I have a good friend that used to be a plus size model in NYC. She was never over a 12-14 and is 5' 10'' with a tiny waist and no unsightly rolls the rest of us have. Basically a genetic exception. Of course she felt HUGE at her agency which also represented "regular sized" models. And of course they had to pin and tuck all the clothes she modeled because they were too big.

Annoying.

I like Lane Bryant for pants and bras (usually buy one, get one half off), but I don't have a lot of luck with their shirts. They seem to think every plus-sized woman has huge boobs, but I'm only a B cup, so all the shirts that fit around my stomach are really baggy in the chest and shoulders. I also ONLY buy things there on sale unless I am absolutely desperate--and by "sale," I don't mean the jeans that are marked down to $35--I mean the pants on the rack in the back corner that are 9.99

I do shop at Fashion Bug occasionally, but same as LB, only the clearance racks. A lot of times they will have all of their yellow and red ticket items at an additional 30% off or whatever. I bought 2 nice shirts for work there a few months ago for $13 total. I would never pay full price for their stuff, but at less than 7 bucks a shirt, who cares if I can only wear it for 6 months or so before I either shrink too much to wear it or it falls apart?

I cannot stand the idea of spending a lot of $$ on clothes. I work 2 jobs as it is--I can't spend what I work so hard to earn on one pair of jeans

I totally agree jillybean! They assume that if your a big woman you should have huge boobs and I dont. The past few years I have really hated the styles they were putting out, but this spring they had some really cute stuff. I needed some new "nice" outfits and and I had a 40% off thing... when I went to use that I got those "real women dollars" things so I went back and used them too. With the sale they were having, and my discounts I ended up getting a pair of capris, a pair of jeans, a pair of black slacks, 2 skirts, one black and one denim, a cute denim jacket and 5 shirts. (most of which can be mixed and matched) for 300 dollars. Just for kicks I added up the prices on the tags and it would have been over 700 had I just purchased it all with no discounts. It is totally over priced, but I guess thats one big motivator to lose weight... I have yet to find any cute, well made, inexpensive clothes...lol.

I've found that Cato and Fashion BUg have cheaper clothes for us plus size gals!

I like LB clothes, but its been forever since I've been in one. I used to shop there quite a bit, and ran up a fairly high credit card But I almost never bought something there for full price, they are just wayyy to expensive. I'd always use those coupons they gave out.

I don't mind showing cleavage and my boyfriend doesn't either lol but I do think sometimes some of their clothes are NOT flattering at all. But usually if I buy a boob shirt, I do wear a button down type shirt over it, so I'm not completely hanging out.

Has anyone shopped at Avenue? I never have, but a friend of mine did, and sent me the link, and they seem to have decent clothes. They seem kind of in between the 'sluttiness' LB can have, and the Old Ladish clothes (IMO) Catherine's has.

Its been a while since I've done major clothes shopping, but sometimes I can find cute shirts and pants at Sears, Old Navy (though they run really small) Walmart and Meijers. I am refusing to buy new summer clothes this year. I am trying to fit into what I already have.

~Liz

I like that idea!

I've noticed the skinny models in the catalogs, too. And do you ever notice that they don't seem to wear the wildly patterned clothes (and who picks out some of the wild fabric for the larger sizes, anyway??) -- instead you have a skinny girl in a flowing solid colored top. It would make more sense to me to show the bolder patterns on an actual person instead of in a little half-inch square in the corner of the page.

And I just have to note... there's a Lane Bryant banner ad across the top of my screen as I read this thread. LOL!

I actually wrote to Lane Bryant on this issue. They said they appreciated the comment but statistics have shown that the clothing on the skinny models sells better than outfits that are shown on plus size models and have no plans to change the models in the catalog. I told them thanks, but I'll shop elsewhere.!

I also don't understand why stores don't carry bras in big cup sizes, over a DD/E.
I know Mervyns has that size, but plus size stores have size 54 around but only in a DD cup. It's tough when you have to buy bras on line or from a catalog! UG
Julie

Thank You Julie!!!!!!!!!

I wear An 50-I bra I can only get my bra's online with a chioce of 2 designs by glamorize. When I google on plus size bras some sites only go to DD- you can get those at walmart, what about us women bigger then DD?

AngieB

Here's my 2 Cents:

LB is NOT in touch with women's fashion. I don't think all their stuff is slutty, but I often felt as though I was wearing a curtain (forgot who said about the pinning back of the clothes on the mannequin but that's dead on!). I like their coupons (Buy $150 worth of stuff and get $50 off) but I no longer shop there.

Jill -- I feel the opposite way. They don't sell bras in my size (I was once a 42H---now a 38/36DDD and still nothing). The highest cup they go to is a DDD but in a 40! I have bought tees from them but I feel as though those fall too. And I have huge breasts! I am a 14/16 according to them and I know we all have different bodies but come on!

