customer is lazy, she doesn’t earn much and she doesn’t want real fashion.” According to Zahir Dehnadi, CEO of a plus-size clothing brand Navabi, this is much of the fashion industry’s perspective on plus-size – and it’s losing out on a $17.5 billion market because of it.