My biggest issue with lane bryant jeans is that the crotch/upper thigh area is always really...baggy and weird. And the more I wear them, the looser and more noticeable that becomes. The last couple times I went to L.B., I overheard the salespeople telling customers that the clothes had a lot of stretch to them. Why??? I'd like my clothes to fit about the same at the end of the day as they did in the beginning!

I really like Old Navy for cheap stuff...and of course, Ross and Marshalls and Kohls. Target kind of gets on my nerves because it doesn't seem like they have their plus size stuff organized or set apart, really ( at least the one here), so I end up wandering around for a really long time....

I love shopping too though :)

I hate Lane Bryant's tops. They apparently think that plus sized women all have huge boobs and like to wear Omar the Tent Maker outfits. I have seen some cute things there, but not many.

Can't there be a middle ground between Lane Bryant and Torrid?

Personally I find the Avenue to be a middle ground, but it can also be a hit or miss. Sometimes I find absolutely great deals and cute shirts, other times I find nothing. They have very nice deals too. Much better prices if you go on sale days than other plus size stores. I still wear some sweaters I bought last year for $10 each. The only thing I haven't really tried at the Avenue is pants and undergarments. I have to admit I do like Lane Bryant for those. Avenue also carries some nice jewelry.

The store I dislike the most and won't shop at again is Catherine's. Their clothes are very "boxy" and have absolutely no figure to them. I don't think the quality of their clothes hold up in the longer run for what you pay for them.

So I failed to read the 6 pages of this thread, hopefully no one is upset,lol.

I just wanted to mention that here in NE Ohio gabriel brothers buys the clearance items from LB, Torrid, and some other plus stores. The plus section is reasonably sized, and usually I find a few things I need that fit right like jeans and tops. the key is to have the time to dig through the volume of cheaply made/damaged goods. This is a regional chain, so maybe y'all have one near you to check out. i know that I personally can excuse the weird way LB jeans fit when I only pay $5 a pair.

Lane Bryant does serva purpose, its really a mixed bag. Just like anything in life, you're gonna have to shop around. If you own a tape measure and have abuddy willing to help you measure yourself, you can try ordering from milanoo.com. I have had them make custom things for me and that way i get a well sown, quality outfit in my size. for anyone wanting to do this, i would highly suggest reading the faqs about placing a custom order. Mostly because little things like the with and lenth of your arms may be wider/longer than what they tyoically make. I did this and i found the price to be moderate, their eta is failry accurate and they will answer your questions before you place an order.

I'll have to check that out!

I forgot, have you ever been into CATO? They carry misses and plus sizes and when there's sales there's good deals. Not to mention some of their clothing is really cute. I totally forgot about them, I haven't been in there in over a year. Might check it out since we have one near.

I whole heartedly agree. Unless you have a coupon, it is EXTREMELY expensive! I tend to get disgruntled with most plus-sized fashion departments/stores....why do they think that overweight people want to walk around with Looney Tunes characters or Winnie the Pooh splattered all over their shirts? I do like Torrid....they have some very stylish things. I think the thing that bugs me the most about plus sized fashion is the flimsiness of the fabric.

I also hate Lane Bryant I am so glad I have falllen off the plus size charts and can wear large and xlarge and size 14 again. I am 5'10 and I don't like the fit of lane bryant on me. IMO lane bryant runs small second the clothes are expensive for the quality.

I always shopped Macy's or Jcpenny. I also like Tjmax and marshalls.

Hmm no, never heard of that place. I'll have to look it up and see if there's one close by sometime. I'm finally starting to fit back in to some of my older clothes, so no shopping sprees for me just yet.

I didn't read every previous entry either, but as for me:

I don't *hate* Lane Bryant. Maybe it varies by location, but here, I could find some cute outfits. I also like their Cacique undergarments. They tend to hold up better than Just My Size, and they're more comfortable than 18-hour.

Online, I like Roaman's or onestopplus.

And as for placement of the "women's" clothing, I wanna know why it's always right smack next to the the junior petite!

I like Lane Bryant to a point. It cost so much though and like others we don't have that money.

I shop a lot at Torrid and Marius.
Granted a bit expansive but they're super cute!

Interesting, I find that the Lane Bryants where I am are very fashionable so are the Ashley Stewarts (more so Ashley Stewart than Lane Bryant).

