I'm with many of you that Torrid is my favorite plus size shop, but Lane Bryant is my second. Macys and other departments store are so ugly and frumpy, not to mention they have like zero turnover. I shop at Macy's maybe 4 times a year and every time I go in they still have half the same stuff as the last time I was there! I tried the Avenue, Rainbow, and Ashley Stewart because they are close and cheaper. I've found one dress at the Avenue I love; never found a single other item I like there. Rainbow's clothes are mega cheap quality and usually fit weird. And Ashley Stewart just doesn't do it for me. I walked into Catherine's for the first time ever today; OMG it was BAD!!! ... Ugh, Lane Bryant's clothes aren't stellar but given these options, well at least I can find some decent stuff that doesn't fit like a potato sack!

i feel you on this one...i don't like LB either...their jeans come up too high, and their shirts are kinda tacky at times...
wannabeskinny, i see you live in nyc, just wanted to share- there is a vintage/resale store in brooklyn called re/dress. they have lots of cool stuff, all size 14 and up. its cheap, and i ALWAYS walk out with something. they have a website, i'm not sure if i can post it, but you can google it :)

I like Fashion Bug. I've never been to Torrid, but have been to their site and they have some good stuff too, but both stores are too pricey for me these days.

http://www.redressnyc.com/

Thanks! I'll try it out soon!

hi all,
i'm new to the board but just had to 'post :)
i used to absoultely LOVE torrid, now it's gotten to, i dont know, trendy, i guess. all the skinny/hi-rise jeans and 'twilight' shirts. i miss the days of wide leg jeans and cherry covered hoodies...
lane bryant has some cute things, but only on the mannequins. the jeans are incredibly hi-rise, even the 'low rise' ones. and i'm 5'9 with a 33" inseam, and can't get the pants the right length- either way too short or way too long.
one of my friends started svoboda jeans, and i'm trying to convince her to bring wide-leg back in style. so far no luck though.

try alloy.com
and
alight.com

I like Lane Bryant...Dress Barn, Fashion Bug, etc - but I don't need business clothes - and I'm not super choosey. Fashion Bug saves me money, so I try there before LB - more expensive.

Like Fresh Produce clothes too (can find online) - we had a small store that had it at the shore.

Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Catherines are the same parent company

Man, I can't wait to have new size selections! It's like an entire world of shopping will open up to me. Places I vacation, there are like 1-2 stores I can shop -- can't wait for that too!

:Dugh I've gotten to where I hate Lane Bryant. Haven't shopped there in forever. In the past though that's the only place that I knew of that sold plus-sized clothing for women. But I've recently discovered some great new places that have younger more appealing clothing compared to the mawmaw fabric/moomoo's Lane Bryant tends to sale. So check them out ladies!..
(I can't post links yet since I'm a new member but here's the names)
Torrid
Alloy
Kiyonna
Forever21 (faith21 plus size)
bandlu
1-plus



Happy Shopping!!:D

I love Torrid but I find their sizes to be super inconsistent, like one size 2 top will be too big and another size 3 top will be too small. Kiyonna is expensive for what it is. And everything I've ever bought from Old Navy besides jeans has fallen apart way too quickly. Lane Bryant is hit and miss for me as well, I have found shirts there that I LOVE but they have a ton of stuff I would never wear. And I refuse to buy their pants (or is it just jeans) with those silly size guidelines, a size 18 blue triangle, quit trying to be different LB it's just confusing.

I'm sick of all of these stores selling shirts that have super short sleeves, or long sleeved shirts that cut off right at your waist, oh ya that's flattering.

Truly I haven't found any store that fits the bill for me so lately I've been buying clothes from QVC just because I can read their reviews and their return policy makes it super easy.

I no longer shop in Lane Bryant (their sizes don't go small enough and oh how I love that!) but when I did I was often disappointed, I thought the quality of the clothes was very poor and the fabrics were weird and it was sometimes pricey. Unfortunately right now I'm too small for plus size stores but often still too big for the large or xlarge in regular size stores. Argh!

Count me in as another hater of Lane Bryant. The clothes are not my style; they seem designed for women who want to hide their body under tunics that look like tents. I'm fat, but I have good curves and I'll be damned if I'm going to drape them in a muu muu.

There are lots of on-line alternatives available. Shopping on-line is not ideal, because you can't try things on, but you can always return things that don't fit, and it beats shopping in person at a crappy store you hate. Depending upon what kind of clothes you want:

* Torrid has already been mentioned
* Eddie Bauer is great for basics like jeans, polo shirts, sweaters. Most of their styles come in W or X sizes.
* Eileen Fisher is more expensive but absolutely wonderful for business or dressy clothes.
* eShakti.com is a lesser-known place that I shop from occasionally. They make traditional Indian clothes and Indian-inspired western clothes in all kinds of sizes. They can even make them to order on measurements you specify.

best of luck.

I leave in California...and here in the SF Valley there are a few storea called Fashion Q there wonderful I absolutely love them I am lucky that I have not gone to a lane bryant but I have bought from torrid and have to say that they are great too aspecially there boots since they make them wide from the calf love them.. :)

i second the Eddie Bauer- love them! Haven't found pants that fit right, but their tops are great.
i also hate the LB. i once bought a pair of capris that were long enough to be regular pants. yes, i'm short but seriously?!
also the bras? i would at the LEAST like my nipple covered up. what the heck? i know they're heavy but somehow the bra winds up UNDER my boobs instead. is this on purpose or am i deformed?!
frankly i don't need $80 pants that fall apart in a few months and go all the way up to my boobs - wait maybe that works better then their bras?! lol.

I know it is better to be proactive than to complain...I wish these designers would have to wear some of their items.;):D

Being petite, too many tops are far too long.

It is funny that you posted this: I thought this about my last shopping experience...many stores design as if you have one foot in the grave.:(

All we can do is dedicate our next workout to how much we abhor plus sized clothing stores and keep doing it until we reach goal.