My dear plus-sized friends, where DO you shop for clothes? I went out today to buy a few Nicer Casual things to wear for things such as employee orientation, and felt appalled and discouraged. I am narrow shouldered, plump-armed, small-chested, small-waisted, much bigger from the waist down: classic pear, I guess. And long-waisted, so that shirts are usually too short and pants are usually too long (but petite pants are too short). I look terrible in anything sleeveless or v-neck.
Really, I was applying my most generous standards. I looked around FIRST, at several many-people gatherings, and observed what other plump women were wearing and how they looked. I thought, “Can I see lumpiness/plumpness? Yes. Do I care, or feel like it ‘looks wrong’? No. Is there anything she could wear that would make her look thin instead of plump? No.”
So then when I put on various clothes myself, I tried to pretend it was someone else wearing the clothes, and tried to ask the same questions. And I still hated everything. All the lower-half stuff sat way too low and baggy at the hips, then lumped out tightly and unattractively, then dragged on the floor. All the upper-half stuff seemed weird: big gaps through which my bra clearly showed, or see-through so that I would need to buy TWO shirts to do the work of one. Lots of slippery materials that felt icky and hot. I even tried on some sleeveless things and v-neck, but no. I look WRONG in them: they emphasize my narrow shoulders, plump arms, and small chest, and make my lower half look even larger.
I’ve heard lots of recommendations for online places, and then I click through and have ZERO IDEA what to even TRY ordering, or in what sizes. So much of it looks like plumpwear/elderwear even on the beautiful models, which seems like a bad sign. And considering that I can do four 6-garment trips into the dressing room and come out with NOTHING I’m even TEMPTED to buy, it’s hard to imagine having success WITHOUT trying things on.
We have a Lane Bryant within a doable distance (40-minute drive), but I find that store difficult. For one thing, it’s the kind of store where you’re not really supposed to pay the tag price for anything: everything is always going on 40% off, 50% off, buy-1-get-1-free, etc. But that means going there regularly, and I’m not going to do that: it’s in a mall I hate going to, and the drive there is unpleasant. I’ve been buying the jeans I like on eBay, just because I get tired of the constant sales-that-are-not-really-sales.
I thought Target’s new plus-size line AVA & VIV looked promising, but the stock was so patchy: I’d see a shirt I liked, and they’d only have it in X, or have my size only in black (an additional layer of Plumpness Woe: not looking good in black). Or I’d see a skirt, and they’d have it in X and 4X and nothing in between. I could try on only a handful of things. In some cases I tried a size bigger or smaller, just to get the idea, but sometimes that’s worse than unhelpful: the wrong size can make something look terrible when it would otherwise be cute. Other times, they didn’t even have a size within TWO sizes of mine, so I didn’t bother.
My favorite t-shirts and lightweight hoodies come from Old Navy: their plus-size tops are wide and cropped on me, but their XXL Tall works just right: narrow enough in the shoulders, but long enough. I’ve bought one or two other XXL Tall things on clearance, just to see, but nothing has been a success so far; still, I am not too discouraged to try again. I tried their plus-size jeans and the fit was completely wrong: it was as if they were made for someone with a waist the size of my hips, and hips the size of my waist. It was like when I try to wear men’s/unisex t-shirts: WAY too wide where I’m narrow, WAY too snug where I’m wider.
Tell me, have you had ANY luck? It seems hopeless. Every time I read someone saying “Don’t buy anything you don’t LOVE,” I think, “She is not shopping plus-sizes.”
I, too, love the Old Navy XXL sizes…in tshirts anyhow. I am hopeless with their blouses. I have had excellent luck lately at JC Penney. Not in the plus sizes but have found that some of the Liz Claiborne XL will fit as will some St John’s Bay and a few other blouses (wearing one now but can’t recall the brand. Axia or something like it). I cannot say enough good things about Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. Expensive but worth it. Try them on at Macy’s. Also had great luck with St John’s Bay jeans (at JCP). I am a straight up 14 petite- short, large waisted, small hipped. More an apple than pear but I think you will have luck at JCP with something. Lee’s jeans have also been good lately- lots of stretch where you need it. Good luck. I refuse to wear plus sized clothes because hello, size 14, 170 pounds, American average all the way and plus sizes feel like I’m wearing a garbage sack or tablecloth.
I am on the border between a generous XL and X1 plus sizes. I have big arms (hate sleeveless) and short legs. Do you have a Dress Barn? I dress business casual for my office job and have had a lot of luck recently at Dress Barn. Didn’t like it years ago but am now able to find things there that I like and that fit surprisingly well. Good luck–I feel your pain.
Oh, yes! The name is horrible, but they’ve got a number of good things, and seem like they’ve got cuts that’ll work for a variety of shapes.
Agreed. Dress barn is my go-to store now because LB has gone downhill while the prices skyrocket.
And here’s a fourth recommendation for Dress Barn! The styles are classic and not too expensive and modest in a way that doesn’t scream “grandma!”
Yep. Dress Barn is great lately. And I second the “expensive, but worth it” for NYDJ. You can order several sizes on zappos.com or Nordstrom (both have free shipping, free returns, but zappos also has next day shipping!) and see which you like. And then they have lots of styles ranging from casual to quite dressy.
