Plus Size Fashion: 10 Basic Plus Size Tips

10 Basic Plus Size
Style & Fit Tips For Women


(Jibri)

1. Avoid Shapeless Plus Size Clothing Styles.
Don't settle for shapeless oversize clothes every again. Shapeless clothing hides all of your body good and bad. Choose clothing styles that accentuate your favorite fuller figure features and hide the ones you don't like. Clothes without the proper tailoring are almost always going to make your body appear larger than it really is.

2. Black is Not the Most Flattering or
Slimming Color for Fuller Figures.
Black colored pants, dresses, skirts and other plus size clothing is not necessarily the most slimming or figure flattering on a woman's body. An appealing outfit is as much about proportion, tailoring and overall style as it is about color. Monotone colored outfits can be just as flattering, if not more, than plain old drab black. Wearing additional colors around your face will bring attention to your skin tone, face shape and eye color. Black tends to wash out most skin tones. Store where you can find the perfect little black dress in plus sizes are Kyonnia Klothing, Avenue and Zaftique.

3. Try Online Shopping To Find Clothing Stores with Plus Sizes and Fashionable Styles.
Don't worry if your local department store doesn't carry a large enough variety of plus size clothes in the fashions, styles and sizes that you like. Try shopping online at one of the various women's clothing websites exclusively tailored to the needs to fuller figured women. There are many plus size clothing designers that offer their designs only on the Internet. Here are a few of my favorites: Catherines, Roamans, Jessica London. If you like a little more trendy or sexy fashion, try Torrid or Size Appeal.

4. Tapered Pants and Jeans Don't Look Good
on Any Woman, Plus-Sized or Thin.
Just because pant and jean designers continue to carry tapered leg pant styles for women does mean you have to wear them. A plus size figure, or any figure for that matter, is not complimented by the ice cream cone shape of a tapered leg pant. Go for streamline pant shape that is a straight leg from you hip down to the floor. This goes for women's jeans too. If your hips or butt happens to be a problem area for you, try finding a plus size jean that slightly flares out at the bottom to balance the volume of the hip. A straighter or slightly flared leg pant will elongate your legs making them look longer than they really are. Add a great pointy-toe high healed (search by wide width size here) shoe for even more long legged illusion. To find a great pair of designer jeans, try Lane Bryant.

5. Avoid All Over, Oversized Patterns
in Your Clothing Fabric.
I have noticed a scary trend in some department store plus size apparel sections - dresses and other outfits with HUGE all over patterns and designs. First of all, I wouldn't recommend an entire outfit of all one pattern with no solid color to break it up (unless it is a dress of course). Secondly, make sure the pattern you do choose to incorporate in your wardrobe, doesn't overwhelm your height. The size of the print should match the size of the gal. If you are tall, you call pull off a larger print. If you are petite, stick to smaller prints to avoid overwhelming your outfit with pattern. If you want to include patterned fabrics into your wardrobe, my best advice would be to pick ONE clothing item per outfit to have a pattern (for example, a skirt, top or jacket not all three). For elegantly patterned plus size outfits my favorite plus size store is Coldwater Creek.

6. Plus Size Petites Should Avoid Tops,
Jackets and Sweaters that Go Below the Hip.
A shorter body frame can look even short with overly long plus size tops, jackets and sweaters. Tops that go below the hip level on a petite figure will start to shorten the look of your legs even more. A top or jacket that shops just at the hip bone will elongate your shorter legs to their longest potential. Sorry ladies, but the long sweaters and jackets really only flatter a taller plus size frame. Stores that carry tall and petite plus sizes are Lane Bryant, Chadwicks of Boston, and Newport News.

7. A Proper Fitting, Full Figured Bra
is Essential to Every Plus Size Wardrobe.
I know we all already heard it on Oprah, but I must tell you once more. 75% of all women are wearing the wrong size bra - YIKES! Having a fuller figured bosom brings along its own set of unique issues such as bra straps digging into your shoulders and back, saggy appearance to breasts, and cup spillage (i.e. the dreaded double bubble effect). All of these issues can be solved by purchasing the correct size plus size bra and thankfully there are many stores online that cater specifically to plus size women. Try visiting a department store or specialty bra shop to get properly sized for a bra. Then when you are buying your new bra size in bulk, turn to online bra stores that have your size more readily available and at better prices. Some of my favorite retailers for plus size bras and intimates are Just My Size, Bare Necessities, Fig Leaves and Hips and Curves.

8. Love Your Plus Size Figure
the Way it is and at Any Size
The truth is whether you like or dislike your plus sized, plump, voluptuous, full figured body type you have to cloth it for it current shape and size. Whether you plan on loosing weight in the future or want to stay the way you are, have the confidence to feel sexy and beautiful in your CURRENT skin and clothes. Find clothing items that make you feel comfortable and beautiful inside and out.

9. Don't Buy Plus Size Clothes that Are Too Tight or the Wrong Size.
All women tend to have an idea of what clothing size they are (or what size they'd like to be), but the reality is that every designer and manufacturer of clothing has its own sizing chart. What may be a size 14 in one designer could be a size 16 or 18 in another. Concern yourself about how the clothes fit and flatter your figure and less about the silly number on the tag. Clothes that bunch and pull in areas that are too small will draw unflattering attention to that area. Many online plus size clothing stores have sizing charts with inch measurements to help you choose the right size at their store and these stores generally fantastic return policies in case the clothes aren't quite right. Here are some stores that carry clothing size 24 and above: Alight, Avenue, Kiyonna Klothing, and Ulla Popken.

10. Womens Accessories Can Make or
Break the Perfect, Stylish Outfit.
Simple outfits can be jazzed up with a bold women's accessory, but be careful about not overdoing it. Each outfit should have one bold accessory focus, not a bold bracelet, necklace and earrings that would overwhelm you. The great thing about accessories is that there is no need to go to a specialty plus sized clothing store for great accessories. You can shop at just about any clothing store for great jewelry, designer purses, wide width shoes, and scarves to spice up any wardrobe. For great designer deals check out eBay, BlueFly. For other classic accessories try Macy's and Nordstrom.