me-barbie Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Any other plus size ladies (and dudes, only it seems to matter more to women, _) have the same problems I have buying clothes? Being in a small town, it's really hard to find anything over size 12 here, and I ain't no size 12!. Actually, I should rephrase that...it's hard to find anything NICE in sizes over 16. We've also lost 2 places (Sears and Reitmans) in the last 6 months. What I can find seems to have been made by Omar The Tentmaker. I once told the head buyer of a local store just because I was a MOO, didn't mean I wanted to look like a FRUMP!!!!!!!! There are some great plus size stores in the US...but that is the catch. They are in the US! vent vent vent. I have taken to buying most of my clothes in Gimli, near my parent's place. The buyer there has also struggled, and so she gets it! Plus she finds me fab stuff that is just a wee bit out of my normal preppy classic niche.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonberry Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I have the same problem in Dubai. I'm a curvy size 14 (UK) in slender dresses, but nearly a size 20 in pants alone (still cannot figure THAT one out!). Sure, there are clothes for size 14 - if you are built like a tree stump with no bottom and no boobs. Then I always keep an eye out at the larger sizes section: they start from size 16 and up and *surprise* they are also made by a member of Omar The Tentmaker's family! I sometimes get lucky and find quality stretchy fabric clothing that fit the waist and expand to cover the top/bottom bits, but they are rare and I usually have to pay full price too. I wish Mr Omar would send his family members to a design school - some of us have waists underneath all the yards of unnecessary fabric! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirlPiper Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I usually end up making my own as a borderline "plus" size person--size 16 tops and 12 bottoms. Impossible to get anything not aimed at my granddaughters or really old ladies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alamom Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 In the last few years, the stores here have begun to carry much better plus size selections. We are very lucky that they finally realized that we bigger ladies want nice too. I remember how everything plus sized always looked like stuff for my grandmother. My 23 year old daughter is also plus sized and is able to find very stylish things for herself. My tastes are much more simple, but I don't want "old lady" stuff, even if i am old. I like soft fabrics and color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rackey Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I am always amazed when people who are heavier than I am claim to be in sizes lower than I am. I have a friend who was upset that she no longer fit into her size 10 paints and had to buy a size 12. She said this with no regard for the fact that I am a size 12 and we were with another friend who is heavier than both of us and is conscious of her weight. My guess is that the paints were tight for her to begin with, which is why when she gained a pound she could no longer zip them up. It is this mentality that has kept plus sizes away from mainstream marketing in spite of the fact that the world is full of beautiful and intelligent plus-sized women. In recent years, however, I am pleased to see more options for larger women. Barbara, if nothing is available where you live, have you ever thought of buying clothes online? Of course, you would want to make sure you can return the items without any problems if the clothes don't fit right when they arrive. You have a great sense of humor, and with a bit of searching I believe you can end up with a great wardrobe too. Remember ladies, no matter what your size, you always look best in clothes that fit right. A size 18 woman looks much better in a size 18 pair of jeans than a size 12 woman trying to fit into a size 10. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbnmini Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Remember ladies, no matter what your size, you always look best in clothes that fit right. A size 18 woman looks much better in a size 18 pair of jeans than a size 12 woman trying to fit into a size 10. SO true!! My girls were plus-size since high school thus shopping for a prom dress was a nightmare! It scarred them for wedding dress hunting- but thankfully wedding gowns come in every size! I am plus-size too; gained a lot of weight since my Fibro kicked in a number of years ago, as a result I am bigger than I have been in my entire life! Looking for a dress for my son's wedding was difficult because the dresses in my size looked like my grandmother should wear them! I had to go to a mall an hour away in order to find stores that had a decent plus-size department. Our local mall is made for skinny girls size 12 and under! *grrrr* I have found a Lane Bryant and Dress Barn in our outlet stores, so I will have to check those out more often now. What I need to do is brush up on my sewing skills. I sometimes find pants or a shirt that are a tad too large but with a bit of adjusting will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra from Olde Cape Cod Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I've had pretty good luck at the thrift store. Fitted tops that are a little flowey around the waist really peel the pounds off. Also found some white jeans on the sale rack in the junior dept. in size 17 and scored there too. I was always so scrawny as a kid, but my husband loves my womanly figure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L Swearengin Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Woman Within and Layne Bryant both have on line sales. I purchased many items for work from there before I retired. nice styles for plus sizes like me. I don't wear "good" clothes very often now, don't want glue and paint on the good stuff.