those tops start out too long- but am i the only one who gets a top, washes it, and then somehow it comes out- shorter and wider then it started?! what the heck?!

It's interesting to hear the different issues people have. I'm tallish, so I don't usually have problems with the length of LB pants (occasionally the regulars are too short, but the talls are miles too long). And I never had problems with their bras not covering me. ****, half the time the shirts are lower cut than the bras! But they are great t-shirt bras, smooth and full coverage. I used to work at a Lane Bryant so when I go in I already have a very good sense of what does and doesn't work on me and don't waste my time on a lot of their stuff (i.e. I know that their stock jeans don't fit me right, but the specialty ones usually do). I also got lots of free bras. It was my favorite perk of working there. Every time they get a new style of bra in, the employees get one free so they can talk about the differences from experience.

And I guess I must have a long torso because I don't think their pants come up too high at all. I was so psyched when high-rise pants came in style and soooo sad to see them go. I hate how all my jeans come right below the belly button, because that's the widest part of my body. Having no hips/a$$ to hold the pants up, gravity takes over. Low-rise pants are even worse because then my belly hangs over the top. High-rise jeans are the only pants that stay up on my body, so I bought several pairs when they were in style (you know, that whole 2 months). But now I'm down 2 sizes and can't find high-rise jeans anywhere!

And I'm sooo with the rant about the weird sizing (they instituted this after I stopped working there and I don't get it at all). Sizes 1-7 circle, triangle or square, what the **** is that? It doesn't corrospond to anything! I went in and asked "I'm a size 22 or 3x, what does that make me in these sizes?" And she tells me, oh you can't go by that I have to measure you. Great. I don't like being touched. I hated measuring people when I worked at lane bryant and it's even worse being on the other end. Anyhow, she tells me I'm a 4 square because I have no butt (and feels the need to smack my non-butt as she says so). They didn't have any squares so I tired on the 4 triangle. They fit perfectly. Which leaves me with the question, what the **** do the women with big a$$es wear?

*note- I was just looking at the "rightfit" sizing on their website, and there is no option for your hips to be smaller than your waist. I guess I'm an anomoly.

wow, sorry so long

Funny you should mention, I was trying on old tops today (mostly from LB) because I'm newly fitting in a smaller size. And nearly all of them were so freaking wide and short! They looked aweful. I like long tops, they lengthen and slim the torso

LB uck! I do go in occasionally 2 look around...I too don't like to show ALL MY CLEAVAGE LOL

What I don't get is this...just cuz I am a "wide gal" doesn't mean my arms are ape like....

Of course I am short and I wear a 4x...that size is hard to find...actually I like 5x but sometimes they are too big. I even have to shorten the petite pants!

Cathy

http://freshproduceclothes.com/

Lane Bryant usually fits me well, and I like to get my bras from them, but I am also a very tall lady at 5'11", and their clothes seem geared toward the taller people.

Most of their inventory is a bit frumpy, though, and not really appropriate for someone my age. I like a younger look. I use them for business attire, and I bought my suit for a funeral there, lol.

I really prefer Fashion Bug. They have the cutest things, their stuff seems to fit the best, and while they can be pricey, their sales are always fantastic!

I'm a little sick of LB myself. I do shop there. I like their t-shirts. Although, expensive, I only buy them when they are on clearance. If you go just about anywhere else these days, t-shirts are either too long for us short ladies and we look like we are wearing a shrunken dress with jeans or they are meant to "fit" your curves. I'm not one to enjoy flaunting the tire in my middle or my love handles. I know they are there, I am not oblivious and I don't want to show them off. lol Old Navy is probably the worst offender for constantly selling "t-shirts" that are suppose to fit you like a pair of tights.

