To those of you for whom the days of shopping in the large size section is a thing of the past, congratulations!

I'm at the very beginning of this journey, still buying plus size clothing, and thought it would be interesting to see who else here gets frustrated with the "fashion" industry.

What are your gripes? I'll start:

- Fabrics that cling to every lump and bump on your body.

- Capris. They're a two-fer: They make me look more rotund and highlight my cankles at the same time. What a bargain!

- Why does it seem that stores never have in a large size the one cute thing that catches your eye in the smaller sizes?

@@byebyedarkpassenger Chub Rub, AKA fire crotch, is why I have to pay extra for suits. For guys, the solution is to get your tailor to sew in a couple of triangles of cloth in the crotch of the trousers. These will absorb the brunt of the wear and tear and can then be removed and replaced as need be. I also get the inside pants liner so some of the friction is taken up there. The problem is that unless you go to a tailor who also makes suits the selection of material for those triangles is limited. The thicker the material or wool blend, the longer my pants' crotch survives.

The alternative would be:

Edited May 25, 201511 yr by Nikasio

@@Nikasio that was hilarious! My husband threatens this from time to time. And here's a joke for you: person walks up to the guy in kilt and says, "is anything worn under there." Man in kilt, "Nay, lassie, everything's in perfect working order!"

Now for my rant on the fashion industry: what the hell are those maxi-length sleeveless dresses about? My legs are the one thing I want to show off -- not the arms. And the fabrics are so cheap and flimsy. Eeek.

I can't stand the plus size tops with gigantic neck holes. It's like you would need to wear a strapless bra with some of them because they extend so far front, back and to the sides when put on. I wear a cardigan with some shirts because of it. I just want a normal neckline please, not a huge scoop or v. My butt is huge, not my head!! Geez

When a featured model is said to be wearing a certain size (14/16, 1XL) but she's perfectly proportioned (flat tummy, hourglass shape, perfectly defined waist, perfect bust) and looks like she probably wears half that size.

I hate that plus size clothes have extra room in the bust; not all plus size women have large chests.

I hate that there's such a big jump from plus size to regular sizes; the inbetween phase is so not fun.

I may have different gripes since I was on the higher end of things and couldn't even shop int he plus size section of most stores. I had to get my clothes from Woman Within, Catherines, and other online retailers.

1. Dumb embellishments on so many larger plus size clothes. Really cheesy prints and embroidering and sequins and... bleh. Catherine's is especially guilty of this.
2. No creative cuts/buttons/shape(!!!)/cable or other types of fancy knitting/etc. Yes, I really want to look like I just threw a solid-color tablecloth over myself. I don't need shape or buttons or anything cute/classy (not embellished/shiny) to distract from the mile of fabric I'm wearing.
3. Sleeves Part 1. Why do I have to pay 45 dollars for a shirt and I only get 1 inch of sleeve? Might as well wear a tank top!
4. Price. Wow is it expensive to be a plus size lady. One thing I really look forward to is being able to buy cheap clothes. (That are 10x cuter than anything available in the store.)
5. Color choices part 1. Why does this pair of pants come in 10 different colors, but only 2 in my size? Black and Grey (or black and brown, or JUST BLACK.)
6. Color choices part 2. Just a general lack of creativity and originality in color options for plus size clothing overall. Especially when it comes to subtle color choices.
7. Nothing youthful. I've been overweight since the 2nd grade and have been wearing "old lady clothes" (no disrespect to anyone who self-identifies as an old lady) since I've been an adult. I'm probably going to go through a "dresses too young" phase once I can buy stuff from regular stores.
8. Sleeves Part 2. Maybe this is not just a plus-size problem, but in winter, why are so many plus size tops 3/4 length? Even bulky sweaters! I guess the ends of my arms don't get cold like normal people's. It's my superpower.
9. Neck holes. Maybe this is just because I have those aforementioned narrow shoulders. But nothing beats finding a top that is actually cute (or that I can at least tolerate) only to find that I can't keep it from falling off my shoulders. What is that about??