I'm 6 feet tall so my clothing, particularly my pants, have to be long (tall) and Lane Bryant is perfect for that.

I do enjoy shopping online for my shoes- I tried Torrid. Too bad Cato isn't in my area. From the website they look pretty fashionable.

As far as Lane Bryant, I can take/leave their clothes...but I LOVE their underwear and bras. I only go there when they have a big sale. I like them because they are trendy and they don't just have black/tan/white bras for my size. I can actually have a pretty bra there!

I usually shop Lane Bryant, Torrid, Avenue, and occasionally Maurice's.

If I had to pick a least favorite plus size section, I would pick Old Navy. First of all they are only online so you can't try anything on. Second of all their sizes are too variable. I bought two plus sized dresses there, one in a 2x and it was huge so I sent it back to get a 1x, then i bought another in a 1x because I figured they would be the same, and it was too small. Most of their clothes though just seem like you might as well be wearing a freaking potato sack though, they just don't know how to design for plus sized women.

I think its funny too about the tops. Not all of us Plus Size Ladies have large boobs. lol I wish I had that problem but I dont. I tried some shirt on once there that was super cute on but it looked like I could smuggle two small infants in that area. And Target is ridiclous with there maybe two racks of plus size and one pair of jeans only in a 24. And those were super ugly!

I can't wear the Lane Bryant bras but I love their underwear. I've got about 7 or 8 pairs of their string bikinis that are at least 5 years old and they all look really, really good. They've held up great!

I do all my shopping at thrift stores (except for underwear and socks)....Goodwill, Salvation Army and Family Thrift Center (a great local thrift store).

For one thing you already know how they will launder, etc. But it's the variety and the prices I love....not to mention the whole treasure-hunting aspect. I love hunting for treasures.

I have dropped 5 jeans sizes in 8 months...from 40" waist to 32" waist. Every time I dropped a size, I'd have had to purchase rather expensive replacements in a store...that I was planning to quickly diet out of. And I have a large family and can give all the 34's, 36's to sisters, etc. It's been just fabulous to drop a size and go get smaller jeans for just a few bucks and not have to worry about damaging your budget.

The other thing I really like about thrift stores is that there are often times that I don't like the popular styles of the moment.....and wish I could find older styles that I really liked and fit me well. You can't find these in regular stores but you CAN find these in thrift shops.

And honestly, after a few washes, the stuff looks just like the stuff in the stores....so why pay so much more? And you can get some great quality, brand-name stuff if you hunt....and they often look almost new.

deena :)

You have a good point, Deena. Losing weight, it would be impractical to keep buying everything new.

My solution is to sew clothing. I have fun doing that, and besides, I can get two entire business suits for like $50, materials included. :)

While I do agree that LB is overpriced, and the quality is questionable, I am not sure about the Jersey comment. I will also admit that even though I have about 5 LB stores within an hour drive from my home, what each store offers can vary alot. Some stores are too casual, some stores have a lot of professional clothes and very little casual, some stores have a whole separate room for just lingerie type items, etc.

What I find is that lb has nice dress shirts and to get them on sale and with any coupons possible.

I hate shopping, so I'm a little surprised I just read and enjoyed this entire thread! :dizzy: I feel like such a girl! LOL!

First off...many of you women who posted on the first page of this thread back in September can't be wearing LB anymore, according to your tickers. :carrot: Congratulations!

I love Lane Bryant as much as I hate it.

Pros:
I love their solid colored t-shirt type material shirts. They're comfortable and they're flattering when they don't plunge too low.

I love their Right Fit line, though the exact same line is 50% cheaper at Fashion Bug. ;) I just discovered that. Though their sizing chart must be inaccurate because it thinks I'm a triangle, but curvy fits like it was tailored for me. I have a large rear and hips and a small-ish waist.

This must be an age thing (I'm 35), but I feel like they're trendy. :o

Cons:
I hate feeling like I've been delegated to a special store, like I don't fit in the regular store. I think all stores who carry plus sizes should just mix the plus in with the regular! Why is that so hard? Each clothing rack holds more than one style, so just put one style in many sizes on one rack. I really don't get it.

Their patterns are hideous. I don't wear clothes that shout "LOOK AT ME!"

All non-right fit pants fit horribly. They think we're all apple shapes. If I manage to get them over my rear and hips, the waist gaps terribly.

