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Grown and Curvy Woman
Where Style Has No Age Or Size

Casual Friday: Plus Friendly

TGIF all!

Sorry I’ve been out of the blogging loop lately. A week ago I had to make the heart wrenching decision to have my beloved cat Picachu euthanized. So needless to say I wasn’t in the mood to blog about anything.  I miss my baby but  I know she is in a better place and is no longer suffering.

Today I’m sharing  my tips on how to buy from my favorite “plus friendly” retailers.  My favorite big girl friendly stores are the Gap, H&M, Old Navy and  Loft. Why? Because I try not allow my size to limit my fashion choices.  As plus size women we have to get creative with our wardrobes so branching out to non plus size retailers was inevitable. Once you know how to look for plus friendly clothes, you’ll waltz into your local stores without any hesitation (P.S.   J Crew, Boden USA and Ann Taylor also carry sizes 18-20 online).

Here are some of my tips:

1. Elastane : stretch in clothing is key so look for items that have more than 2% elastane in them. The higher percentage of elastane in a garment, the more stretch it will have.

2. Elastic waists: I know elastic waists are frowned down upon but they comfortably adjust to your waist. In the pic below  I’m wearing an XL elastic waist skirt from Loft which fits my size 20 waist just fine. Also Old Navy XXL elastic waist skirts can easily accommodate waists that are above a size 20.

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3. Dolman sleeves: Dolman sleeves are defined as a full sleeve that is wide in the armhole and narrow at the wrist.  This cut is very forgiving for big arms .  Many dolman sleeved tops are made with stretchy materials so you’re not constricted.

4. A Line Skirts: An A line skirt can be your best friend.  When I shop “straight” stores pencil skirts don’t fit of because my juicy hips BUT an A line skirt does because it skims (not hugs)  your hips.

5. Read The  Reviews: I always read the reviews when I shop online.  The reviews give me insight on how others are experiencing the garment. Reviews that talk about an item being roomy or “size down, it’s big”, I zone in it and order the largest size because 9 times out of 10, the garment fits.

6. Try It On: What do you have to lose? The only thing that can happen is that it doesn’t fit! Over the July 4th weekend I went into H&M and tried on this size 14 palm print shirt (in the pic below) and guess what…it fit perfectly!

What are some of your favorite “plus friendly” stores and tips for shopping non plus size retailers?

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Skirt: Gap (sold out in XL & XXL)
Shirt: H&M (size 14; not online; in stores)
Sandals: New Look via ASOS
Bag: Old Navy (old)

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13 Comments

  1. quill40@gmail.com
    July 10, 2015 / 5:21 pm

    Love the looks.. I like how u put odd patterns together and they great.

  2. Becca M
    July 10, 2015 / 7:05 pm

    I’m so sorry about your cat. They really become members of the family, and it’s terribly difficult to make the decision to euthanize. Wishing you peace.

  3. ohwizeone
    July 10, 2015 / 7:35 pm

    Sometimes I can find a great dress at Banana Republic if it has stretch. Also Michael Kors (when I’m shopping at TJ Maxx) He has plus but I sometime find that his XL can accommodate 18. New York and company also!! I’m never afraid to try on when something looks roomy 🙂

  4. acraftymind2013
    July 10, 2015 / 7:39 pm

    Sorry about your kitty. Being a cat lover myself I so understand. They become our family members.

  5. juliette
    July 11, 2015 / 12:51 am

    My condolences Ms. G! Hope that you’ll be comforted knowing that she’s no longer suffering. Loved this post! H&M is one of my regular stops and I don’t think I have anything from their lackluster plus line. I didn’t realize that about Anne Taylor – will have to check them out! Thanks again….

  6. Rebecca
    July 11, 2015 / 4:50 pm

    I am so sorry to hear about your cat. I adore my cat Toby who came to share my home after I lost my cat Percy about 1 1/2 yrs. ago.

  7. abbiosbiston
    July 13, 2015 / 8:55 am

    Lovely outfit! So sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a pet is devastating. I still miss my kitty, Freely and it’s been seven years since we had to let him go.

  8. Kirsten Jackson
    July 13, 2015 / 9:05 am

    So sorry about Picachu.  I’m sure that was tough.  :o(  You look amazing as usual.  :o)  – Kirsten A. Jackson The Low Country Socialite “Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”  ~Ruth Reichl Find The Low Country Socialite on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter! From: Grown and Curvy Woman To: tlcsocialite@yahoo.com Sent: Friday, July 10, 2015 4:57 PM Subject: [New post] Casual Friday: Plus Friendly #yiv4815897529 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv4815897529 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv4815897529 a.yiv4815897529primaryactionlink:link, #yiv4815897529 a.yiv4815897529primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv4815897529 a.yiv4815897529primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv4815897529 a.yiv4815897529primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv4815897529 WordPress.com | grownandcurvywoman posted: “TGIF all!Sorry I’ve been out of the blogging loop lately. A week ago I had to make the heart wrenching decision to have my beloved cat Picachu euthanized. So needless to say I wasn’t in the mood to blog about anything.  I miss my baby but  I know she ” | |

  9. strawberryquicksand
    July 13, 2015 / 11:05 pm

    Hey, sweetie. So sorry to hear about Picachu. It’s never an easy decision to have to get a pet put down. I had to think long and hard before getting pets, myself, as I know this will definitely be the case as they don’t live as long as we do. I hope you are feeling okay about it now. Picachu is in a better place, as, since you had to get him euthanised, he must have been suffering. Animals are a lot more accepting of death than humans are. xo

    • grownandcurvywoman
      Author
      July 16, 2015 / 6:46 am

      Thank you so much for your kind post. Picachu was definitely apart of my family and her presence is missed greatly.

  10. finessecurves
    July 14, 2015 / 4:38 pm

    Sorry to hear about your cat!! I am loving these looks, though – especially the palm shirt and skirt combo.

    • grownandcurvywoman
      Author
      July 16, 2015 / 6:44 am

      Thank you so much! All the support I’ve received has really eased my pain.

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