A few thoughts after accompanying a friend on a clothes shopping run.

[randomness]

• Doing a search for "plus size clothing" "store locator" can get you a quick list of chain stores to try, although some of them may be a little far away.


• Just because Ashley Stewart bills itself "for the plus-size urban woman" doesn't mean you shouldn't be willing to go to Roxbury or Mattapan to check it out.


• Torrid has its own sizes for tops, but not for many other items.


• Going to Lane Bryant last can often help your budget.


• It's not that your body is the wrong shape, it's that the clothes are cut wrong for it.


• Weekdays out of shopping season are an excellent time to go clothes shopping.

There's probably more but it's all that occurs to me just now. As always, this was fun.

Edit: This is probably also a good place to add a link to Lee Lee's Valise, though it was also a bit far for this particular expedition.

Comments

[cerridwynn.livejournal.com]

Yeah? I've had some luck at Target in the past, though I'll agree it's very hit and miss. I think the problem is often that their styles are meant to fit tight -- which, while fine on a size 8, is not going to look so good on most women shopping in plus sizes (though i suppose that does depend. It won't look good on me, at least!).

I've never tried JC Penney -- thanks for the warning. I used to be a fan of Kohl's -- they have a pretty extensive plus size section right in the middle of the store! But lately I've found their stuff is looking pretty cheap...

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't know what's up with Kohl's. bedfull_o_books and I went in there not too long ago and it was quite the unexpected fail.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

The problem with a tight fit is it results in a very small amount of tolerance for different body shapes. If the garment has been designed for a shape even slightly different from yours, it's not going to work.

When it works, it can work very well. When it doesn't, it just fails.