On the plus side, I can almost officially say I can't shop there anymore. :carrot: I'm finally in a size 16, but now and then I still find a pair of 16's that are too small. I am on the edge and loving it!

I am a size 14-16 and I can get the best of both worlds at times (depending on the item )-- I really like Kohl's Plus Sized department and some of Lane Bryants stuff is cool -- I just know what styles work for my body (Thank You What Not to Wear !! ) I used to like Torrid when I was younger , but since I am in my 30's now , I find their clothes too trendy for me --
Dress Barn and Fashion Bug can have some nice items too !!

You just have to go into the stores and find styles that work for YOU !

It's all about finding the right locations. I know of 2 locations (one near my current place and one near my parents old place) that have a good plus size section. The countless other locations I've been to suck. Their winter stuff is ugly though. I got lots of cute dresses and a few tops last summer, but I haven't found anything since around August.

I so agree about Lane Bryant catering to the 6-foot and taller woman. And the styles -- yikes!! I must admit, however, that I love LB's Cacique bras and panties. They're awesome!

Old Navy has a fairly decent selection of plus size clothing, but again, the jeans run fairly long.

Before I transitioned from plus size to misses, I found a lot of very nice-looking business casual clothing at CJ Banks, but I would never pay full price for anything there, as it could get a bit costly. I could get pants at a length that didn't require additional hemming and the blouses were always very flattering.

And now that I'm in misses sizes, Coldwater Creek is a definite monkey on my back! Stop me before I shop again!

-- JJ

I don't go to Lane Bryant either.

I shop TJ Maxx & AJ Wright, their stores near me are huge & I always find stuff really cheap.

Online I do Chadwicks & Roamans which I think both might be sorta comparable to Lane Bryant BUT you can find really low prices and search for coupon codes. IDK, I got some cute plus size sweaters and tops from Chawicks this winter and I even bought a jacket & a houndstooth coat that is adorable. Quality is sometimes an issue but as I said, I coupon & clearance shop so I don't pay a lot. Don't feel bad then, if I wear a blouse 3 times and then toss it. Would never never buy their jeans, though.

Also like Fashion Bug pretty well, their Studio 1940 clothes especially and I coupon/clearance with them too and get great deals! Five dollar espadrilles was one of my recent finds, also got some pretty nice yoga pants for seven bucks : ) and they fit great.

I live in Oklahoma and they opened a new store called avenue. I really like it and their close are fashionable. I am 22 and my mom is in her 40s and we both can shop their and find great buys. They do have a website. Just google avenue or avenue plus size.

I am surprised by all the Torrid mentions. I like to be trendy and hip as much as anyone, but their stuff is so whorish and poor quality.

I am a big dress wearer and will invest in pieces from Nordstroms or other box corver mall stores. Avenue has some nice things, but they are getting more suspect in quality lately too. LB has good pieces and I will buy online much cheaper than in stores many times.

whorish

Torrid skirts f* for money? Exactly what are these skirts made out of?

I use Lane Bryant for pants and jeans, cause their Right Fit actually DOES fit!
However, their tops NEVER do! I use Avenue for tops. They've got a decent business collection, however they do tend to be a bit long... the "tunic" go to my knees...

I have found some good plus size stuff at Newport News, and Penneys too, needed to find a decent dress to wear to my son's wedding for example. Have moved between fitting into Victoria's Secret at times, but still cling to some plus size items for comfort around the house, depends on how the eating is going. Maintaining is harder than losing, to me at least.

:lol:


I haven't had any problems with cheap clothing quality for Torrid. They do carry a variety of brands and you have to find what fits you. For example, Tripp makes a lot of their more punky clothes (which I was really into around 15-17 years old), but Tripp uses a lot of weird stretch materials and always fit me horribly (pants- tight in the thighs, huge in the waist; shirts- tight in the waist, huge in the bust). But a lot of the other brands there fit great and last much longer than my Lane Bryant shirts (which as mentioned earlier in the thread shrink in odd ways to become super wide and short). Some of the brands, like Z.Cavaricci (my favorite brand for jeans) are also carried in overpriced plus size boutiques.

