The Plus Size Thread - All are welcome!

[classic1908]

NYSD full-fashion

The "bigger woman" is Diane Britzlotti. I don't necessarily like her gear, but her grooming is nice and I love the rich chocolate Birkin:

 

[stilettogirl84]

The "bigger woman" is Diane Britzlotti. I don't necessarily like her gear, but her grooming is nice and I love the rich chocolate Birkin:

everybody looks better with a birkin!

nonetheless, her coat is like a tent-
anyone "bigger" needs to wear things with clearly defined waistlines

 

[classic1908]

everybody looks better with a birkin!

nonetheless, her coat is like a tent-
anyone "bigger" needs to wear things with clearly defined waistlines

And this is one reason why I'm that Gap Inc., a jacked-up retailer to say the least, is killing off Forth & Towne. I'm lucky enough to be in a place where I've been able to shop three of their 19 locations.

Forth & Towne may have been a resource drain, but it was nice to be able to go to a store and try on/purchase extended sizes (past 14 or so). And their stuff has shape to it. It's not pajamatized like Chico's, Coldwater Creek and Eileen Fisher (that line's appeal is completely lost on me).

 

[stilettogirl84]

And this is one reason why I'm that Gap Inc., a jacked-up retailer to say the least, is killing off Forth & Towne.

I didn't know the brand was cancelled- that really sucks.

I certainly agree about Chico's, Coldwater Creek and Eileen Fisher- all teh brands that try to sell to bigger women just make them look bad, and it's really frustralting to see how limited the market is

 

[LaurieAnn]

I hadn't heard about Forth & Towne either. Boy and I steamed! I am planning on taking a quick weekend shopping trip to San Francisco in April and F&T is one of the main reasons I want to make the trip. Yes our choices are depressing.

I've never been in Chico's, have never seen anything in the windows to entice me in. I have however purcased a very few carefully selected items from CC; a faux wrap dress in a modern purple/black/grey print which I can funk up for day and a deep plum surplice top which I wear with black slacks for night. Both items give me some waist, especially if I add a belt to the dress.

BTW stilettogirl, I love your signature!

 

[classic1908]

I didn't know the brand was cancelled- that really sucks.

I certainly agree about Chico's, Coldwater Creek and Eileen Fisher- all teh brands that try to sell to bigger women just make them look bad, and it's really frustralting to see how limited the market is

Of course, I feel your frustration. In the department stores, Saks' Salon Z is pretty much the only game in town for upscale full fashion (and I love the trickle-downs to the Off Fifth). Bloomingdale's is hit-or-miss, and Nordstrom could do so much better, IMO.

As for the "boomer trio" I referenced, there's a place for it -- namely, the market, to me, is older women (50s/60s/even above)who have post-childbirth bodies, have seen their metabolism crash and are more concerned about being comfy in their lives. I don't begrudge their existence; what I seek is more tailoring and structure.

I'm probably much older than you (early 40s). As a middle-aged person, I do well with Ellen Tracy and Dana Buchman, mixing between misses and plus sizes. I've worn ET since I was 23 and a size 8-10. I also use Talbots as a resource, particularly their plain, tailored wool crepe items.

 

[stilettogirl84]

I'm probably much older than you (early 40s). As a middle-aged person, I do well with Ellen Tracy and Dana Buchman, mixing between misses and plus sizes. I've worn ET since I was 23 and a size 8-10. I also use Talbots as a resource, particularly their plain, tailored wool crepe items.

I'm in my early 20's and because of my height (5 11) If I maintain a healthy weight I wear 12 -14 (to sometimes 16 depending on the brand ) In most (younger or stylish) stores 12 is the cut off point, and so I order a lot of clothes online, and enjoy gap, Jcrew and Banana republic. (sometimes ann taylor if I need something more grown up) These places (online) I can get tall things, which are espescially important when buying pants, and sizes up to 16 but It would be so much more convieninet if I could simply try them on in store

I'm sure I could diet myself down to 125 lbs, If I gave up eating, but I just really don't want to, and I shouldn't have to. I don't think of myself as big, and people generally seem surprised when they find out my number size becasue I look simply normally proportioned for my height

 

[LaurieAnn]

source: Style.com; The Sartorialist

Pictured above is a stylish woman from Milan wearing a coat which emphasizes her waist. She's not one of the usual very thin women usually photographed outside fashion shows so I thought I'd share this with you. I sure wish I had access to a coat that interesting.

 

[LaurieAnn]

classic, I agree with your point about the "boomer trio" of stores, to which I might also add J. Jill. Most of my friends (we're all 40+) shop those stores almost exclusively and they are much more into comfort fashion than I am. Like you I love good tailoring and structure. I just feel more me in tailored clothes, more dressed and put together. I guess I'm just not comfortable with comfort.

stilettogirl, you sound to me like you are at a healthy, appropriate body size for your height and have truly been let down by the fashion industry. There's no reason why a 5'11" woman should have to weigh 125lbs to fit into good clothes. That's just crazy. To me, you are a perfect illustration of how warped fashion has become when a perfectly healthy tall woman has a difficult time finding clothes.

(I'd best be careful today, I'm in a feisty mood!

 

[classic1908]

source: Style.com; The Sartorialist

Pictured above is a stylish woman from Milan wearing a coat which emphasizes her waist. She's not one of the usual very thin women usually photographed outside fashion shows so I thought I'd share this with you. I sure wish I had access to a coat that interesting.

