We have a bone to pick... Part One

With the entire fat fashion industry.

As we all know, all sizing is not created equally.

The difference between a torrid 3x and a forever 21 3x are light years apart.

I talked to a few Big Girls about what they thought about Fat Fashion.
I got some surprising information, and some not so surprising. None the less, the fat fashion industry is trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

Here are some of the complaints I got.

1. Fashionable does not equal affordable.
This is especially true in the plus size market because there is such high demand for fashionable clothes, and such low supply. It kind of reminds me about the cost of oil.
A lot of the stuff that you see in Lane Bryant, Torrid, or Ashley Stewart is really cute, but because a shirt costs between $30 and $100, it just doesn't make sense. And the same goes for pants.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, all of the chain stores are high, but they also have a clearance section. You can find oodles of things there. There are also places off the beaten path, like consignment stores. And then there are places like Burlington Coat Factory, TjMaxx, Ross and Marshall's. You will have to look, but when you find exactly what you're looking for, it is completely worth it.

2. One of the biggest things in a Big Girl's world is the sizing difference.
Some stores use a "junior plus" scale with their plus size clothes. And when you wear a Woman's plus size, the sizes just don't mesh. One can be too small, the other too big. The only thing to combat the sizing differences is to try things on. And it is a pain when you do online shopping, because that involves a lot more effort to return or exchange something, but it is completely worth doing.
On a side note, I suggest that you measure yourself, or have a friend or someone measure you, so that you know exactly what your measurements are to compare with the sizing guide.

3. How the pants fit. We all know that Big Girls do not come in one size, or shape.
http://biggirlcode.blogspot.com/2010/08/body-shape-and-fitted-clothes.html Read the link first.
Body shape is so important in finding the right fit.
The biggest problems with pant fit are: the waist is too big/small for some, the thigh is too big/small for some, or the hips are too big/small.
Every problem with pants is converse because we are all different. Our shapes and sizes don't always match up with what they want to sell us. The closest things I have found to combat this problem, is at Lane Bryant, and Fashion Bug they have Right Fit jeans and pants. They aren't perfect, but they closer than every one else. Also I have found that jeans with 2% to 10% spandex have extreme versatility with different sizes of waist, hips, and thighs.

4. The dreaded arm holes. On shirts with sleeves they are too small. On shirts with no sleeves, they are huge! We either have to have the sleeve of a shirt cutting into our arms all day, or have our bras hanging out for the whole world to see.
The only suggestion I can give, like the pants, is to find a shirt with a little spandex in the mix.

5. Elastic. I cringe at the sight of that word. Elastic waisted pants are terrible unless you are a toddler.
Us grown women know how to use buttons and zippers, we don't need any help with that, thank you very much. Elastic waisted pants have been a staple in fat fashion for a long time. But I won't give it any credit. There are plenty other options out there for us Big Girls. Just say no to elastic waists (wastes). We've come a long way from that, so continue forward.

That's it for now Big Girls! But don't worry, this is only part one of a three part series!


Be Fabulous Big Girls,
Pauline

PS: Questions/comments? Have a fashion emergency? Email Us! We'd love to hear from you!
prtali@yahoo.com

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