Up until recently I've had to shop in the plus size section or Old Navy. Last weekend I realized I can fit a 16 at American Eagle and Aeropostale. For once not in the largest size they carry . What size/weight/height were you when you could finally shop at places that don't carry plus sizes? How much longer am I gonna be walking by the "normal" girl shops and not even bothering?

Maybe about 170#? That's when I fit well in 14s. 16s were always iffy for me - regular 16s were too tight/didn't fit right, plus 16s were too big/fit weird.

At my heaviest I was 223 and I never had to shop at the plus sized stores - most of my clothes came from NY&Co, Macy's, the Gap, and H&M. Granted, I was always a size 14/16. If you fit into a 16 at American Eagle/Aeropostale (which I never could, thank you, butt), you can probably start shopping at "normal" size stores now. Just beware of places like Express and the Limited, as they have not yet realized that women have hips.

In highschool/college I was between 155 and 170 and I was a solid size 12 then...I think everyone's body is different, but just go and try stuff on!

For some reason I'm terrified to walk into Express or Forever 21... I can't even think of names of other stores because I don't bother paying attention. I'm afraid the sales girls will look at me like "WTH are you doing in here??" *sigh*

ValRock: Most of my wardrobe is from Forever 21. They have adorable tops (I can't fit into their bottoms, besides their leggings), but if I can wear their stuff at 209, I'm sure you can at 196. And it's relatively inexpensive. And they also have a plus size line as well if the larges are too snug.

I'm a comfortable size 16 in the waist but find the legs are still tight but 18 in legs are right but waist is too big

I've got a pretty solid hourglass figure. Although if my boobies keep dissapearing at this rate I'll be a pear LOL. Most things are too big in the waist to fit my hips but I can fix that with a belt or with the sewing machine, pretty easily. I can't wait to get to a place where I'm not so aware of my size, if that makes sense. When I was down to my ideal weight before I never really lost the "fat girl" complex. I'm done having kids so I hope to maintain long enough to someday get over it.... hopefully!

I was just barely into plus sizes (18W) at 220. When I was around 200 I could wear a regular 16 easily. Now at 155 I'm a 6. I would never have believed I would be this size at this weight. Like stellarose said, peoples' bodies are so different you can't really go by weight/height, you just have to try stuff on.

I would try New York and Company, or Ann Taylor.

I shop in Express a lot - mostly for tops because they do account for boobies - and the sales girls are always very nice. When I was 195 I was able to buy jeans there, it was right after they came out with their curvy jeans.

wow thats awesome to be 155 and wear a 6, i weigh 145 and wear a 12 just shows everyone is different

When I was 197lbs, a size 16 at 'normal' stores was a bit loose (I'm 5'4). Most normal stores (but not all) carry size 16's, although not alot of each item so they tend to sell out fast. I WISH I had known that Express and The Limited ran small in the hips. I remember pulling on size 14's there, but they wouldnt button over my hips and I was SO sad! I convinced myself that I hadn't really made that much of a change in my body, even though I had lost 4 dress sizes!!

I have lost 42 pounds since September but I have not really changed sizes yet... I started in 18(though I am guessing those were really streched out and should have been a 20) and I can't really get in to 16's comfortably yet... My 18 are literally falling off! I bought a new pair of pants(18) and they are not any better- so I gave away a bunch of my big clothes to my sister, but I can't really find much to fit right at this time... so I still have some clothes that are huge on me.... I can pull all of my pants off without undoing them and some are really falling off if I don't use a belt- I can't wait until I can just fit a 16 solidly then I can get some new clothes! My last shopping trip was not fun... the 16 capris zipped but were oh so tight! I thought I might suffocate... my dbf said buy them and they will fit, but it is too sad to have clothes around you can't wear.... I am hoping maybe in about 10 more lbs there will be a change?

I'm such a cheapskate I can't handle buying new clothes only to have them not fit a month later. I've been going to a plus-size consignment shop nearby. $10 jeans and $8 shirts. (Not really on topic, I guess. Oh well.)

I just bought jeans 2 weeks ago and they're big on me. I'm going to try and shrink them, but in the meantime I went and got a size 14 at Old Navy. I was never able to wear their jeans before.

It will vary wildly because of body fat percentage. At the same weight, someone who has muscle mass will be a whole lot smaller than someone who doesn't.

That's one of the good reasons to exercise and keep diet pretty moderate.