I haven't worn a halter top since I was 15. I'm 48 now, so the chances of me wearing one are.....zero, actually. LOL. But I had to comment on those stupid "shelf" bras. Is anyone really under the illusion that those provide any kind of support at *all*? That thin little piece of nylon lining and the tiny strip of elastic at the bottom!?? Usually the thing isn't even big enough to reach under where my boobs GO, let alone under them and to support them. I automatically reject any top that has a "shelf bra" because I know that A: I will have to wear a bra anyway and B: I will have a strip of elastic going across the middle of my boobs and showing through the other side!

I think I got like one good pair of jeans from there, but they got holes in the thighs which makes me sad because they looked so good on me. The jeans there suck some major nuts. They go all the way to my belly button so I feel like Urkel (more so than usual with those jeans there) AND the fly always comes undone even though they fit just fine. The fabric is, like mentioned, uncomfortable and I have to sell my organs on the black market just to afford clothes there. I have a better time going to like...Fashion Bug or even Wal-Mart and getting a cheaper top (Wal-Mart actually has given me a couple of my favorite shirts and sweaters in the past) that is simple and well...cheaper. I could buy like 10 shirts at Wally Word for the price of one at Layne Bryant.

I no longer shop at LB, because we dont have one in my city! And I'd rather not shop online with them, since their clothes are hit or miss when it comes to fitting me.

I tend to shop Kohl's (and proud to say I bought my first XL and L sweater from the regular section this month - its been years since I could do that!!), Dots (but their clothes can be umm... slightly trashy sometimes), and sometimes ON online (since we dont have one of those either).

I'm not really a huge fan of LB anymore, either. Especially since the sizing system has changed. I can't understand it at all anymore. I could only ever afford to shop there when I worked there some years ago and got a discount. The 40% (at the time) discount brought the prices down to "reasonable".

And to those who commented about the mannequins, I always hated that too. I learned when I worked there that the mannequins are sized between a 12 and 14, since LB doesn't even carry sizes below a 14, I always thought that was hugely misleading to those of us who shopped there.

I find shopping an adventure. I only go to Lane Bryant for panties and sleepwear on sale. I shop at Ashley Stewart and they have great sales but I have to go through a bunch of stuff to find something that compliments me. Not a big fan of Catos because their clothes seem to run small. Kohls clothes seem to be geared towards an older crowd. Of course I have to really look through the macy's sales rack to find something I want to pay for good thing I didn't buy a lot the last time because by the time the weather is good for wearing the pants I bought will be too big!! I love the sweaters and Penny's and Sears. I have found nice pants on sale at Sears so I love that. Then there's Ross...I usually rack up there. Oh and let me not forget Burlington Coat Factory.

In case you couldn't tell, I LOVE SHOPPING. That's why I can endure the adventure.

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!