I weigh a bit more than you but I can still wear clothes from many mainstream stores. Have you tried Gap, Old Navy, or Banana they all go up to at least 18, 20 if not higher:)

I also love Old Navy's stuff. LB clothes always make me feel like an old lady, but Old Navy things are usually very flattering on me. I wear an XXL tops and plus size bottoms, so I can only buy tops in the store, but I get almost all my clothes there. It's pretty cheap, so I buy a ton of stuff pretty frequently.

I went to Old Navy a couple weeks ago, found some great outfits that were super cute then left crying after I tried them on. They were not flattering at all. As for Nordstrom or places like those I, as well as some others, cannot afford to shop there. I was laid off in October so funds are tight. Forget Walmart because we all know how cheaply made their clothes usually are and even Target lately doesn't have anything I would wear in public. Lane Bryant pants are too big and long for me and their tops make me feel I am wearing drapes. I have given up on shopping for clothes. I figure that's one more motivation to lose weight.

Fat doesn't set so well on 5'3". It's so hard to find clothes for my shortness that don't make me look even more squatty and fat than I already am.

I have had a mix of experiences. Layne Bryant is hit and miss for me and so is Torride, Avenue, and Catherines. As a result, I really have had to be creative.
For me, I have found the opposite. I feel like some of the plus size clothes are all triangle cut.... That All of us are all boobs and bellies with no other shapes to worry about. I know I am fat, but for heavens Sake! I still have a body!

Okay.... off the soap box now... I have found also that places like Ross or Marshalls, have a decent (not great) plus size section. You have to look, but I have found some really cute tops and jeans there. Good luck!

Why do people hate Lane Bryant? There's some REALLY cute stuff in there, you just have to look for it. In fact, most of my clothes are from Lane Bryant and I have gotten plenty of compliments on how I dress. Of course there are some hideous pieces that I would never wear, but I see those in EVERY store. I can't WAIT until I can shop in "regular" stores, but I am very thankful to Lane Bryant for giving me cute clothes to wear while I'm well over 200lbs! In fact, I'll miss a few tops once I can't fit into them anymore. Torrid also has some cute things sometimes.

I think its all about your style versus your body type. Personally i find places like Catherines, newport news, and dress barn has clothes that, in my mind, are the school marm look. Its just me...it may work wonderfull on someone else. at my heaviest (and widest)the bulk of my clothes came from LB and, suprisingly enough, Macy's. as Ive dropped down, I can now shop at Old Navy and the Gap for pants, and trendy stores like Forever 21 for tops. I try to stay out of a lot of plus size stores as they tend to be similar. When i was younger fashion bug had nice styles, but now they tend to have clothes for the older (30s & up) woman. Ironically a lot of their "regular" sizes keep with the times a little better...i think it has something to do with the cut.

Now compared with 15 years ago LB had done a great job in keeping with trends. Still its hit or miss for me, and i only buy stuff that is on sale - rarely at the original price. and I'll say this for LB, their bras hold up way longer than some other brands *coughvictoriassecretcough.*;)

I've always thought that stores should all be together clothing wise. What size they go up to? Who knows. I've been as high as 26 in pants and 28 in shirts, and now where a 14/16 in each. But why not have size 0-whatever all in the same section?

ANNNNNNND you'd think that stores like pac sun, Buckle, Gap, Hot Topic, etc would carry more sizes for those who weigh more than 130 pounds. :/

I have the opposite problem at LB as many posters have. I'm super tall and most shirts, expects those designed to be tunics, are too short (this is the case at all plus size stores). And the pants...the LB stores in my area have stopped carrying their tall lengths in store. They can order and ship them, but then there is the hassle of buying something without trying it on and potentially having to return the pants.

I hate LB too. Their clothes are shapeless and ridiculously overpriced.

Torrid has SOME cute stuff but a lot of it is really cheap quality and too overpriced but they are GREAT for shoes.

Forever 21 + / Faith 21 has cute stuff but it's so dang limited and they only have the great stuff online so shipping and not being able to try on is a thumbs down too.

Agreed!
 

I absolutely hate Lane Bryant. I've been saying it for years. The only reason their clothes look good is because the pin them back (alot) on the mannequins! I hear their lingerie is pretty solid though from other girls. The bras don't fit right for me though. If you're looking for stylish plus sized clothing shop the sales at Torrid or torrid.com. They can be pricey but their sale items can be great. Often their stuff is just fitted enough and their styles range from nerdy to urban to chic and its always pretty awesome!