The Pretty Pear

Gorgeous dress from Monif C.

A lot of visitors end up here while searching for designer plus size clothing. Of course, there are high end designers who make clothes in plus sizes. Unfortunately, it's almost always in conjunction with a misses line. Basically, an after thought. It seems like someone out there knows that plus size women have cash to spend, so they whip up a few pieces and put them into the department stores. A lot of it is fabulous and beautiful and drool-worthy. A lot of it... not so much.

I think we deserve a little more than that. Actually, I think we deserve a lot more than that but y'know, baby steps. If I was looking for high end clothes and had some money to spend, I'd be more likely to give that money to a designer who designed for plus sizes, not as an after thought.

One such designer is Monif C. I know you've heard of Monif C's line, either here or on other plus size sites. I dropped everything* to write this post when I spotted this silk charmeuse dress on the Monif C. website.

I might be on some kind of weird satiny dress kick but let's be honest, color looks so much more brilliant when the fabric has sheen. It's gorgeous. Aside from that, the wrap neckline and empire waist are flattering on many different body types. The sleeves have the ruffle detail that's on-trend but not so over the top that it'll look dated in three weeks. The length is neither too long nor too short and the fabric itself has a bit of spandex for the best possible fit. The whole package is just fantastic.

The $300 price tag is pretty spendy for a lot of people but if I had the cash and needed a dress that's to die for, I'd pick this one.

* Ok, I was just watching TV.

Pretty new items at Missphit

I've been eying Missphit for some time now and they recently updated their site to add even more gorgeous pieces. The size chart makes me think that their clothes run on the small side but I'm so curious, I might order something anyway just to see it in person.

Is Evans coming to the US?

Topshop in New York, Plus Size Sister Store to Soon Follow - The Budget Fashionista

... Also word is that TopShop’s parent group, Arcadia, is looking to bring its high fashion plus size stores, Evans Plus size, to the US as well.

Very innnteresting! Evans is now shipping to the US from their website but brick and mortar stores would be thrilling! Any addition to the trendy plus size market is welcome. It'll be interesting to see if this pans out.

Plus size retailers, skinny models.

Let me get this out of the way first - I don't hate skinny women. Whenever this topic comes up, someone gets all pissed off and leaves a comment about how much I hate skinny women and that I'm a Mean Fatty. I'm sorry but no, I do not hate skinny women. That would be a little counterproductive to that whole "size acceptance" thing, right? Right. Moving on.

If you've spent time perusing the many and varied plus size retailers on the internet, you'll notice that some of them use straight sized models. I have a major issue with this. Actually, there are a few major issues:

First, it's impractical. The point of using a model is to show how the item of clothing will look on an actual human being, as opposed to a dress form or hanger. That's why models are called "models." It's really hard to imagine how a dress will look on a plus sized body when the model is not plus sized, or anywhere near it.

Second, it looks ridiculous.

Third, and I'm making my own educated guess on this, these retailers believe that their plus size customers don't want to see the clothing on plus size models. Let me restate that - they think that fat people don't want to look at other fat people.

Has fat hatred become so ingrained that fat people really don't want to even look at other fat people? Or are these retailers full of crap and refuse to take a step into realty? Have they heard of market research?

I'm not sure but either way, the logic is stupid. Looking at a fat person wearing an item of clothing that you might want to buy is not going to ruin your self esteem. If anything, you'll be more down when you realize that, um, you don't look that skinny model once you get the clothes on your body.

These retailers are trying to sell a fantasy. This is something all retailers do but it's a little screwed up to sell a fantasy of thinness to fat people when your job is to sell clothes to fat people.

And lest you think that this is limited to women's clothing, check it:

The two pictures above are from catalogs produced by the same company and are generally geared towards an older buyer who may not be ready to look at fat people wearing clothes made for fat people. I'm sure their clothes are great but they need to move past the skinny model days and into the light.

Here's the irony - some of the companies that use skinny models are also the companies that carry the widest range of sizes. Is it better for them to say "Hey, you're fat. Here are some clothes you might want to buy and here are some plus size models to show you how the clothes look on a fat body" or "Hey, you're fat. Here are some clothes you might want to buy but we won't show you how they look on someone within your size range because you're so delusional that you'll believe that these models are just very small fat people."

To be fair, most plus size retailers now use plus size models, even if they are pushing the definition of "plus size." The very nature of models and branding is all based in fantasy but it's nice when the fantasy is at least relevant to my realty, even if just a little bit.