Dress Barn is where it is at! Crazy but true. Best part is there is a whole store devoted to plus so you don’t feel like an outcast.
The nice thing about Old Navy is that they have a good in-store return policy. I am currently in the between-size stage of being pregnant and am using the tactic of ordering two or three sizes online and returning what doesn’t work. It is a pain for sure, but better than some retailers that don’t accept in-store returns of online purchases, and ON’s online selection is much wider than in store.
Oh, I hear you. I’m a fair bit bigger, with different proportions (5’8″, hourglass with a bit more on the bottom but boobs that defy most button-up shirts, and am a size 20-28 depending on the cut and brand). So while my brands may not work for you, I’ve got some overall tips that may.
I rely on LB for most of my in-person shopping, so most of my store recs are online places that are a bit more friendly. Land’s End is good, especially if you’ve got a Sears nearby, since you can return things there for free. I’d avoid their woven tops, since they definitely don’t cater to folks wider at the hips, but their size charts are pretty good. They also have the obnoxious it’s-always-a-sale-unless-you-need-something-soon problem, but at least with online things it’s mitigated a bit. And there are a lot of reviewers, so you can often get an idea of how something fits.
Modcloth has some really cute stuff, and I’ve found their sizing information to be pretty dead-on. I’ve only tried skirts there, and I don’t know if those are an option for the work that you’ll be doing, but it’s at least better than the normal crap shoot of ‘does this have any hope in hell of fitting?’
And lastly, I’d recommend looking into a tailor to help out with pants. There’s a drycleaner in our area who’s been able to do magical things with pants that fit me strangely, and I’m now a convert. Not everything can be tailored – button up shirts are hard if you’re trying to make the chest/shoulder area smaller, and pants with a lot of detail at the waist would be obnoxious. But I’ve been astonished at how much more I love the things that fit right. I’ve got almost no hope of ever finding pants off the rack that’ll do that (my waist comes in rather abruptly, so if something fits in the hips, I’ve often got lots of loose flappy fabric above that), but now I take it into account, and can do simple versions of the fixes at home on my sewing machine.
(If the idea of dealing with the alterations is too anxiety-inducing, I totally understand – I resisted it for years, so am happy to share tips if you’d like. The top one is to go in with a friend (even if they don’t have anything to alter); it makes it a lot less overwhelming the first time around.)
I second the Lands End comment. I find their sizing charts reliable and consistent.
Third! And they hem many of their pants to the inseam of your choice!
Fourth! I came here to say Land’s End. And if you can order a bunch and try it on and send it back (or take it back quick) you can get it all done in one billing cycle and not be out the money and try it on at home.
Plus, my mom has, well, I don’t know the term, but a long waist-crotch length and she is usually able to find Land’s End pants that work for that.
I almost feel embarrassed to comment here because it seems like not what you’re asking for, but I rarely feel good in clothes off the rack, and I have my own ways to get around it, so here you go.
Alterations. Find a good seamstress and have things taken in and let out and such. Find a shirt you think is pretty but looks all wrong, and have someone fix it. Because the shirt is wrong, not you.
Now. I had a hard time in the past allowing myself to PAY to alter things that were Nicer Casual and maybe came from Old Navy, and maybe were on super clearance. I mean, the alterations sometimes are more than the cost of the clothing! And this is just a little cheap dress – is it even worth altering? Well, yes. When I get my altered clothes from the seamstress, I feel great in them. I wear them all the time. And I forget that I paid extra for the service, and just revel in how lovely this garmet looks on me! Maybe it’s worth altering one or two items just to see if that makes you feel great in those clothes? (for future alteration situations, when I pay in cash ahead of time or I bring in a big batch, my seamstress gives me a discount.)
Belts. Fun belts in fun colors and widths and patterns. Grosgrain ribbons and even men’s neckties (I’m currently wearing a red-with-white-polka-dots tie as a belt with my navy slacks and navy-and-white-polka-dots button up shirt and a red cardigan. And red heels.) Belts on the outside of shirts sometimes makes me feel like my shape is represented better.
Finally, it’s easier to dress something down than up, in my opinion. I find a fancy-ish shirt – maybe the material is silky and luxurious or the shape or pattern just seems fancy. It’s easy to put on jeans and flats and feel like it’s now balanced and Nice Casual rather than fancy. And I feel a little bit more confident in my appearance at that point, usually. Like “I meant to do that.”
Oh fiddle sticks. I wrote an entire comment and it disappeared.
I was also going to say alterations. I feel like with most clothes coming out of Asia, this is the only way to get a truly good fit.
I don’t get everything altered though – I base it on frequency of wear and quality. If I’m wearing it every other day for work, even if it only cost $10 to begin with, it’s worth it to get altered because of how often I’ll use/wear it. If I’m already buying something super quality for a wedding etc. I also find alterations to be worth.
The suggestion I was going to make is: take clothes to the alteration lady with the tags still on. Have her pin it the way in which she would alter it. If you still don’t like how it looks on your body after that, take it back.
