by Guest Blogger Saga
Visit her at http://sagaciously.net

So, my good friend Miss Princess Dominique asked me to write an article for her blog, Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion . Of course, I opted to write about fashion (our shared obsession). And I chose to write an article about plus sized styling, because frankly – my friends say I dress like I’m the business. And because I’m sick of seeing plus sized women as poster children for you know you dead a$$ wrong, looking like their halloween costume is a linebacker for Team Glowstick, or they’re doing an impression of a funnel.

I had the perfect ideas in mind – I wanted to touch on my favorite trends for Fall 2009, and link women to their plus-sized alternatives. With that in mind, I was thinking: 1940’s, Red, Fur, Shoes, Jumpsuits, etc. Like so….

Except – yanno what? I couldn’t find the clothes in plus sizes….lol.

And there’s the rub. Even the most fashionable of us, that know where to find stylish clothes, at great prices…run into problems with plus size styling/fitting and actually FINDING the clothes.

So, with that…I still will post my best finds for Fall 2009. Here’s the plan:

Part 1: the best places to find plus size fashion, in my not-so-humble opinion
Part 2: finding trendy clothes in your size (yes, I will find those trends above in plus sizes!)
Part 3: how to shop for your body type (and buy clothes in your size)
Part 4: Shoes!

So, before we get into my favorite shopping destinations, some things I try to avoid:

• I’m not particularly loyal to any store/brand/label/destination. I shop where I find things that suit me well, or move me…or call me (y’all know I get obsessed, right?).
• I do avoid clothes that look like I could be a member of the church mother board/usher board like the plague.
• As well as clothes that literally look as if they s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d the largest Misses size to make it plus.
• Also, cheap fabrics or manufacturing. Typically, in plus size, these slight anomalies or faults tend to be much easier to spot and note.

Other than that…I do try to break every fashion rule ever made, because that (IMHO) is what fashionistas do. Break the rules, and wear what looks good on you, despite playing the numbers game (see part 3 for more on those numbers).

With that, my fave destinations (in no particular order):

Department Stores:: Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neimans, Saks et. al. Click those links to head straight to the plus size online shops. Now I know what you’re about to say: “they’re pricey!” Yes, I know, but quality shows, and they all run sales regularly. If you’re a valued customer (read: credit card holder) you also get additional discounts. And they designers, incl. couture designers, finally woke up and smelled the $: the average woman is a size 14. They know there’s a lot of money in this niche, and Ralph Lauren, Adrienne Vittadini, Jones New York, Tahari, Tadashi, Melissa Mase, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, Michael Kors, Rachel Pally, and Suzie Chin (amongst others) are designing accordingly.

Plus Sized RTW chain retailers:: I have a love-hate relationship with Lane Bryant, Avenue and Ashley Stewart. Why? Because they’re all great on occasion, and in very small doses. LB does well with career wear and occasionally in the trendy space, but after 2-3 seasonal hits, they come back with some left fieldness. But right now I ♥ Lane Bryant’s Icon Collection. For both Avenue and Ashley Stuart, they suffer from costing/trendiness issues: cheap manufacturing + trendy clothing = consistent fashion don’ts. Although I’ve found the occasional piece or two here, just be wary of the quality. Oh, and Torrid? Only for incredibly short-lived trendy pieces, and not entire outfits. Just my humble opinion…

Discount retailers:: I ♥ Target and Walmart! Ok, before you go there…I truly respect designers who do lower ends lines for the fashionable on a budget. Isaac Mizrahi, Mossimo and Norma Kamali have been putting some very workable pieces in Target and Walmart. And before you complain about the sizing, each has gone up to a size 20 (XXL or 18//20) which can be generous depending on your height/body type. I’m a big, juicy pear and I have quite a few Mossimo and Kamali pieces (Isaac’s not as forgiving ) Don’t just peruse the plus size area though, shop the Juniors and Women’s sizes, and look for lines that extend through XXL or size 20). Oh, and don’t forget Ross, and T.J. Maxx, as they buy consistently from all the other retailers I’ve mentioned.

Lastly, the plus size online-only designers:: I’ve checked out Igigi.com, Kiyonna.com, Monif C. , B &Lu, and others. And while I ♥ some a LOT (and ♥ some less) – they’re pricey without the semi-annual sales, without the quality (in some cases) and without consistency. So, I check them out and find stand out pieces (again!), but are generally wary about price and quality.

So, lot’s of resources, yes? If there’s a lesson here, it’s definitely that we do have a lot to choose from, and this niche is growing, which is nice for us p.h.a.t., plus size, bbw “fluffy”, plush women. But with that, it is work – the same as it is for “junior” or “women’s” sizes. But if you’re a shopper like me – I like!

There ya go! Hope that helps, but if you have other destinations – please share! Happy Hunting! (and save some bargains for me!)

Saga’s a marginally sane mom, MBA, fashionista and blogger that’s been raving online since f.o.r.e.v.e.r. (2001).  She writes about life, love (or lack thereof), entrepreneurship, travel and clothes/shoes!, When she’s not cashing big fake checks, you can find her at http://sagaciously.net/ .  Um, that is – when’s she’s not searching for her latest fashion obsession…