DH is bugging me about buying me an outfit for Christmas and wants to know where to go. I'm not that into buying some new clothes right now. But he really wants to. Brave man!

So, what are your favorite brands? Or a certain item you cannot be without.

I have HUGE upper legs (32 inches) and upper arms (19 inches). Had my body fat analysis done this morning, and yep, they are %-wise the "fattest" part of my body. This was the way it was 9 years ago after I'd lost 120 pounds also - only it looked Ok then! That said, getting things to fit that aren't stretchy is kinda hard. And usually stretchy isn't all that flattering. So what brands or styles is general have you found work for you? I find that many of the plus sized stores (LB, FBug, Ave...) are sized for women with larger middles, so lots of their stuff doesn't work for me on top - because to get the arms to fit, I'd need a 26. but a 18-20 fits my torso. And most of the pants are too tight in the upper thighs as well when it's a nice fit at the waist. I wear scrubs to work, so that's easy. But other than that I'm wearing mainly a.n.a. or St. John's Bay womens sized tops from JCPenney and Lane Bryant jeans and slacks. I don't spend a lot of time shopping for myself, so I dont' know if I'm missing a cool store or line that carries plus sizes.

I have the SAME problem! My waist is 2 sizes smaller than my LEGS, and my ARMS/SHOULDERS are 1-2 sizes bigger than my middle....I hope someone will have some suggestions for you that I can steal......

I actually have the opposite problem (HUGE middle and smaller legs), but went to a couple of sites where I've seen cute things before (hope this isn't too late -- I just saw your post!) I don't know how to post links, but this has a cute flouncy top that would be forgiving to larger arms and would work with a stretchy pant.
http://www.jms.com/product/20496.html

If you like dresses (which I think can be more flattering sometimes for the hips and legs, but I know not everyone likes to wear dresses), this one will give you a bit more room in the arms and let you cinch a little more in the waist where you need less room.
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm?...t=0&disptype=3
It looks like they only have limited sizes left, though.

Thanks! That dress is very pretty - and I do wear skirts and dresses because they cover my legs but show my waist. Problem is that because of the size of my arms, I only do 3/4 length or longer.

I did get a good suggestion on another post to try Torrid. A lot of their stuff was a little too "skinny" (fitted) for me, but some of the stuff looked nice. So I ordered some stuff (from DH!), but don't have them yet. Hopefully they're not too funky or young for me.

Besides the stores already mentioned for plus sizes...I only know of Oldnavy.com (lots of cute plus sized clothes! but only online) and a cheaper store to find some cute clothes is Dots.
Sounds like you might want to consider finding an affordable seamstress to help you with your clothes. Having something altered...especially if it's something nice that you want to wear more than once...sounds like the best idea. Having clothes that fit well, and knowing that you look good, is SUCH a confidence booster, so it might be worth a try. It'd be great if you knew a crafty with a sewing machine, too! That'd be cheaper.
Sorry I don't have any other suggestions. I hope you find something fabulous that you like! =)

happy holidays...