Are you a plus size person who loathes shopping for plus size fashion?? Do you find yourself needing a bit of help navigating through it all? Well, we have a few plus size fashion tips to help you shop with confidence! Even now, as we ready ourselves for the newness that fall fashion will soon bring us!
We have rounded up a few plus size fashion tips to help you shop with ease… Especially when only 8% of stores cater to plus size people. It is even more egregious when 67% of women in the US is a size 14 or higher.
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It begs the question, why is it so hard to find or access plus size fashion?
So what is a plus size person to do?
Do a little bit of homework! Yes, it is time consuming and it can be frustrating, but patience is our only virtue. However, do not fret, we have a few plus size fashion tips to assist you with your stylish endeavors!
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Keep it Confident with these Plus Size Fashion Tips To Live By
1. Take Your Time & Plan Ahead
Shopping for that special outfit can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. When embarking on this endeavor, bring with you a positive and optimistic mind and your experience will be a better.
Knowing that there are more plus size designers and retailers who cater to you and your curves will help set the pace and tone when shopping!
Also? Planning ahead will eliminate the “nothing to wear” frustration, we have often felt. You KNOW what we are talking about! That frustration can only add to negative feelings around fashion, ourselves, or the event we are shopping for, and we do not have time for that… right?
2. When You are In the Store, Never Judge an Item on the Hanger- TRY IT ON!
Many treasures are never found when you judge an item on its hanger. If it has piqued your interest, try it on! You may find that you will be pleasantly surprised that the cut or the fit works for you.
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There have been many clothing finds that were scored by giving it a try in the dressing room. A cut, color, or style may not fully catch your eye, but once you get it on and those curves hit?! Voila! You’ve found a new style that you’d never thought could work.
3. Quality over Quantity is Real
Investing in quality pieces will only enhance your wardrobe, enabling the foundations of your wardrobe to last longer. Certain fabrics and cuts need to drape (hang and fall) in certain places, in order for us to feel our best, right? Mmhmm…
In this age of fast fashion and the rise of plus size sustainable clothing options, slow fashion has made its way back to the forefront. When it is already challenging to find that specific item to pull your look together, it is important that you have items in your closet that will stand the test of wear and time.
When we talk about finding quality in plus size fashion, we are talking about the construction and fabrication to pay attention to. Think about those blouses (or whatever item you have your mind on) that pucker or pull. That piece of clothing that rolls up. Or on the other hand, have you put on a dress that lays exactly how you imagined? That has a soft boning or fully-lined frock that helps you keep your cool? That has given your closet life over the past five years?
THAT is the difference! The quality you can feel and see. And no, quality does not always mean spending an astronomical amount of money on it. With our current economy, we have seen an uptick in plus size thrift or secondhand stores!
And honestly, doesn’t it feel good when you have on an outfit that feels perfect? When you feel amazing, you look amazing too! What do you think of this plus size fashion tip?
4. Invest in What Fits NOW- Not Later…
Nothing is more frustrating than finding the perfect outfit and NOT being able to rock it for whatever reason or circumstance you place on it. This only sets you up for failure and frustration!
You will find yourself loathing or resenting the moment or yourself for not being able to wear what you want to wear, for whatever reason you have created or have listened to. Do not do it.
The worst feeling is being left with a closet full of clothes that we wish we could wear (with the tags still on) – too embarrassed or proud to return the merchandise. (I have done this a time or two.)
Celebrate the moment, NOW. Do not punish yourself or treat amazing clothes as a reward either! If you want it, have it, and can rock it, then do it… NOW.
5. Love Thy Tailor!
As we dive into these plus size fashion tips, ask yourself… Have you ever seen a fashionable plus size person whose outfit looks impeccable? Pants hit at the perfect length and the waist fits them perfectly. Chances are that they have been to the tailor.
Using a tailor allows you to tweak your purchases to feel tailor made for you and your curves, especially as most of the fashion forward items in plus size are either Ready to Wear or fast fashion. Either way, they are cut for the masses, and taking your frocks to a tailor, helps custom those pieces to your best assets!
Do your jeans or pants gap at the waist but the pants fit perfectly elsewhere? Take them to a tailor. Is the inseam too long for your legs, get them shortened! Are the sleeves too long? Does the blouse fit across the chest but baggy in the waist? Take them to a tailor. Catch our drift?
Nothing feels better when an item is altered to fit YOU and YOUR amazing curves.
6. Not Every Designer Will Work for Your Amazing Curves
Each designer creates clothes with a certain muse or inspiration in mind. While some manage to capture the silhouette of plus size person, not all keep them in mind, and that is okay. As you shop around for clothing, keep in mind those who cater and those who do not.
For example, some designers cut with hips in mind. Others cater to the hourglass frame. Some designers love a body conscious fit, while others prefer a more modest cut. It is important to understand this, to alleviate frustration, disappointment or despair.
And sometimes, the only way you are able to know about this designer, is by trying them on!
7. Make Friends with a Sales Person!
Now that you have found a retailer and designer that cater to your personal style and tastes, make friends with the sales associate who helped you! Why? As long as it took you to find these items, how amazing would it be to have someone ‘on the inside’ to notify you about sales, new deliveries, trends, and exclusives?
This is especially helpful if you enjoy shopping in department stores and places that have personal shoppers. And also? This service is oftentimes free. Making friends with a salesperson will only ensure your shopping trips to be fruitful, pleasant, and fun!
8. Follow Your Favorite Plus Size Influencers, Who are Shaped Like You
Yes. When you are able to see yourself and HOW the clothes you love are going to fit you and how they are styled, you are able to shop that item with more confidence, right?
If you know that you are looking for a specific body shape, size, or style- trust there is an influencer to fit your aesthetic. We’ve done roundups on influencers over a size 3X, plus size LGBTQ influencers to follow, and we have even done a series on individual influencers, to help you find your next source of inspiration!
Now that we have gotten the basics down, when are we going shopping?
We are always here to help you with the latest plus size fashion tips, and to help you navigate the latest in plus size fashion.
Did we nail it on the plus size fashion tips? Do you have a few of your own that you live by? Please do share!
Do not hesitate to shoot us a note or reach out on social media. We’ve got your back!
Great tips! I love this entry, especially after reading the LA Times article about how the industry has long-dismissed curvy consumers. It is practical but not at all defeatist. I am a cusper myself… depending on the brand I’m anywhere between a 6 and a 12 or just plain sized out of some styles.
I am going to add you to my blogroll!
I love your comment…. Thank you so much for taking the time out to read! Esp love the “cusper” commment!
This is SO me. I’m a size 14 and most plus size clothes are too big, but most stores don’t carry my size. One store that I have recently discovered works amazing for me is Coldwater Creek. Great for basics like tees, jeans, and coats and they run sizes 4-24. Great for someone who likes a simple/classic look and is on more of a budget.
im definitely in this middle area but I’m confused at these sizes being included as plus sized. I always thought that “plus-size” started at 1X or around an 18. So why are people now qualifying everything over an 8 as plus sized?