Here’s a fun fashion game: Think of your favorite designer separate, track it down online, and see if it’s offered in a size larger than an American 12. As you’ll find, many clicks later, fashionable separates sized in the full-figure range are few and far between.
For many of you, this revelation is nothing new, but nonetheless I thought it worth pointing out because puzzlingly enough, the clothing conundrum hasn’t been fully addressed by industry VIPS. (When recently visiting a fashion powerhouse I spotted a sign in the elevators asking their design team to come up with a new brand that filled a yet-untapped niche: Surely runway-worthy separates for the size 12+ crowd would work? Instead, said company decided to take the eco-friendly route. )
Anyhow, this morning I spotted a photo of the charming Jennifer Hudson wearing a Foley & Corinna dress. I’m familiar with the dress—and you should be too—as it’s a signature Foley style, one guaranteed to flatter and sex up its wearer, whether they’re curvy or not. Seeing Hudson looking so stunning and stylish made me think that a list of designers that offer their creations in a variety of sizes would make for a handy shopping guide.
I then encountered the aforementioned problem. Even the designers that full-figured stars sport for red carpet appearances don’t always carry their styles in all sizes. What’s a fashion-savvy girl that needs a size larger than 12 to do?
My first suggestion would be to head to Macy’s—either online or in real life. Though best known for their parade, the department store boasts an equally impressive “women’s” section. (Why any of the terms—women’s, full-figured, plus-sized, and others—are employed…especially when a large percentage of American women are over size 12…is a discussion for another post.)
An of-the-moment ombre touch found at Macy’s.
Lady-like Shape + Retro Print = Perfect Office Attire
At left, pretty-in-pink, at right, a rich-looking example of the season’s jewel-tone dress.
Nordstrom has an amazing selection too, especially of Michael Kors pieces. (As if his witty Project Runway antics weren’t reason enough to adore him, Mr. Kors’ full-figure styles are sure to attract a whole new roster of fans this fall.)
Michael Kors’ mod-inspired threads, at left and right.
The grecian-inspired gown: Wear it to dinner, to a wedding, or for a Rachel Zoe-inspired Hollywood Hills look, lounge in it by the pool.
The secret to making any jersey dress into something special? Killer heels. And FYI, Rachel Pally, the designer of this flirty frock, recently launched a plus-size line. Score her stuff at Nordstrom.
At left, a sleek DKNY jacket, at right a ’60s-inspired shift dress. Add a Burberry bag and it’ll look as though you’ve walked off the runway.
The ultimate fall essential: High-waist, dark tailored jeans.
Also, check out Newport News. Now, before you fashion snobs move onto the next post, give these pieces another glance. A statuesque college friend of mine from a very well-to-do family often wore NPN from head to toe. And thanks to her sophisticated styling, (classic silhouettes paired with luxe jewels) she usually looked better than her more petite sister, who was without fail, perpetually clad in country club classics.
Fall wardrobe must-have: The black cape.
A snappy velvet blazer–very Gucci circa 1995.
An another Anna Sui-ish version.
The denim shirt-dress: Pair with a bold-colored belt for the haute hipster look.
And so ends the first installment of our full-figure fashion finds. If you spot more, please send them my way so I can spread the word. X S.C.
Technorati Tags: Glam Media, GlamChic, Full-Figure Fashion, Plus-Size Fashion, Women’s Fashion, Designer Fashion Sizes
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Full-Figure Fashion Finds by fashion.ZapiZapi.com | 27-Jul-07 at 12:24 pm | Permalink
[…] Posted by as Uncategorized For many of you, this revelation is nothing new, but nonetheless I thought it worth pointing out because puzzlingly enough, the clothing conundrum hasn’t been fully addressed by industry VIPS. (When recently visiting a fashion … article continues at susanc brought to you by FASHION and Diet […]
Mimi | 27-Jul-07 at 5:22 pm | Permalink
The problem with designing for plus-size figures is that the variety of possible body shapes for plus-size figures is exponentially more complicated. A size 16 woman, for example, may have a round belly or wide rear end, an ample bust line, some combination of these, or a fairly even distribution of weight. Although there are figure variations within any size, an educated guess has a much smaller margin of error in a size 8. You found some good examples of pieces that will flatter some plus-size figures, but generally speaking, something that is both fitted and harmonious with a large woman’s figure is either a lucky find, or custom-made. In short, I don’t beleive it is a grand conspiracy; it is a manufacturing dilemma for which, no one has found a solution yet.
Andrea | 10-Aug-07 at 8:49 am | Permalink
IGIGI is a great place to find plus size clothes that are specific to your body type. They have a “myshape” section on their website that helps you figure out what clothes will look best on you. They also dressed Nikki Blonsky for her premiers of Hairspay and for her TV appearances! Their styles are really fresh.
Andrea | 10-Aug-07 at 8:51 am | Permalink
IGIGI is a great place to find plus size clothes that fit your specific body type. They have a “myshape” section on their website that helps you figure out what styles will look best on you. They also dressed Nikki Blonsky for her movie premiers and TV appearance.
Fabulous After 40 | 23-Sep-07 at 7:32 am | Permalink
Plus Size question
Recently we had an excellent comment from one of our newest readers named, Sharon when we asked her, What is your single most important style comment She said, The single most important thing to me is that I present myself
Maria Gordon | 30-Sep-07 at 9:20 pm | Permalink
Hello, My name is Maria… I am a 20 year old plus size model in Upper Marlboro, MD. I am in a group called GlamourPlus Models… We are up and coming group. I was wondering if you needed plus size models for fashion shows,calendars, photo shoots and different venues. We do not mind traveling out of the Maryland,Dc and Virginia Area. If you are interested please contact us at Naturalinnocence@gmail.com Thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Elaine | 18-Nov-07 at 10:38 am | Permalink
I’m 5′3″ and weigh 216 lbs
I thicker thru my waits, hip and stomach.
I’m a secretary and have a hard time finding suitable clothing for my body shape.
fashion design | 10-Jan-08 at 6:13 am | Permalink
fashion design
Great post that I found very interesting. You have answered a lot of my own questions! I have already bookmarked you to return at a later date.
A | 19-Feb-08 at 8:45 pm | Permalink
I think size variations happen at any size whether it be size 8 or 18. The key is offering stylish clothes in all sizes and then for women to take those items and make the necessary alterations or have them made to have the item fit perfectly. Shopping at Nordstroms is great for that. I find it frustrating the I can wear a size 12 misses jean (DKNY, Calvin Klein, KUT, etc) but have difficulty finding any tops that fit. I end up in the plus size section and there just aren’t as many options.
Full Figure Style | 24-Jun-08 at 9:54 pm | Permalink
We love the Grecian inspired gown. We’re sure it will be a showstopper at any evening event.
For more fashion tips and plus size clothing, please visit fullfigurestyle.com
fashion designers in plus size | 09-Jul-08 at 5:56 pm | Permalink
[…] separate, …. For more fashion tips and plus size clothing, please visit fullfigurestyle.com …http://blogs.glam.com/glamchic/2007/07/27/full-figure-fashion-finds/plus size clothing — Fashion Discrimination?Plus size Designers, Catalogs and Retailers are […]