Where to Buy Plus Size Clothes – Fill Your Plus Size Closet

Now that you have determined what clothing you need for your plus size capsule wardrobe, you are probably asking yourself “Where do I get the clothing I need for my plus size closet?” I’m going to list my favorite stores and venues to purchase plus size clothing. There are several places I like to shop, online and in store, and I will expound on the advantages and disadvantages of each method. When we are done, you will know where to buy plus size clothes!

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Buying Online vs Buying from a “Brick and Mortar Store”

While we are discussing where to buy plus size clothes, I will tell you up front that I am partial to buying my plus size clothing online. Here are the reasons:

• Brick and Mortar stores do not have a good plus size selection, and at times won’t have my size in stock.
• Online stores have a huge selection of colors and styles and will almost always have my size.
• There are so few brick and mortar stores that cater to ONLY plus size women. I hate trying on clothing in stores that don’t cater to plus size women, because I feel like I’m being judged. Plus you will see rack after rack of small-medium-large clothing, but in the back you will see the 3 or 4 racks of plus size offerings. (Whoa, and be careful because they will be mixed in with the maternity clothing sometimes too!).
• So, in a store that appears to have hundreds of potential outfits, you will find maybe three things you want to try on. It’s very frustrating.
• Also, I live in an area that is devoted to sports and fitness. So, even the local Walmart or Target has a limited amount of plus size clothing.

The Exception

• There is one exception, a brick and mortar store that caters to plus size women. Lane Bryant. I have never once gone into a Lane Bryant store and felt judged, or felt like there was nothing for me there. The sales people are all plus size women, so they know the challenges and heart aches of going to a store and finding nothing to wear. I really appreciate that Lane Bryant “gets it” when it comes to selling to plus size women.
• I do admit too that a brick and mortar store will allow you to try things on, so there is less of a need to return items if they don’t fit. You know before you buy.
• Another disadvantage to buying online, my favorite stores sometimes won’t link like-products together. For example, I have always liked the travel sets advertised in the catalogs. These sets often have pants, skirts, blouses, and dresses that are all mix and matchable. But when they are listed online often you aren’t aware that these items are part of a set.
• Lane Bryant, for instance will show a woman wearing a suit with pants, blouse, and jacket, but will only feature the blouse. They don’t tell you where to get the other pieces, or link you to the other pieces, so you can buy them as well. The only way to get them is to search and search and hope you get the matching pants or jacket you see in the other listing.

For more info on buying online vs. buying at brick and mortar stores, click here.

Without Further Ado….

Here are my favorite places to buy plus size clothing:

Lane Bryant

(some items available at Amazon) I mentioned Lane Bryant before because I like their brick and mortar stores. They also have a great online venue. I mentioned I have a store credit card with Lane Bryant. This affords me deals, and I also watch for online sales. I get news letters and fliers from them.

Also, in the past I have allowed Lane Bryant to send me texts or emails for additional percentage off. Lane Bryant sizes tend to run a little small, so I often go 1-2 sizes bigger when I order. Also, they don’t have a lot of the longer maxi tunic blouses that I like. Another thing, their prices tend to be higher than some places, so you really do have to hit the sales. I use Lane Bryant for a lot of my character pieces.

Woman Within

(some items available at Amazon) I like Woman Within because of their variety. You can get any style of t-shirt, crew neck, v-neck, etc. in any color and they will ALWAYS have my size. I get my core capsule clothing here. I LOVE their catalogs, and I get one about every week in the mail. Their sizes run a little large, so ordering a size smaller is recommended.

I like Woman Within because if you are looking for your neutral classic black blouse with no embellishments, you will find SEVERAL styles to choose from. And they have a lot of the maxi tunic length I like; in fact they put the length of the garment in the description, so I don’t have to sift through a lot of pictures and guess how long they might be.

Jessica London

(some items available at Amazon) Jessica London and Woman Within are affiliated with each other, so you will often find the same products advertised for sale. However, Jessica London seems to offer more dressy items. I envision female lawyers shopping there because they have a lot of suits. However, I have found a lot of pretty character pieces and some neutral classics there that I really like. The sizes definitely run smaller, and the items tend to be more expensive.