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 The only place I have had issues with clothing my size is the outfitters (camping, hiking & paddling gear). I also hit the thrift stores for my clothes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 My girls were plus-size since high school thus shopping for a prom dress was a nightmare! My go-to outfit is a cotton top -- tee or Henley or lightly detailed top -- and cotton jeans or slacks or (recently) capris. I've always been "a woman of traditional build", which is the way Precious Ramotswe describes herself in the First Lady Detective series by Alexander McCall Smith. For dress-up, it's become less difficult to find appropriate styles beyond Lane Bryant, which back in the day was pretty much it for larger sizes. JCPenney always surprises me with their line of women's clothing, especially sportswear, and a search of "plus size women's clothing on line" turns up a number of options. The only problem with shopping on line is that what looks good on the model's curves may not work for me, as my curves don't seem to be in the same places! A good return policy is a must. I recall one nightmare of a shopping trip in my teens. The clerk was not helpful at all, and my mother in her frustration blurted out, "Well, if you can't find a size 16, how about two eights?" The clerk smiled immediately regained her enthusiasm for helping a customer and wanted to know who the smaller sizes were for. Thankfully we left before Mom could tell her. Some years ago a distant cousin provided me with a photo of my great grandparents and their children, including my grandfather. I took one look at the great grandmother and phoned my sister to tell her I knew why no one would ever describe either one of us "willowy". That woman was build like the proverbially brick outhouse while the rest of the family were of average proportion; obviously, her genes ruled. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfieldzoo Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I wear dresses because I have thunder thighs. Well, not just thunder, it's the whole storm. I can thank my great grandmother. The whole female line in the family is built that way. I used to make my own clothes when I was young. I couldn't get anything to fit a 24" waist and 38" hips. I just use the hit and miss method. Sorry I can't offer any help to find clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I wear dresses because I have thunder thighs. Well, not just thunder, it's the whole storm. Ditto here and the ortho surgeon I just went to last week, took every opportunity to point that out. Like I had never noticed that detail about my body before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grazhina Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I've been shopping online for years. I'm 5'8" and got tired of trying on pants and shirts that were just a little too short. Over the years I gained weight and started to have to buy plus size too boot. I put together a list a few years ago for some ladies on another forum. Here's the link. I shop at a few of them, don't know if they're all still in business. One Stop Plus, Roaman's, Lane Bryant and Just My Size have special orders going on all the time, sometimes they offer free returns. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I can RELATE.... when I was a supersize woman I shopped from King size direct...online...big mans clothing store...yup...for cotton pants and t shirts they offered the sizes with decent prices... I could not afford womens online clothing for everyday wear and not able to shop at wal-mart now that I am more a woman of traditional build.. I find all my favorite things at GoodWill...but I dont have to dress up for anything fancier than dinner out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheckMouse Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 After hitting that "wonderful" milestones in a woman's middle age - my weight took on a life of its own, and I have had to learn to live with it. Someone mentioned Dress Barn in a previous post - they have very nice and very stylish clothes for the plus sizes. I'm still in the work force where I have to dress nicely, and almost all of my clothes are from Dress Barn. I checked out Lane Bryant, but all I saw was something made by Omar the Tentmaker! Loose, dull colors, sack style - didn't like any of them! We used to have a store called Gottschalks in this area, but one by one they closed their stores until they finally went out of business. I kept traveling farther and farther to their last stores ... then they died They also had very stylish and beautiful plus sized clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L Swearengin Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Woman within took over on line for layne bryant. I have many "professional' outfits that are really nice. oh, JC Penney Worthington line is great also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I am plus-size too; gained a lot of weight since my Fibro kicked in a number of years ago, as a result I am bigger than I have been in my entire life! <nodding in agreement> I maintained