The fashion industry, and especially high-end designers in the United States, has always strongly favored designing clothing that fits slender bodies. Almost all of the top models have had to do whatever it took to stay very slender, to the point where many have developed eating disorders and drug problems. This preference for thinness creates problems for the average-sized woman who wants to dress stylishly, and the problems are much more acute for the millions of bigger women we call plus sized. But these problems can be overcome. If you know where and how to look, it is possible to buy elegant plus size designer clothes at a reasonable price.
First of all, before you do any searching, you need to measure yourself properly. For the bust, the tape measure should go under your arms and around the widest part of the bust, just grazing your shoulder blades. For your waist, you need to differentiate between the natural waist and the low waist. When you bend your body to one side at the waist, the crease that forms is the natural waist, and you should measure this part with a finger between the tape and your body. The low waist is about two to three inches below that and you should use your finger the same way. For the hips, keep your legs closed as you measure around the widest part.
Armed with these accurate measurements, you should focus your search online rather than at department stores, which are likely to have only a limited selection in your size, and very few high-end choices. Search for websites using terms like “designer clothing plus size”. Some good websites include igigi.com, which has a good selection of work clothing, cherished-woman.com, which is especially good for lingerie, and lagrandedame.com.
As you look for clothing at these websites, start your search with designers who are known for understanding how to make plus size designer clothes that look good. Some designers with this understanding are Olivia Harper, Marina Rinaldi, Anna Scholz, and Tadashi. Look for others by using a search term like “specialist in plus size”.
One disadvantage of looking for clothes online is that you can’t try the clothes on yourself. So you need to find sites that have a lot of pictures taken from different angles of the clothes actually being worn, and it’s important that the site allows free returns and exchanges because you will make some mistakes. Now, get out your credit card and buy yourself some beautiful plus size designer clothes!