I make my own unattractive clothing, so this is not an issue for me. HOWEVER, I just learned from a friend that she gets things altered all the time. In our town, it seems, it is very inexpensive to get this done. My friend is extremely, extremely thin and non-curvy, and I can easily see how she could have a hard time finding things to fit off the rack. Her experience has been to make sure the garment fits somewhere, and the alterations person can work out the rest of the places.
Yes this! I’ve always made sure the clothes fit in my largest area, because most clothes do not have a lot of extra fabric to be let out (in my experience). Then I have all the other areas taken in.
I’m a size 16, petite, hour glass shape. I have had some success at Old Navy and Kohls. Kohls is usually the only place I can find pants that fit over my butt and thighs, but aren’t huge around the waist. Also, since I have a Red Card, I find that shopping online at Target is nice. I can order whatever I want with free shipping, and then when I’m at Target anyway I can return what I don’t like. Even if that’s 90% of stuff, I don’t have to deal with dressing rooms and child-wrangling.
I was also thinking Dress Barn but it can be hit or miss there, just be willing to check at different times if possible. One month I can hate everything there and another month want to buy everything! But some of my best shirts have been from there! I tend to stick to classic type shirts with minimum details but I love the colors I can find at Dress Barn plus they have great lightweight jackets and cardigans. My other favorite lately has been Kohls. They have a great knit jean in black from Sonoma brand that has become my favorite black pant! Super moveable and lightweight. I usually wear 16 or 18 or XL. Always wait for a sale with Kohls, great deals so I can usually get most pants about $20-$30 or even less with other discounts applied.
Oh man, I feel you. I love the Old Navy XXL Tall tops. Here’s a tip on Old Navy: I often buy t-shirts and knit tops in an XXL from the MATERNITY section. (I’m speaking purely online shopping here; I have no idea what they offer in the physical store.) Their maternity tees a.) are long enough to cover the baby bump or, in my case, my long torso and love handles, and b.) have that gathering on the sides at the bottom which makes them look so much less sloppy and more neat, even though they’re very generously sized.
Target’s maternity department also has some cute and not-that-maternity-looking stuff. Their size XXL is not as large as ON’s, but still fairly generous.
I am a general pear shape too and it’s so hard. I like the Levi’s jeans “extreme curvy” or something like that. The waist is smaller and the legs/hips are roomier. I have bought work clothes at Coldwater Creek (black or gray pants, button down shirts) and also like Old Navy for basics. When I was heavier, I bought a lot of stuff off clearance racks at Dillard’s. JcPenney has some decent plus size pants and shirts. It’s a terrible pain in the ass to find the right clothes.
I had some friends try Stitch Fix and were very satisfied with it. Apparently, you tell it your size and answer some style questions, and they pick clothes for you. No shopping! And you send back what you don’t like.
Also, I disagree with “don’t buy anything you don’t love”. Instead I’d say “buy what you need and will wear”. But perhaps people who hate shopping need a different motto than those who love shopping and need to keep from buying everything in sight. I have so much trouble finding clothes that I even like in the store, that I’ve learned how to sew. It seems like most clothing is supposed to show off the body rather than cover it up.
Kohls is my go-to. I’m an apple, not a pear though, so my problem is finding things to go around my middle without billowing around my thighs. That said, I just have to keep looking most of the time for something decent. I don’t care much for LB though I do buy my bras there. Dress Barn has a good selection but is more pricey. Sometimes JCPs has something decent. All this means the mall or the strip near it of course…
In general, plus size clothing thinks if you’ve gained weight, your arms and legs have lengthened… I hate how sleeveless stuff always gaps. It’s like you’re this weight, so you’re all this tall.
I don’t want to get anything tailored. I just want to actually lose the weight and get to buy cute stuff again. But I have to have clothing, so I keep looking.
http://www.eloquii.com/ !!
LB is my go-to only for bras and jeans, since I can get Talls without having to do mail order. So much of their stuff is not classic and won’t work after the upcoming season is over. The exception is their solid long sleeve tees, which also come in a round neck. Those are definitely worth it because knits just work better for plus size women, and they are thin enough for layering. I also like their Lena pants for the office; they have a curvy fit. I have gotten through the past winter just in these pants and the long sleeve tees, with a collection of scarves and necklaces. I’m larger on top and do not wear print fabric tops.
I like JCPenney sometimes, but they have a lot of polyester to go through. I don’t do well in it.
I’ve always struck out at Kohl’s.
I echo what the other lady was saying about Lands End. Many of their dresses have a non-V neck. I think you might really like a Fit & Flare with your figure. I used to love their twin sets but haven’t tried one since the company was sold. I think I’ll check back this fall. Macy’s usually has twin set pieces, and between the two you should be able to get some shells which usually have a round neck and might give you some options.
I see that LL Bean has added plus sizes, and for classic pieces they are worth a look. I don’t know how their sizes run, though. I used to get similar things from Eddie Bauer but they’ve really changed.
I like Nordstrom’s plus size section. Their store brand is cut a little small, and that might help you with tops, both knit and button-down. They carry the Not Your Daughter’s Jeans that I hear so much about, and with a coupon you may be able to get a great deal. At least you could go there and try them on to know if it’s worth it or not.