I sometimes feel like the clothes are TOO young (I'm soon to be 28 BTW) and not suitable for me and other clothes are too "old ladyish" (not to offend anyone!!!).

I just don't shop there unless I need oversized tees

I have always wondered about Lane Bryant using skinny models. I like their clothes but they are expensive. I can't afford them but I like looking. I wish they would use regular people because then I could tell somewhat how the clothes would fit on me. If you are a plus size store, then use plus size models.
Wal-mart does use their associates and associate's families for their ads. It keeps things real. I work for Wal-mart. They don't have a to bad selection of plus sizes for older people but not much for the younger group.

Try ladygrace.com. They have a large selection of bras in large sizes.

Lane Bryant typically uses a size 4-16 model. The girls they choose are of course a bit taller and kind hide more evil pounds than a shorter gal. I for example am 5'11 and weigh 211 (as of today!!!! woohooo) and people NEVER EVER believe me when I tell them how much I weigh. I not only don't have the blobs of fat that curse my shorter sister, I also have smooth dense fat. TRust me its fat, and not muscle. (soon it will be)

I was approached a few years back about being a large size model, simply because I am large, I'm tall, and I am able to hide the fat. Now as I've aged, my behind would NEVER be allowed in print for a catalog!!

I do have to defend Lane Bryant somewhat by saying that the catalogue is virtually unaffiliated with the store. They share only a name.

I haven't been in one in a while, simply because I cannot afford to shop there right now, but I generally like their clothes. They are for the proud BBW, not the woman who wants to wear sackcloth and ashes until she hits a size 10. I bought a boffo bustier there not too long after my oldest daughter was born. I don't fit in it anymore, though, as it requires a tight fit to be properly supportive. I still have a black lace top that closes with little silver hooks I bought at the same time and I wear it as much as I can. I have even bought a garter belt there.

I've never been able to buy a bra from them, though. Back in the long-ago twilight of my 40DDD days, the only DDD bras they had in the stores started at 42DDD. Of course, I still remember the time I went in there a few years back and was carrying clothes towards the dressing room as the saleslady tried to sell me a bra. She said they had some really great ones that I'd just love! What was my size? "40H." That stopped her dead.

I love Torrid too, though. I remember my first glimpse of them in 2004. I was strolling through the mall when a larger-than-normal mannequin caught my eye, and I stopped to look...Went in...realized that all their clothes would fit me. Of course, I had simply no money at the time, so I left empty-handed. I have since bought the greatest pair of boots in the history of mankind from their website: corset boots with laces up front AND back and zippered sides. Two inch platforms, five inch heels. All that, and they actually close over my big calves.

I too wanted to say that the stuff you get from the catalog and the store are different. The stuff you see in the catalog is cheap looking and old lady'ish. I've shopped the stores in the past and have never had a problem with the quality of their clothes. The prices are another story though, lol. For the most part, they have nice clothes and the styles are up to date...nothing like what's in the catalog. And, I always thought that they didn't just cater to big women, but also tall women. To me a size 14 is not plus size and they do sell size 14's. Which could be two reasons the skinny ones are in the catalogs. Funny story...years ago (1991) while living in CA I frequented a LB there. And they would do runway shows out in the mall. I was asked if I would be a model for a big discount on anything in the store I wanted for that day. And I could pick what I wanted to wear too. I was definitely flattered but turned it down. I don't consider myself shy, but that wasn't something I could ever do. Never was good in front of a crowd, and at the mall on a Saturday! No way.

As far as Catherine's goes...ick! I went in one once and all the stuff they had was old looking as in old lady styles.

What is Torrid? Not heard of that one.

I'm a short (5'4") size four, though I'm pretty curvy (packing DD or DDD depending on brand and wide hips) and most people think i'm bigger then i am (typically think about a size 8), and not particularly attractive, but was approached to be a plus size model for some local store. I was confused, because there was no way that I could wear the clothes they carried, not to mention I was 18 and they were much older looking then I would ever look normal in. I found it really odd, because I find it insane that some companies consider 12/14 to be plus sized.

I don't understand why companies don't design the clothes to fit their clients, and not the models. There are styles that flatter every body type. There are somethings that would only look attractive on a 5'11" size zero model with no boobs. Somethings are much more flattering on plus sized women then smaller women. People would be more likely to spend money if clothes are flattering for their body type. All women are beautiful and even stores like LB that try to seem empowering to women aren't really at all, because like all other companies with models, they tell women that they should be something they are not. Always smaller. Always. I hate the fashions are Torrid/hot topic/most mall stores, because I can't stand the idea of showing skin because I'm a twenty year old prude who doesn't wear swimsuits, shorts, short skirts, clevage shirts, or tight pants (explaination: spent a good portion of my life among a very conservative mennonite community, and learned to stay covered in reverence to other's faith... nothing else stuck, i'm an atheist, but that did).