LB is hit or miss with shirts. Sometimes they are just plain hideous. I don't really want to pay this amount of money to wear an old 70's couch pattern. But the upside is that when I do find something there, I usually fall in love with it! The jeans there are awful. I'm 5'2" and the "shorts" look like high waters and the "regulars" are even too long for my heels. Also, anyone ever notice that their jeans smell funny? Complete turn off. I love Target for shirts and Old Navy for pants/jeans. JC Penny's is pretty great too. Those are really the only stores I frequent.

hahaha i think it's funny so many people are talking about their clothes being frumpy. my last straw with them was that they were selling halter tops! I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this - but if you have to buy your bras at LB you probably shouldn't be wearing a halter top! it's been a few years but when i went in there it was all fairly trashy clothes.

hahaha 70's couch pattern.

while i'm at it- catherines here seems to be very... well i dunno maybe if i was 18 feet tall, 70 years old and on my way to church it'd be okay.... and then there's a CJ Banks here- hit or miss. their plain stuff is usually good for basics, but man do they go overboard with the applique's. like really- is this giant giraffe on my shirt supposed to distract people from my fat? why does everything have to be bedazzled?!

Honestly although I don't wear LB clothes I don't find the idea of halter tops appalling. Just because some women are overweight that doesn't necessarily mean that they look bad in clothes. It's actually a nice thing to see a variety of clothing when most plus size clothes are frumpy. Since when did halter tops enter the "trashy" category? I wore halter tops even at my heaviest... but I love every inch of the skin that was exposed (back and arms), and although heavy I still felt like I had a nice shape.

I'm not defending LB, just halter tops. Funnily enough I got one of my halter tops at LB, along with the bra I wore it with which had adjustable/removable straps.

So true about Old Navy. I buy tank tops, long sleeve tees, and the occasional t-shirt there when they're on sale for about $7. I'm still wearing a large in their tees/tanks/etc, and I *like* to show off my waist.

I think things like halters are all in how you do them. They can be skanky on a size 6 and classy on size 20. It all depends.

I'm really suprised at all the dislike of Lane Bryant. I'm in "regular" sizes now, but it was a sad day when I realized that I don't belong in Lane Bryant anymore. For a long, long time, it was the only place that I could buy sweaters that fit and still made me look like I had a shape. In order to get tops to fit around the bust, they were huge around the middle at most other places, but I sometimes had good luck with tops that fit at LB. Bottoms were a little dicier, but I was often lucky enough to find pants that were long enough there. And for the short girls--you can cut pants off, but I can't make them longer so I appreciate it when manufacturers make pants long. Learn to love your tailor or your dry cleaners; they can hem your pants for you.

I did find LB to be expensive, so I tried to shop sales. I have many pairs of their bikini panties that I bought years ago and they still look and fit like new, so those were a good investment. I was never able to find bras to fit there since they didn't carry my cup size, but I always wished I could wear them because they were so pretty.

Yeah, I really liked LB. It was nice to take stuff into the dressing room and know that at least some of it would fit.

LB clothes tend to be a little flashy and youngish for me. I also don't like to wear short sleeve shirts, they seem to be big on that. I like their bras, always get mine there, and underwear. If I dig around at Macy's I can find tops that I like, they also have a good selection of nice suits.

I've been to Re/Dress in Brooklyn. I bought a couple of tops there. Great prices and fun clothes.

I love Dress Barn for women's sizes.

i guess it's not the halter top itself which is the offender-but the lack of bra that usually acompanies it. but if they made a bra that stays up to go with it- then that's awesome. the ones i saw when i was in there were meant to be skin tight and had that sorta flimsy shelf liner to hold up the girls. no thanks!

Point taken and tried. Honestly? After paying anywhere from $35 (on sale) to $70 for one single pair of jeans, which might I add is ridiculous, why would anyone want to pay even more money to go have said jeans "fixed"? If I'm paying that much money, they shouldn't have to be "fixed" by someone else. I've gone the route of sucking it up and buying super ridiculously long pants and had them professionally hemmed. No matter who I took them to or what the reviews were for said tailor, within 10 washes the hem was out and needed to be redone. I remember one particular time a pair of jeans came undone after ONE wash. Stupid ridiculous!!!!

I guess the grass is always greener. lol Sucks to be tall and short. But us shorties don't exactly have an easy fix either.