I have never bought anything from iGigi.com, but I have used Kiyonna.com. Their tops look so great, and they feel nice when you first get them. But that fabric pills no matter what you do, and then it looks janky and has to be tossed. Both sites can be tricky finding a usable neckline, too.
It really is hard to find good plus size clothes. Any piece that works out is such a victory. I used to love the Liz Claiborne Elisabeth line; it was so easy to find pieces that just worked for work, a wedding, a dinner, and so on. I’m not even sure if it’s still made, or if it’s only in an outlet mall. I have never tried the Ralph Lauren line at our nicer Macy’s, but it looks to be cut small. I love the Alfani line for a dress for a wedding. Macy’s and a Midwestern chain I like called Von Maur also carry Jones New York. I love this line for classic pieces. If you can get a coupon or hit a good sale, this is one line worth investing in for office wear if it works for your body. They have some stuff in their sportswear line that is okay but a lot of it strikes me as matronly. I think you have to check from one season to the next. It definitely looks older in plus sizes than it does in regular sizes.
All you can do is give it your best. This world is just not made for plus size ladies, but we shouldn’t let it stop us from trying to have a nice life and look pretty.
PS I also think Lee Jeans are made for a curvy fit; Penneys often has them, but so do outlet malls.
I’ve had very good luck at Land’s End-I have a Sears close by so I can go try on the clothes. Not a great selection in plus size, but enough to get me outfitted when I started working again early this year. For the winter months, they have what I think are called Drifter sweaters? They are so comfy and come in very nice colors, I get a lot of compliments when I wear them.
I also had some luck at JCP right before a trip to a warmer climate-I caught them during a great sale, and they actually had cute things that fit.
I’m not into fashion at all, outside of work I am a jeans and t-shirt person-I was like that even when I was thin. Yet…I do like to buy clothes that don’t make me look like a tent-and I feel like LE fits the bill with my wish to look business casual, they are my go to place now!
For context: our bodies are different. My waist is big, breasts are big. But a couple of places that have variety and quality: Dress Barn for dressy clothes, Bare Necessities (online) for two piece suit and lingerie, and I’m going to throw in eshakti because they do customizable sizes and have a very broad size range. And they feature pics of real customers of all sizes, so you can see if it would suit your body type.
I forgot about stitch fix! I did a round, got a shirt, a sweater, a purse, and a pair of cords, and I didn’t send anything back. It was amazing!
two piece bathing suit…
Your last sentence sums up my feelings perfectly. Plus-size shopping is miserable.
I’m in Canada so I’m of little help to tell you where I buy my clothes. It’s so hard here in Canada as we basically have 3 choices for clothes: Reitman’s, AdditionElle, Old Navy. (And Old Navy only in the last couple of years.) Sometimes Walmart does okay for shirts, but their pants are HORRIBLE. Our brief flirtation with Target was useless as they didn’t bring the plus-sized clothes up here.
I keep thinking that I’ll pony up the money to buy things from eShakti because for a small fee ($7.50 I think) you can customize almost all the dresses (choose your neckline, sleeves, length) and that is worth a small fortune. I *think* you can also give them your measurements and have it even more customized, but I’m not sure about that. I haven’t given that a whirl yet though – I just look and drool over all the nice casual dresses that I could wear to work.
I worked with someone once who ordered a lot of her work clothes from Jessica London in the US. Have you checked them? Online shopping is annoying, but in some ways it’s nice to try on the pile of things in your own house. :)
Anyway! I recently stumbled across a Tumblr called WTF Plus Size and she complied a master list of places to buy clothes. You can find it here: http://wtfplus.tumblr.com/post/84765163467/plus-size-shopping-master-post Maybe you could find inspiration somewhere there?
My sister had all of her bridesmaids, including me, order dresses from e-Shakti. I was the only one who did the customization (the whole thing – size and the adjusted neckline and sleeves) and my dress fit perfectly. The others who ordered a standard size didn’t fare so well. If you do purchase something from e-Shakti, I recommend signing up for an account first because then they’ll send you a coupon you can use for your first purchase.
As a very pear shaped person – I can’t wear pants with side pockets because they gape – Lands’ End is my go to. I leave near a Sears with a Lands’ End department so I order multiple sizes of things and then return what doesn’t fit. Once I find something I love, I often order a second or third in a different color or print. After shopping there for awhile, I now know what I should buy and what I shouldn’t.
Finally, even though plus size clothes shopping is terrible, I’ve learned if I don’t love it when I try it on, I’m never going to love it and I’m never going to wear it.
I can’t speak from personal experience, but I have plus-sized friends that swear by Igigi, for what it’s worth.
I am fat short and poor which basically means that I can’t ever find clothes that actually fit well. However, I have and occasional luck with:
–Macy’s. sometimes they have decent plus size sections and sale racks.
–Targets Ava and Viv line, depending on the Target.
–ModCloth. can be pricey, but the stuff tends to be pretty high quality. It’s online which is annoying but it’s SUCH a great site. and the reviews can help with fit.
ModCloth, eShakti, and ebay for Ulla Popken. I feel your pain.