a size 9/10 all of my adult life until I got sick and now I'm up into the plus sizes where nothing cute can be found. I'm only 52 so I don't want to wear the old lady styles but I also don't want to wear things too "young" for me. I just want cute and feminine that doesn't look like a potato sack on me. I don't mind showing off a little cleavage but I've discovered that most plus sizes are incorrectly proportioned so that the necklines are waaaaaaaaaaay too wide and deep and the arm holes go halfway down to my waist. I really hate that. I've gotten to the point that if I find something that fits me, I'll buy it in two or three colors so I at least have a little variety in my wardrobe. I always buy tops that are a little large on me simply because I refuse to show bulges if I can help it. I do the full turn in front of the mirror before I leave the house to make sure nothing is so tight that it shows bulges even in the back. One of the things that bothers me the most is the way manufacturers keep changing sizes. I mean the measurements don't change but the sizes assigned to them do. I haven't gained any weight in the past three or four years and my shape is essentially the same but I have to buy clothes about three sizes bigger than I used to! Out of curiosity I took out a seldom worn shirt from about three or four years ago (it hasn't shrunk) and laid it on top of a new shirt in a similar shape and style. I matched up the shoulder and side seams and they were almost identical..........but the new shirt is three sizes larger on the label than the old one. It was the same manufacturer too. It's hard enough to find clothes that fit and look nice without feeling beat up and degraded by the size on the label. It would also help if there was consistency in sizes from one brand to another but that's just a pipe dream. I always remind myself that Marilyn Monroe was a size 16 when she made "Some Like It Hot" and just look how gorgeous she was then! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alamom Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Another place for online shopping is. http://www.catofashions.com. They have fashionable plus sizes and very reasonable prices. I have a couple of their stores here, they also have great clearance sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannonc60 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 So I'm weighing into this topic (oh dear!) with a short rant for the little people. I am short (5'2" roughly) and thick waisted, tiny shoulders and short body. So I am an Australian size 10 (which may be US size 6 or so?? Not really sure) but it is so hard to find things to fit my small shoulders and short body that aren't too tight around the waist. So it's not just the larger people who have trouble. Just don't get me started on trying to find WARM clothes in Australia! (You'd think the whole continent was tropical by the winter clothing choice around). Also, I have clothes from when I was at university which are size 12 and I can't fit into them! I was a size 10 just after university and I was considerably smaller then than I am now. So yes, sizes have changed in the last 15-18 years here too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me-barbie Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 My mum is 5'0, and even tho I am taller, I am so short waisted even as a skinny skater fitted clothes had to be petite or they bunched at my back (yes I have the skater swayback and big butt). Petite plus is even harder to find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minigrandma10 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 QVC,(homeshopping network)they carry large sizes and their products last. I wear 18-20 and the clothes are fashionable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I am also 5'3" and shortwaisted; I wear 14P and the two things I demand in clothes is washability and pockets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Definitely functional-size pockets! It's amazing how many women's clothes have skimpy pockets or none at all. I gave up carrying a purse years ago when I realized that I never used the stuff I thought I had to cart around. Now cell phone in one pocket, wallet and keys in another, and I'm good to go, hands free. The flip side is that since L has to wrangle his own stuff, he now carries a nice leather fanny pack, his "man bag" as he describes it. Now in turnabout-is-fair-play, I sometimes ask him to "put this in your purse, please, honey." 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I discovered the advantages of a neck wallet for paddling & hiking (so when I finally drop dead out in the wilderness they can ID my remains); I put my driver's license and my pacemaker ID card and my Eglin AFB recreational pass in a waterproof plastic case in one pocket and my passport in the other. This comes in really handy when we visit DS#2 and tour places in DC where we have to have photo IDs and pass through metal detectors (that kid works at and takes us on tours of the Pentagon), but I definitely have to have pockets for my keys, my supper meds (in case we decide to eat out) and my tissue supply (I have perpetual PND and congestion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 The flip side is that since L has to wrangle his own stuff, he now carries a nice leather fanny pack, his "man bag" as he describes it. Now in turnabout-is-fair-play, I sometimes ask him to "put this in your purse, please, honey." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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