Ubergirl, I agree about the Nordstrom sale/ personal shopper. I get a lot of my clothes there because both the shopping and the alterations are pretty painless. My mom is around a 14/16 and her style sounds similar to yours. She was just raving about all the great stuff she found, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble. Happy shopping!

Not rude at all to ask my size! I bought pants and skirts in a 14 yesterday. I was able to zip up 12s, but they felt too skinny in the thighs. The shirts are all Ls.

Wow! Zipping up 12s is fantastic! You are almost there! My thighs would fit a 12 but my tummy is a definite 14 (or more...)...

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll let you all know how it goes.