Also, Jessica London and Woman Within have a line called Ellos, which caters to younger, more boho type women, where there’s a good selection of maxi tunic blouses and shirts. Although I am technically a senior citizen (hahaha), I like the younger vibe of the Ellos line and have found many favorites among their offerings.  However, I am not fond of the waif-like models they use in the Ellos catalogs.  I wish they had more plus size exampled women who can show how you will REALLY look in a garment, rather than perpetuating that unhealthy starved look that is so popular.

Hanes Her Way

(some items available at Amazon) I have not shopped Hanes Her Way in a while, but I always liked their catalogs and their online offerings. They usually have a lot of colors and will always have my size. However, their styles are a little “cookie cutter” and plain. They tend to be geared more toward athletic wear. However, in recent years, they have had a work wear selection, that although is a little plain, is good for choosing neutral classics like pants and blazers.

Amazon

Amazon has A LOT of plus size offerings, however you need to be careful about the sizing. Always check the size chart, because you can run into Asian plus size, which are TINY. I ordered a really nice black rain coat one time, a size 3X, but I didn’t look at the size chart. Turns out it was closer to a regular XL. I gave the jacket to my daughter instead of sending it back. Anyway, with that in mind, I have bought a lot of really cool pieces through Amazon: maxi skirts, scarves, vests, overpieces, shoes, etc. If you have Amazon Prime, you get free shipping and really good deals.

Target

Target has a lot of brick and mortar stores, particularly the one near me, have very little to offer for plus size women. However, their online offerings are great! They have a lot of mini dresses, which meet my criteria as a maxi tunic. Their shipping, though costly, at least gets to my house, where Amazon won’t ship here at times (did I mention I live in a VERY rural area?) You can defray the cost of shipping by picking up your items in store.

Walmart

Walmart always used to be my go-to brick and mortar store because I could always find something. I pretty much bought every pair of pants I owned there for years. However, the Walmarts I went to were in a suburban area and tended to have a lot of plus size offerings. Since I have moved to “the mountains” I find that the local Walmarts are more geared to tourists, and there is very little plus size clothing.

Walmart’s online experience is a little better, but I find their search engine is not geared to plus size clothing as a category, so there is a lot of fruitless searching. However, they were the only store that had a plus size pair of snow pants that weren’t men’s. So, sometimes when you’re looking for a particular clothing item, Walmart is a great place to look, and their shipping is reasonable, and they offer the in-store pickup for free.

Dia & Co.

I have not tried Dia and Co. yet but am excited to try them. They are a type of “club” where you receive a few pieces per month. You keep and pay for what you like, and send the others back. I am excited that Dia and Co. is geared toward plus size women only. From what I’ve read and seen, they have a community where you can discuss your clothing challenges and triumphs.

It looks like a really great place to get clothing. The only thing holding me back right now is, I am on a super tight budget (to the point I’m not buying anything but bare necessities) and because I work at a seasonal job, I just can’t justify getting anything new right now.

EBay

I have not done a lot of shopping on EBay,  but I have gone there just to browse. It’s my understanding that they have a lot of plus size offerings, but it takes a lot of searching to find what you want in your size.

Zulilly

I have never actually bought anything from Zulilly because I find I do a lot of fruitless searching. It’s great if you have time to dig deep. For example, you find a tunic you like. You open the item and find out that the only colors left are the ones you don’t want, or that the only size is small. With Zulilly, be prepared to sit awhile and do a LOT of research.

These are just a few….

I feel like I have hit on the core places to buy plus size clothes. I know there are many more places, but I think I have laid out my favorites to you, and you can use them as a good place to start. Of course, on our journey of putting together our plus size capsule wardrobe, as I mentioned before, we shouldn’t be afraid to try new things, which in my case means trying new stores for where to buy plus size clothes. If you have suggestions of other stores or venues for purchasing plus size clothing, please comment and share!

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