Plus Size… Style?

One of the reasons most of us are trying to lose weight is so that we never have to set foot in a Lane Bryant again. Nothing against the company at all, but I can tell you that the day I stop shopping there will be the happiest day of my life and I will run through the mall, giving sizes 14-26 the non-chubby finger.  But until that day, we still need to cover our ample asses and there's no reason we can't do it fabulously.

I've been overweight the majority of my life (ugh), save a handful of starving/purging teen years, so I honestly don't know what my own personal style is. I've never really cultivated a look for myself -- I just wear what makes me feel safe, my uniform -- black skirt and some sort of top.  In the last few years, I've branched out and tried more fun dresses and brightly colored looks. I even wore some leggings recently, which for me was sort of a big deal. I don't do pants in public, really.  But still... I don't know what my style really is since I've never had much option of wearing things outside of plus-size clothing stores.

I do know what my look isn't.   Lane Bryant is much better than most, and I do shop there, but it's not really my brand, per se. The majority of the clothing I find either too trendy (ergo, kinda ridiculous) or too old. Some might argue, but plus size clothing tends to run a bit more mature looking -- and I'm only 36. I'm not ready for that yet. In general, their clothes are cute, they just don't speak to my aesthetic... my aesthetic that I'm still figuring out.

The other mainstream option is Torrid, which on the flipside is too young for me. I like the vintage looks they have and I can find an occasional piece in there, but overall, the clothes are too youthful and a bit too pricey for what you get, in my opinion.  $45 for a printed tee?  No, thank you.  Their stuff is cute and I do believe that with the increase in plus-size teens, it's a good niche market -- but again, some trendy items just don't belong on bigger bodies. Taking a trend that looks great on a thin person and simply blowing it up isn't always the most flattering for someone with a fuller figure. It's not sizist, it's just a fact. They do have cute accessories, though and their employees have always been really sweet girls.

I did just notice that Lane Bryant has launched another division: Loop 18, which appears to be "junior plus". I don't really know what "junior plus" entails, other than younger looking clothes. It looks to still be in 'growth-mode' as the selection is pretty slim (they have 75 items in the entire shop) and it's pretty pedestrian stuff -- I've seen similar at Walmart. (Sorry, LB, I'm not looking to alienate advertisers -- I'm just calling it like I see it. It's all constructive.)

There are a few smaller chains, but nothing that speaks to my personal style -- places like Avenue, Fashion Bug or heaven forbid, Catherine's... where muu-muus go to die.