Oh yeah, also Sears stores often have Lands End with good plus stuff. The selection is smaller than for tiny people as per usual but you can find some good stuff.
ModCloth is really the best tho.
The idea of stitch fix is great, they go up to a 14. I just started using it and I’m on the fence if I love it, or just love the idea of it.
Gwinnie Bee is the plus size ‘sister’ to stitch fix. You fill out a huge online fashion profile and a stylist sends you clothing. I’m not sure of the details of it, but worth a look!
JAG pull on jeans are amazing. A lurks pricey but gorgeous and so comfortable.
I’m devoted to eshakti and they have great sales. Just make sure you get the dresses that have spandex. The poplin is very unforgiving and I had to go up two sizes.
I really like INC brand at Macys.
Even the Ava and Viv stuff at Target just makes me angry.
It’s hard out there, but you can do it. A good Macys is a godsend . Good luck
This is totally the worst. Lane Bryant seems to be the only place to consistently have some sort of variety in person, but for the most part the stuff is overpriced, and the quality is atrocious–things rip and generally fall apart…Some Macys have a decent selection. Oh…a recent weird find–Burlington!!! I thought it was just coats and trashy stuff, but it turns out it’s coats, trashy stuff and a healthy sprinkling of nice brands–and the most liberating thing is that, at least at the one where I live, there was SO much stuff, aind it was almost ALL well priced.
In terms of online, I want to second modcloth, nordstrom (online–you can search by size, and price low-high, so that you don’t have to see the insanely expensive stuff..there’s surprisingly reasonable stuff there too), and macys–all have fairly good selection and quality.
Oh, to commiserate–“nice casual” is the hardest category for me to find things in to. Why? I don’t know.
If you are looking for suit separates, I think Lane Bryant is a good choice. For less business-y stuff, I like some of the tops from ON, the Pixie pants from ON, and some of the plus-sized options (skirts, soft pants). I also wear the XXL tall shirts from there, and I love a lot of what I have bought there this year.
I’m glad I became a nurse and wear scrubs three days a week. I have a couple of pairs of capris from Kohls and some lovely t-shirts (eddie bauer, xl tall-so they fit over my boobs and don’t show my butt) to wear on the days off that I leave the house. I’m not sure what I would do if I had to look professional, five days a week in my current state of plumpness! I have two sets of “employee orientation appropriate” that I dress up and down for interviews. I’ll follow this post with interest.
Also a nurse, but now a nurse practitioner. I have a closet full of scrubs but need dressier, business-casual type stuff. I have no idea where to start.
New York & Co always has really good deals – but you have to try. every. single. thing. on.
Also the limited has good deals.
Do you have a Talbots near your? I’m not sure if they have plus size in the store, but I know they have it online. I also love Nordstrom. You can make an appointment with a personal shopper for free, and they do a great job.
I also purchase from Lands End… But I recommend that you search for their Tall blouses and shirts. Like you, I am long waisted. If I order a tall, sometimes I can size down.
You and I have very similar body types, it seems. I DO like Old Navy pants and jeans, though, BUT only certain cuts. Have you tried all their different cuts? They make them for various body types and some of them fit horribly but many others don’t. I particularly like their rockstar super skinny jeans, which are not as skinny as they sound, but are just skinny enough for my taste. Also, do you have a Macy’s near you? I’ve had some luck with their Style & Co. plus sized jeans and they also carry some other brands of plus sized stuff, and you can usually find decent stuff on clearance.
Because I’m smaller on top, the world of shirts is much more open to me than the world of pants. I can fit into a surprising number of straight size brands in tops, as long as they have a little stretch to them. Right now I am wearing a lot of tops from Loft and Boden. Nordstrom also has some nice plus-size stuff, though of course it’s pricey.
Ann Taylor Loft often has super comfortable skirts with elastic waistbands. They are good to wear to these nice casual events. The XL fits me and I’m usually an 18. Sometimes they have the best shirts, the ones that are made of T-shirt material, but the front looks like higher end material. I find it best to pop into this store. I get better results that way.
Lucky Brand, which sells stuff in their own stores and also at Macy’s, has a lot of cute tops that I’ve been wearing as business casual, paired with comfy skirts. Macy’s also has suit separates. Calvin Cline and Nine West make things in larger sizes than you think they would. I like their suit jackets which can be dressed down with more casual pants, jeans or khakis. Casual pants, a comfy top, and a nice jacket looks good at these sorts of nice casual events, too.
I recently found the website Boden and love the look of their stuff. Haven’t yet ordered, but glad to see someone mention them.
My mom, who wears a larger size than I, has success at T.J. Maxx. I find that if I go into a T.J. Maxx’s for a top, I come out with a pillow and that annoys me.
Oooo! I just thought of something else. Recently someone commented (though I can’t for the life of me remember where that was or who said it. Twitter? Instagram? Blog? Dunno.) that Bass Pro Shops has a fantastic amount of plus-sized clothing that is placed out in with the other clothes (i.e. no plus-size section) and that there were dresses, loads of pants, shorts, skirts, etc. So if you have one of those stores nearby, maybe they’d have something. It’s certainly not somewhere I would have thought to look.
