I have always worked with clients of all sizes, and I find that very often the people who want styling advice are rarely a perfect shape: men and women alike. Really, how often is anyone a perfect shape? I too, your, Indianapolis AICI Certified Image Consultant, put myself in the that category. I remember growing up and knowing I didn’t have the most desirable shape, but I think my mom did a good job of helping me like the person I was. “It’s how God made you, and you’re beautiful.”
Not everyone was as lucky as me, so for whatever reason, many people do not have a positive image of her or himself. How often do I hear: “I will like how I look after I lose 10, 20, 30 pounds, or change my hair, or wear the perfect makeup.” While I respect and understand that everyone wants to improve their appearance, and I do give advice if I am asked for it, I also believe that a little self-acceptance goes a long way. Let’s be kind to ourselves!
Advice from Your Indianapolis AICI Certified Image Consultant
Anyway, on to our topic today. Working with Plus size clients is a different than clients who easily can wear about any piece of clothing off the shelf. (This blog will focus on women; the next blog on men.) It often means we find a tailor to make alterations to the clothing we buy off the rack; do much more online shopping to see what stores have Plus sizes in the store and those who offer it online as well.
I quickly learned for women, the well-stocked Plus stores in Indianapolis are Macy’s (especially Castleton); Nordstrom; Dress Barn; Von Maur; in addition to the stores we commonly think of with larger sizes such as Catherine’s, The Avenue and Torrid.
More and more stores are beefing up their online stock, and it is a pleasant surprise to find these stores also have Tall sizing which is also difficult to find. Individuals who wear tall size are not necessarily plus size.
I suggest if you are Plus that the first and most important thing to do with clothing is to have well-fitting undergarments such as Spanx and bras. These are the foundations you need to make sure clothing looks nice and skims your shape.
Also, if you buy online, ladies, measure yourself and go by the size charts, and in pants take into account the amount of stretch that is in the pants or other garments. You can save money by having clothing sent to the store (order online and deliver to the store) versus sending it your house. It’s also convenient then to try items on at the store and if something doesn’t fit ask the sales associates to help you. Then you can reorder again and forego the shipping.
Another piece of advice I give all clients, and I do this myself for my online purchases, is to read reviews from other customers. There you will find the nuggets about fit, fabric, color, the pros and the cons of the garment. Most of the time, reviews are very accurate.
While I am not going to have a complete list of stores that offer Plus online, here are some surprising vendors who either offer Plus- or Tall-size clothing: Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft, J. Crew, White House/Black Market, Macys, Nordstrom, Von Maur, Saks Fifth Avenue, ASOS, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Overstock.com, Amazon and other stores.
Keep it sassy, Indy.
Beth Divine,
Indianapolis AICI Certified Image Consultant and Personal Stylist