She's a beauty, for sure. Very lush-looking.

 

[classic1908]

I'm in my early 20's and because of my height (5 11) If I maintain a healthy weight I wear 12 -14 (to sometimes 16 depending on the brand ) In most (younger or stylish) stores 12 is the cut off point, and so I order a lot of clothes online, and enjoy gap, Jcrew and Banana republic. (sometimes ann taylor if I need something more grown up) These places (online) I can get tall things, which are espescially important when buying pants, and sizes up to 16 but It would be so much more convieninet if I could simply try them on in store

I'm sure I could diet myself down to 125 lbs, If I gave up eating, but I just really don't want to, and I shouldn't have to. I don't think of myself as big, and people generally seem surprised when they find out my number size becasue I look simply normally proportioned for my height

You sound fine, healthy and normal.

One of my closer friends is similar to you: 5'11" and wears 12/14. She's going to be 40 this year and has a post-baby body, and she tells me that she has to buy pants and remove the hems. I told her about Banana Republic tall sizes, but I'm not sure if she's going to do the online thing.

 

[fashionista-ta]

Oprah should be in this thread.

she'd be so pissed she'd start a show just on TFS talking crap about her.

Oprah is about a size 10 now, and she's been her current size for years ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

classic, I agree with your point about the "boomer trio" of stores, to which I might also add J. Jill. Most of my friends (we're all 40+) shop those stores almost exclusively and they are much more into comfort fashion than I am. Like you I love good tailoring and structure. I just feel more me in tailored clothes, more dressed and put together. I guess I'm just not comfortable with comfort.

Just wanted to mention, I have a few pieces from J Jill and find them to be a good resource for tops and sweaters ... you just don't want a whole wardrobe from there I do appreciate comfort, but I think it's compatible with style. I wear a lot of knits, started doing that a long time ago so I could stop speaking to my iron I find J Jill much preferable to Chicos, CC, and company ...

I have found btw that with their 3rd-world manufacturing, it really pays to try things on in person. I'll try on 3 Med sweaters and one will have sleeves half a foot longer than the next

 

[classic1908]

^^
I have gotten some J. Jill catalogues and thought about getting a jersey long dress, for instance. I'm wearing a long jersey dress today from Express in the 1990s, a size 13-14 that I can still get into.

Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson in David Meister, from WWD.com. Now as for the Oscar dress, once she lost the bolero, I was cool with it. It reminded me of Ralph Lauren late 1990s, when I saw pockets on taffeta skirts:

 

[stilettogirl84]

that's very sexy- I actually love the unusual color too

 

[BlkLadyLaw]

Love this thread.
I'm 35, 6ft and a size 12/14 is a healthy size on me also. As a track athlete in high school and college...which was the fittest I've been in life I was a size 12. I'm a 16-18 right now and trying to get comfortably back into 14-16s at a minimum. I have an hourglass shape a bit larger but similar to J Hudson and like to wear dresses when I go out that play up my curves. I can relate to her issues in trying to dress ample boobage and also disguise upper arms. One of my favs is a ruched tube dress that I got from either Newport News or Speigel catalog...I got it in red and in black. I am looking for a new wool tailored coat right now if anyone has any suggestion let me know.
My favorites for plus size clothing are Jones of NY for suits, Dana Buchman for business casual outfits, Nine West, Anne Klein, INC, Nordstrom's Caslon, Not Your Daughters Jeans, Marc Bouwer, Carmen Marc Valvo, Tadashi (my fav for evening dresses), Sweet Pea. I also do catalog shopping: Size XL from Victoria's Secret catalog, Bloomingdales catalog/online, Newport News catalog and my fav Speigel catalog. My wardrobe is mainly business casual work clothes and sexy tops and dresses for evenings.

 

[classic1908]

Love this thread.
I'm 35, 6ft and a size 12/14 is a healthy size on me also. As a track athlete in high school and college...which was the fittest I've been in life I was a size 12. I'm a 16-18 right now and trying to get comfortably back into 14-16s at a minimum. I have an hourglass shape a bit larger but similar to J Hudson and like to wear dresses when I go out that play up my curves. I can relate to her issues in trying to dress ample boobage and also disguise upper arms. One of my favs is a ruched tube dress that I got from either Newport News or Speigel catalog...I got it in red and in black. I am looking for a new wool tailored coat right now if anyone has any suggestion let me know.
My favorites for plus size clothing are Jones of NY for suits, Dana Buchman for business casual outfits, Nine West, Anne Klein, INC, Nordstrom's Caslon, Not Your Daughters Jeans, Marc Bouwer, Carmen Marc Valvo, Tadashi (my fav for evening dresses), Sweet Pea. I also do catalog shopping: Size XL from Victoria's Secret catalog, Bloomingdales catalog/online, Newport News catalog and my fav Speigel catalog. My wardrobe is mainly business casual work clothes and sexy tops and dresses for evenings.

Good to "see" you over here and thanks for sharing.

 

[xmodel citizen]

^^ Haha, you met Bill Clinton! I'm jealous

 

[classic1908]

MGRaein from NYSD in Carolina Herrera with Dennis Basso. The dress' color is a definite do (two of my favorite colors are pink and green, both together and separately ) but the fit is a don't because of the flesh on the back. Hopefully, she also had a wrap:

 

[Luxx]

That color is great on her but I agree with you about the fit. Maybe its just that picture thoug, fingers crossed for her!