This may not be exactly what you are looking for, but I am obsessed with Boden. Their clothes go up to size 18 (with petite and tall sizes available) so although it offers SOME plus-size sizes, it doesn’t offer ALL the sizes. The first reason I am recommending it to you is because they offer some of their shirts in longer length versions (as well as in their tall sizes), though of course the shirt I was going to link to is out of stock in the larger sizes. They are a British company and so in the US they are mail-order only, but I really like trying on clothes at home with my own accessories and without a salesperson pressuring me, so it works out nicely. The prices are on the higher side, but they have sales often enough that you can get a good deal (plus their clearance section always has great steals). The main reason that I love Boden is that they use really fun colors and patterns, but the clothing styles aren’t super trendy so they fit well, but still look exciting.
Oooooh! I’ve had really good luck with New York and Company. They have sizes up to 18 (if that’s satisfactory for you or some other readers) and have both petite and tall. Excellent for my pear-shaped, sometimes between plus and regular sizes needs. Very affordable. Nice, cute casual wear and nice work wear.
My first thought, if you haven’t already been told this or thought of it yourself, have you looked for those lines on the Target website? The sizes you need might be there.
Oh man, I feel you. I am the exact opposite….apple shaped. And it is so hard finding things that look cute and fit. I swear they could just make a bunch of normal sized clothes a bit bigger and it would work. But they don’t.
This probably isn’t exactly what you are looking for, but I figure other people might benefit. I’ve found that my local department store (Younkers, a midwest chain) has started to carry plus size stuff from Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and few other higher end brands. It’s pricey, but with coupons you can make it work. And the stuff is actually cute and fits reasonably well.
A fair warning about Boden – I LOVE the look of their clothes but I’m long waisted too and their tops tend to run really short. Maybe it’s different for different sizes, but I’m talking mediums/larges that fit fine otherwise, but are basically belly-shirts on me. I would go for the tall sizes when they have them.
Does anyone ever successfully buy clothes in a Target store? They seem to have cute things, but no matter which store I try it seems like there is only one size of whatever item I’m interested in (never the size I want of course).
For work/business casual stuff I like Marshalls (or TJ Maxx, but I have better luck at Marshalls) They also will sometimes have Seven or Lucky jeans in plus sizes which I love.
I’ve also recently discovered the plus section at Maurices- they do those annoying promotions you were talking about, but I have found some really cute stuff there this spring/summer that fit me right off the rack.
I also like JCP plus sizes, the ANA stuff especially, though a lot of that is more casual.
And I just tried Mod Cloth for the first time- I’m 5’8″, so I find their dresses run a bit short (in the waist?) but once I got the size/style right, the quality is really good!
I also ditto eshakti if you send them your measurements. I ordered a dress from there for a wedding and I was very happy.
Oh- AND I had a friend convince me to try the upper sizes at AE and Loft- she was right, they did totally fit me. Not everything comes in those sizes, but some things do. And sometimes those are the sizes that are left on clearance, because most of the people who shop there are smaller.
FWIW- I usually wear a 16/18 depending on the store. I’m more hourglass shaped, and I’m 5’8″, but also long waisted.
I’m a size 18-ish, sort of pear-ish, with broad shoulders and small breasts. I don’t know what I’d do without Gwynnie Bee. Basically, you pay a monthly fee to rent a certain number of garments at a time. You put anything you like in a virtual closet, and they send you stuff from that closet. You can keep it and wear each garment as long as you want (or buy it to keep for good), and when you send an item back, they send something else. I hate trying stuff on in stores, but I don’t mind it as much at home, and sometimes it takes a day of wearing to know that something tends to gap open or get itchy or ride up or whatever.
However, GB is mostly good for dress/office clothes. If I didn’t like to wear dresses and have to go to an office every day, I doubt I’d find it worth the price. If anyone here wants to try it, you can get a free month with my referral link: http://goo.gl/2cBuf The free month might be enough to give you a few ideas of brands and styles to look for in stores.
GB is no good for pants, though. I’ve found the best fit on jeans at L.L. Bean. For dress pants, I’ve had the most success with Talbots, especially the outlets. I do have to hem the pants, but I’ve been lucky that they seem to be consistently about one cuff too long, so it’s an easy hemming job. After seeing the comments here, I’m thinking I should try Land’s End. There dresses fit me perfectly, and I’ve had good luck with swimsuits, but I don’t think I’ve tried their pants.
Haha, I was coming here to refer to “my friend” who loves Gwynnie Bee.
My go to seems to be Avenue. I was a size 30/32 for a long time and could NOT find clothes anywhere. I’m down to 22 now. I tend to haunt the clearance racks at Kohl’s and Avenue, since both can be expensive without the sales. Avenue has the BEST return policy too. I’m narrower on top too (except for the boobs, ugh) and definitely wider from the waist down. It sounds counterintuitive but narrow leg pants actually make you look much skinnier as opposed to pointing out your flaws. V necks are meant to minimize the bust line, which could be why they don’t look right on you. Try some 3/4 length sleeves with scoop necks. Good luck, I know the struggle.