I know some of you out there are thinking "My options are limited and I have few retailers to choose from. What the hell do I do?" I have ideas!

Buy from retailers that use plus size models whenever you can. Some are more daring with their models than others. For instance, b&lu uses models in a wide range of sizes while mass retailers like Lane Bryant stick to a conservative "plus" size. We should congratulate retailers like b&lu and encourage other retailers to follow their lead.

Second, if you're hopelessly devoted to a particular retailer who uses skinny models and you don't want to stop shopping with them, tell their customer service all of the many reasons why they should use plus size models. And make sure to mention how happy you'd be to recommend their products to your friends... if they could get past that whole skinny model thing.

Outerwear everywhere

Right now would be a really good time to shop for a new coat (or coats, if you're fancy). Let's take a little tour around the internets, shall we?

• Lane Bryant has outerwear styles for 40% off
• Fashion Bug's outerwear is on sale.
• Outerwear at Catherine's is on sale.
• Select outerwear is on sale at Land's End.
• Select outerwear is on sale at Old Navy.
• Outerwear is 25% off at Avenue.
• Select outerwear styles are on sale at Silhouettes.
• Check out the outerwear sale at Jessica London.
• One Stop Plus has lots of outerwear styles on sale.
• Save up to 50% on outerwear at Roaman's.
• Save up to 55% on outerwear at Woman Within.
• Coats are on sale at JC Penney.
• Newport News has coats and jackets on sale.

See? You have a whole bunch of options. A lot of these sites have coupons, too. I have a coat from last year that I'm still fond of but all these sales are making me wonder if I want a trendy coat for this year.

I got played

I thought fall was here but I forgot that I live in Chicago, where we can have three seasons... in the same day. So what do you wear when the calendar says fall but the heat won't go away already? How about a pretty sleeveless top in autumn colors, like this Elodie tank from b&lu? It's on sale for $31 and would be great with straight leg jeans and sandals. When it does finally get chilly, you can layer a cozy cardigan over it.

What I've been up to

I haven't felt much like writing for some reason. I really need to make a list of topics I can post about for when I get writer's block. But I have been thinking about clothes, as usual. I've been spending entirely too much time playing with Polyvore. It's a neat little site where you can collect images of clothes from all over the internet and then build outfits. You can see mine here. It's a lot like playing with paper dolls! Plus size paper dolls who can afford Dior shoes. :)

To answer my own question...

I had asked readers to leave a comment telling me about their favorite item of clothing, now or ever. There were some really great responses that made me smile!

I asked this because I realized that I don't have any one particular item that I'm just gaga over. I tend to be in love with whatever I've most recently purchased. I think I'm just really fickle with clothing. I buy new things, I get all excited to wear them, I get bored, I move on to whatever is new and exciting. This is why I have a huge box of clothes that needs to be donated.

Heh!

I don't get a lot of trolls around here, at least probably not compared to other fat-orientated blogs. I got a troll-ish comment today that was so weak, I'm not even going to bother sharing. Just know that I watch my comments like a hawk and trolls are deleted almost immediately.

Anyway, what I wanted to post about is a question for you. What is your favorite item of clothing? Currently or ever? That piece that you love and makes you feel great? Tell me about it in the comments!

A few things...

Did you watch Mo'Nique's FAT Chance? I was really into it and even got a little teary a few times! I think they really got it right this go around. Previously, I was ambivalent because of the whole beauty pageant thing but this year, there was more depth and less "Hey, look! Fat chicks!" I was rooting for Ruth since she's a Chicago girl but Marcia's style and confidence were just amazing.

The best part for me was the end when Mo'Nique said something about not letting your size keep you from living the life you want right now. That's something I have to remind myself of on a constant basis and I'm glad she's out there, showing the world what's up.

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I picked up this dress from Target today. Unfortunately, it's sold out on the website but if you spot it in the store, give it a try-on. The material is very nice, substantial but flowy and I really like the shirring at the bust. It's really versatile and flattering. It also comes in a turquoise and brown print.

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I went to see a somewhat obscure little band play at a bar here in Chicago last night and noticed a lot of women carrying HUGE bags. I have to wonder what they could be carrying to a bar on a Friday night that would require bags of that size. It's a fun trend and necessary for work/school purposes, but at a bar? Ok, whatever. Do your thing, ladies. I'll stick to my teensy clutches.

Bitten

You may have heard about Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten line of clothes, shoes, and accessories available at Steve & Barry's. The line goes up to a size 22 and everything is under $20. Everything! Even winter coats! I haven't been able to check the clothes out in person yet but the pieces look basic but in a cute, updated way. The extended range of sizes is what caught my attention, obviously.

