Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Surviving Plus Size Shops

I started my new job this week and the dress code is “Business Casual”. Nothing new though, most of my closet has “Business Casual” clothes – slacks, blouses, a blazer – but with a new job I thought I’d go shopping for a few new pieces this morning. 

However, the shopping trip just reminded me that even clothing stores dedicated to dressing the Plus Sized Woman don’t have any clue on how to dress their customers.

Floor length dresses and skirts don’t make me look taller.


Large geometric shapes don’t make me look thinner. 


And fish prints on pants just don't really do much for anyone!



I just want to know who in their right mind thought that turquoise and blue fish print capris would look good on any woman let alone a curvaceous one?

Luckily more and more designers today are realizing that plus size women don't want to wear our grandmother's muumuus and have the finances to fill our closets with style. 

The next task is to undo the brainwash fashion tips that have been drilled into our brains....black is slimming, vertical stripes are a good thing, don't wear prints, that larger woman should hide behind their hair and clothes, etc. In the online article "How to Dress Fabulously for Plus Sized Women" by Kiki LaMer some of these myths/misconceptions are addressed and suggestions are made:

However, despite the signs that progress is being made there are still clothing lines trying to sell me items such as:

 

 


What are they thinking?

*sigh*