I have tons of clothes from Lands End. I’ve also been shopping more at Nordstrom, especially on the deepest sales I can find. They’re a bit more pricey but with an enormous selection, especially online. They always have free shipping and free returns if you don’t have one near you. For reference I am about a 16W and hourglassy with a bit more on the bottom.
Don’t know if you have Christopher & Banks in your area, but they have a plus sized store too. I’m not sure what it’s called. I haven’t shopped there in a few years but they used to have great clearance deals. Also, my sister-in-law sounds like she’s shaped like you with narrow shoulders and she looks really good in peasant style tops, which I love and *don’t* look good in. She finds really cute stuff at Walmart.
I buy much of my clothes from a catalogue…Woman Within…. you can also shop online at womanwithin.com Have fun browsing!!!
I have a suggestion for the not looking good in black part: would you be interested in wearing a black shirt with a scarf in a colour that does suit you, so the right colour is near your face?
Also, I know it is annoying to have to buy two items of clothing for one outfit, but I find that layering can mitigate the faults in both items. Currently I am wearing a tshirt that is a bit snug and too thin, under a button up shirt that is slightly transparent and doesn’t button up without gaping. I couldn’t wear either item by itself but together they make an ok outfit.
Someone mentioned Talbots, and I definitely second that–I have a “clearance center” (like a super outlet) about 30 minutes away, and just last night I bought three suit-like jackets at $19.99 each and a $32 skirt. I’m currently a 14W-16W, but even when I was in the 20s, I found some really nice pieces. Look for sales, they sometimes have really good ones. I support you in trying on things you know won’t work — I’ve found some good stuff that way. Also, I think someone mentioned Loft? Either Ann Taylor brand offers some bottoms in higher “regular” sizes, but their tops run pretty big and if you’re small on top they would likely work.
I am also very interested in this topic. I teach 3rd grade, so I don’t need to look super professional, but only wear jeans on Fridays. I also live in MN, so it is cold most of the year. My clothes go as follows: Sept. – beginning of October- capris and t-shirts from Kohls. Oct-April , khaki or black pants from Kohls, sweaters from Kohls. Late April-June, capris and t-shirts from Kohls. Summer – who cares, I am home so shorts and t-shirts. I buy almost exclusively from Kohls Wonens section, but it would be great to have more choices. I live in a smallish town though, so Kohls is it.
My office is business casual and I have to dress up a little sometimes so I definitely feel your pain. I am not the same shape as you but I buy a lot of knit tops from Catherines.com. They’ve closed so many of their stores that now I shop mainly online or go to a store when I go visit my parents in another state. The “perfect price” and “suprema” tops are my favorites. The three-quarter sleeves are my favorite and usually the short sleeved shirts have sleeves that go down to just above the elbow (I don’t like them shorter). I am not a fan of polyester/rayon/other weird fabrics so I look for the ones that have as much cotton in them as possible and a little bit of spandex so they’re not baggy. I don’t have much luck with their pants.
I have two pairs of bootcut jeans from The Avenue that I love but they don’t make them anymore. They used to have other pants that I liked but they’ve also closed all the stores near where I live and where my parents live and I haven’t bothered trying online.
I get work pants from Lands End and they are not perfect in my size but you would probably have more choices. I find them to have saggy crotches though (don’t know a classier way to say that). I haven’t had any luck with Lands End tops – they never fit me in the abdomen/hips.
Other online suggestion is fullbeauty.com which consolidates a lot of plus-sized online shops. It can be overwhelming but at least then you don’t have to go to a bunch of different websites.
Good luck!
I’m currently in love with a certain type of outfit from Catherines’s, to the point that I own each piece in at least two colors/patterns. Five of these pants, two of these tiered tanks, and two of these cardigans. Very comfortable and flattering, even in my size (5X).
I also used to rock the Old Navy XXL shirts, and was lucky that the shape of the pants also worked well enough for me. I’m afraid that specific recommendations won’t be very helpful because I have a very different shape from you (broad shoulders, when I gain weight it goes to my bosoms), but I wanted to add something I haven’t seen mentioned yet, and that is Torrid.com
It’s the plus-sized hot topic, which sounds terribly teenybopperish, but I think the fact that it is HOT TOPIC sort of cancels out the plus-size-frumpification factor, and you end up with a middle ground that can be hard to find elsewhere. The quality isn’t super, but a lot of fun and whimsical styles which I think can be really needed in a given wardrobe given the general state of plus-sized fashion.
(I haven’t been able to shop there for about 8 years, so things might have changed a bit, but looking at the website reveals the mix of somewhat crazy/teenagery items and things that I’d consider wearable to work as someone with a more edgy fashion profile.)
And heck, at least it is fun and fair to be offered whatever ridiculous trends are hot right now. No, I don’t want neon blue harem pants, at any size, but I like that I COULD HAVE THEM if I wanted them, and I find it cheering to click past that sort of thing on my way to a more basic midi skirt.
I get a lot of clothes from LL Bean’s but I’m an apple, not a pear.
