I just read a great article that involved the Do's and Don'ts of working in a casual office. One of the comments that was made, brought up the issue of finding great clothes for us plus-sized girls. I thought the answer should be addressed in a blog all it's own, considering the trials we go through just to find a basic pair of jeans that fit us right. I'd like to talk about some stores that cater to sizes 14 and up that I have had success with.
Lane Bryant offers a classy touch to plus sized fashion. Not only do they have an easy to navigate online site, but they also offer retail stores in many locations. I have had better luck in the stores themselves than ordering online when it came to finding clothing that fit right. The prices are kind of high, but if you are lucky enough to find a store near you they have decent clearance racks. Their style tends to lean more towards older women, so you do have to sift through shirts with thousands of beads on them before you can find some treasures. Lately the fashions have been improving, and their line of panty hose & tights are amazing. It's the first plus-size panty hose that I've found that I haven't had to struggle to get in. Not only are they easy to get on but they are comfortable and do not restrict movement.
Torrid is a sister store to Hot Topic, which is well known for it's rock/punk/gothic fashions & accessories. But don't let that intimidate you because even though Torrid follows in it's footsteps a bit, it also offers great clothes suitable for a plus-sized girl who wants to look great while working hard. A lot of the fashion is influenced by the classic style from the 40s and 50s, especially the dresses. I haven't been able to find a store near me but they do offer stores in most of the states. So from the online experience I've had, this store is by far the best when it comes to sizing. Everything I've ordered from them has fit right and looked amazing, the only thing that you might want to be aware of is that the dresses made by Torrid tend to run on the larger size. But I'm certainly not complaining about having to buy a smaller size! Their prices can get pretty high, but they have an extensive clearance page. Not only that, but usually about once a month they run a clearance on their clearance, that's right....cheap clothes for even cheaper. Hard to really beat that.
Old Navy offers an online exclusive plus-sized store. They used to carry larger sizes in the store but for some reason it didn't last long, I'm guessing because no one really knew about it. We tend to over look these "younger" stores as only having size 8 and under so don't even bother. I stumbled on this by chance and word of mouth. Their jeans are great, they have many different style so it's easy to find one that fits you right, and they are also resonably priced. I try to avoid paying more than $25 for a pair of jeans and if you keep your eye on the clearance section and sales then it's fairly easy to reach that goal. To go a little off topic, this is the only place that I've been able to find swimsuits that actually fit great and look great. I also recommend their pajamas, in fact as I was typing this I was compelled to order three pairs of pajama pants from their clearance section for $10 a piece.
C J Banks is a fairly new store to me. They have been popping up at malls around my area within the past few years. I've only browsed them a little bit so far and from what I've seen is their style is for older women and they offer plus-sized as well as smaller sizes, but they mainly specialize in plus-sized. The fashion ranges from casual to business casual with a few items for professional. Prices are decent, and the clothes look comfortable. If anyone has had any experience with this one, in shop or online please post your feedback.
Fashion Bug offers great styles for both the young shopper and mature shopper. They carry a wide range of sizes and have a lot of stores in different locations. I recently asked my co-worker where she got her tops from because they are always bold with a hint of class, and she said Fashion Bug! I haven't shopped there in long time, but I think I will have to make a trip there soon because their fashions have gotten better and better over the year. I also remember them having a great clearance rack even though their prices are fabulous to begin with.
Maurices was always known to me as a "younger" store because I had shopped there as a teen. Back then they didn't have many plus-sized clothing options, especially in this store. But it looks like it has been revamped to offer sizes ranging from 0-24. Lately they have been popping up again in my area after a decade of being absent. I haven't explored the new one yet, but have heard great things about it. So definitely worth a look either in store or on their website.
There are many retail stores that just happen to have a small plus-sized section like Target, Kmart, and Walmart. Even though shopping there is convienent sometimes, the clothes tend not to last long and still never fit right, especially after a few washes. The retail store that gets an honorable mention that is over looked by us is Victoria's Secret. I love their Body By Victoria line, the XL panties have a nice stretch, are comfortable, and will make you feel super sexy. Anyone else have any plus-sized shops they love?