I have a few thoughts about the line.

Lane Bryant FTW

People don't usually take the time to share their experiences with customer service unless it was a bad experience. Well, I believe that when a company surprises me with good customer service, I should share that with people.

I recently had to contact Lane Bryant's customer service via their website because of a shipping problem. Below you will find our interaction.

"Personify" jeans: the verdict

QVC offers customized jeans via their website. In the name of science (and desperation for JEANS THAT FIT), I ordered a pair at the end of January and got my butt into them today. Here are my findings.

The good:

• Nice, thick, quality denim but not too heavy or stiff. Has just the right amount of stretch for comfort, ease of movement and shape retention. I'd say the denim is better quality and feels nicer than Lane Bryant's or the Avenue's. A+ for the denim.
• Uniform, dark wash. Not very trendy but a good staple denim color for your wardrobe.
• The inseam is totally customizable so if you're short or tall, you won't need alterations. You could have a pair to wear with flats and a pair to wear with heels, etc. This is especially important for me because I have short legs but I'm an average height, so jeans are always too long or too short. No more!
• You can re-order with the same measurements and make specific changes, like a different denim color, different leg shape (straight, bootcut, flare, etc.) or even cropped or capri lengths. This would also allow you to fine-tune anything after trying a pair (see below).

The not-so-good:

• The back pockets aren't in proportion to the size of my booty. They're about the same size as they would be for a pair of misses jeans, so they look silly and unflattering. Most of my shirts cover the pockets but if you have a big butt, you might consider opting for no back pockets. This is really problematic and I hope QVC looks at making the back pockets more size-specific.
• The rise is WAY too high, the button is about an inch or two above my waist. To be fair, I'm very short waisted. I should have gone with the more "flat" belly option when customizing the jeans. This is more of a comfort issue than anything since my shirts go past my waist. I'd rather have them a bit above my waist than my butt hanging out in the back!

The verdict:
Totally worth it. I was so happy when I tried my jeans on because the just FIT. I didn't have to say "Well they fit here but not here and they gap in back but the inseam is good" and so on. There are a couple of little issues but nothing big enough to make me want to return them. I'll probably order a pair with a shorter inseam to wear with flats and make adjustments to those (need a shorter rise!) but I'm keeping the pair I have now, definitely.

QVC has a great return policy so if you try a pair and they don't fit, you can return or exchange them. I'd say try again if the first pair aren't quite right. If you're sick of trying to find jeans that you fit into, try ordering a pair that are made to fit YOU.

I love the internet.

I finally gave in...

And ordered a pair of custom made jeans. I have "fit issues" that were making it impossible to find off the rack jeans that fit properly. After sorting through some options, I decided to order a pair of Personify jeans from QVC. I decided on QVC for two reasons - the price is reasonable ($49, $58 after tax and shipping) and overall, I trust QVC and have always had great experiences shopping with them.

Customizing the jeans was easy, you don't have to take a ton of measurements. The only real measurements I had to provide was my waist, inseam and bra size. The rest is based on overall shapes. You can choose your rise, leg shape, denim color, etc. There's even an option for capri length.

They give you a two month time frame for them to make the jeans and you to receive them. I ordered mine on January 30th and they shipped on February 15th, so that's a pleasant surprise right there. I haven't gotten my hands on them just yet (they're waiting in my building's receiving room) but I'm already excited.

I'll have a follow up post once I can try them on. If by chance they don't fit, you can ship them back and make adjustments until they do.

Shopping outside of the US

Once in a while, I'll visit the Evans website to see what our plus size sisters in the UK are wearing. This can be difficult when I see something cute because an entire ocean separates me from the item! My guess is that Evans is pretty comparable to Lane Bryant in terms of quality and price, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Unlike Lane Bryant, they have a broader range of prices. LB definitely has set price points that you'll learn when you shop there often. Maybe Evans is the same way and I'm just not familiar enough to know? I'm so curious about Evans and I know that if I ever found myself in London, I'd have to visit.

I'm also curious about what it's like to shop for plus size items in other countries. I know there are a few good retailers in Canada, but what about places like Greece or Spain (or anywhere else)? If you've had any experiences with this, please leave a comment. I know that the perception is that American women are giants compared to women in other countries. But seriously, I'm certain there are fat women everywhere and I'm pretty sure they need to buy clothes on occasion, right?