I should say from the get go that we appear to have very different body types; I am top-heavy with a pokey-outty lower belly and live at the higher end of the plus-size range. IGIGI is worth a look; I love the compliment-generating dress I got from there. I got a cardigan sweater from there as well and it was so soft I could pet it all day, but it pilled quickly. Their sizing is a little odd but you can email questions and they’ll respond fast.
I have historically done well with Jones New York stuff, which I can get on sale at Dillard’s, and my mom frequently scores good finds as well (she won’t tell me where, but probably at Marshalls/TJ Maxx). Dillard’s is a Southern chain but they’re also online and Mir will let you know when they’re having a major sale. I should say the last pair of JNY jeans I bought is wearing out way too quickly. I have tried on NYMJs and been extremely impressed but have never pulled the trigger, partly because I find the brand name troubling. The first pair I ever tried on was freaking amazing but not on sale, and I regret not having splurged; subsequent pairs I’ve tried have been ok, but they’ve never duplicated that ZOMG belly-smoothing, bum-boosting effect.
I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this but a number of years ago I hired a consultant to help me go shopping. I live in a big city and did research online. I believe I paid her a flat rate – maybe $75 – and gave her some specifics – where I wanted to shop, how much I wanted to spend, what kind of clothes I was looking for, what I liked, what I hated, etc. I emphasized that I wanted it all to mix and match. I got to the mall and she had pulled a bunch of clothes and set me up in a room. As I tried things on, she got different sizes / colors / styles, etc. It was truly minimal effort on my part. Now while this was a big outlay of money up front, I ended up with pieces that made up multiple outfits – all of which looked good on me and I felt good in. I wore the hell out of those clothes. I also learned a lot about what to look for when shopping by myself. It truly was money well spent. I believe that Macy’s used to have a personal shopper that was free of charge – you just needed to call ahead and schedule an appointment. Even if the clothes are more expensive than you are used to paying, if you feel good in them and wear them all the time, it’s a better investment than a half dozen cheap pieces that you hate and replace in six months.
I’m skipping all of the previous comments to say this, pear shape wise we have the same thing going on, and what I had to do at Old Navy is buy the SWEET HEART cut of jeans. Wide in the hips and thighs but small in the waist. (keep in mind you gotta tug a little to get over the hips but then it buttons up seemlessly) At Gap it’s called Curvy. Lucky even has plus size now and they have a sweet heart curvy size also. My best friend shops at Torrid and they have tons of the sweet heart shape. I would double check old navy and look specifically for the sweetheart cut. It’s meant for pears. Trust me.
To specifically address your need for “Nice Casual”: One of my favorite items of clothing is the Ponte Sheath dress from Lands End. It’s a thicker fabric which is very flattering and I usually wear it with a cardigan. I’m not sure if you like dresses, but I’ve found them to be much easier to shop for than pants and tops. (I’m more of an apple shape, average height, size 16, sometimes 14.)
I only scanned the comments, but we have a Costco and my mom has a Sam’s in her town and they have been rocking the slightly nicer casual tops for about a year now. Neither one exactly has plus sizes, but I’ve found an XXL in many things I like (and you can probably go smaller on top, I’ve got a lot up here). Actually Costco does have some plus sizes in basic (put super nice pima cotton) shirts. I also shop at Target, Dress Barn, Marshalls, ModCloth (for dress events), and Old Navy/Gap (sometimes I can rock the XXLs).
Igigi for dressier stuff – it’s gorgeous. You might also want to try following a couple blogs with similar body types to yours? Chastity Garner comes to mind as a plus size, pear shaped blogger (who I think is on the taller end) – you might be able to get some ideas or see something you like on her and then follow the links to buy it yourself. http://garnerstyle.blogspot.com/ Other favorites of mine are jaymiranda.com and frocksandfroufrou.com
I have to say, besides spending more on clothes, following some plus bloggers has really encouraged me to feel more positive and accepting of my body, AND they help inspire me a bit.
I haven’t read all of the comments, but I buy most of my clothes at Eddie Bauer, Lands End, or LL Bean. I try to get things on sale, but even when I’ve paid full price, I’ve been generally pleased with how well they’ve worn and lasted. After you try a few things you get an idea for which cuts will look best on you and which size is best. I have a Lands End Outlet near me so I can return for free, but I know you used to be able to do free returns at Sears, too.
Every single shop you mentioned has an online shop and they all do in-store returns or even “ship to store”. Sign up for emails for Lane Bryant, Avenue, and Torrid to let you know when the sales are. I can hear you yelling about how Torrid is for 18 year olds, but their pants and things are usually good and they’ve been getting better about basics. They’re technically a plus-juniors line, but that’s to your advantage because they’re drafting patterns for a narrower frame. Avenue has the kind of clothing where I hardly ever like it online, but it nearly always works on the body. I’ve always had great luck at Nordstrom’s, in store and online. I’ve also done well at Beall’s, this weird southern department store my mother likes, everything is reasonably on-trend and for JC Penney prices. I guess it’s like southern Kohls? You might like Kohl’s, actually, I’m short-waisted with thin arms and their clothes never fit me right.
I am currently living in gap perfect tees long and old navy perfect khaki pants (petite). Bras and panties from Lane Bryant. Socks from target ;-)