That being said, there are a handful of pretty cool options that I sadly didn't discover until it was (mostly) too late:

1. modcloth.com (only online) -- I've known about them for years, but only realized about a year or so ago that they carry up to a 4x!! Have gotten a couple cute dresses and sweaters from here.
2. eShakti.com (not sure if they have storefronts) -- Just discovered these guys several weeks ago. They have really cute stuff. Their dresses rival (but don't 100% match) the cuteness of Modcloth, and they go up to a 6x and also offer CUSTOM SIZES at only an additional $7.50 per item. Well worth the upcharge for something that fits you PERFECTLY. (Especially for the girl with big hips/butt and super narrow shoulders!!)
3. torrid.com (and in stores) -- Even though their styles are more urban-ish than I usually wear, I was able to buy a Johnny Cash t-shirt here recently. Even with losing as much weight as I have, graphic Ts are hard to come by for the plus-size crowd. I have worn the Cash shirt twice and have gotten easily a dozen compliments each time.

Edited May 26, 201511 yr by heynowkc

Why. The hell. Is a 16W and a 16 a different size?

JUST MAKE ALL THE SIZES AND ALL THE MEASUREMENTS THE SAME FERCRYINOUTLOUD!!!!!!

XL fits beautifully here, 3X cuts off my circulation there...sigh. What I wouldn't give for some consistency!

I often felt the plus size "fashion" was just another punishment for me. Hello, I gained weight. I didn't lose all sense of fashion.

What's up with all the beach/big floral fabrics? Like now I'm overweight, so I'm going to beach parties everyday? I need work clothes for the office! Ugh!

So nice to be able to find some real clothes again and feel presentable!!

I'm tallish - 5'8"- but I have a wing span of 6ft (I'm like a gorilla). I can't ever find anything long enough for my arms. I have a relatively small chest, so all that extra fabric makes me look untailored (and I can't sew more than a button). On the other hand, my upper arms are fat so I need a bigger shirt so I can even move my arms. Which brings me back round to the extra chest fabric.My legs are comparatively small but my waist is big, so I can't find pants either. Argh. I do have tiny little pixie feet.

And also: I HATE that stores are so hot. Who wants to try on clothes when its hot?! And I hate how packed together the clothes are in most stores. I understand about $ per foot, but I think many stores go overboard and do themselves a disservice with this. When things get messy no one cares to try to keep stuff organized.

@@funky_monkey800 I could not agree more! I was just telling someone the other day that bra's had to have been invented by men! lol

I personally hate when I go to buy shorts and either I feel like my fatty part of my thigh is hanging out(too short) or I am wearing a pair of capris. Also, when everything is that clingy material and it is so kind to accentuate my lovely belly I mean who doesn't love that! lol

These are great - so many of my own frustrations are in here it's laughable.

I also agree with @LousPeachy about the plus departments on upper floors where no one has to look at big clothes or big galls in the pretty and accessible part of the store.

Add this to the dressing room rant--they are so darned HOT and the always have horrible lighting!! Maybe to go along with the dreadful colors (or lack thereof) in stock?

After sweating my way into two outfits i used to feel exhausted and depressed, and force myself to do one or two more before leaving feeling worse. A cooler dressing room would have been wonderful and clothes hang better when they're not plastered to my sweaty self too.

OK so I have been pretty lucky when it comes to buying clothes. I hate clothes shopping, big small and all sizes in between. Online shopping just does not work for me because I am not a "single" size.

• I'm short and I have a small waist, I don't have huge hips but well yes I have one of those!! My pants size is smaller then my top size. I'm not exactly petite and I'm not "regular" so length is another issue.
• I need the space for the bust, but not the linebacker shoulders, or arm length that go with the size that fits the rest of the shirt.
• I do despise the shirts that are wide and short. I know there are some who have their weight around their hips but those of us with a belly need a longer shirt not a wider shirt, Shirts should be marked as wide or long.

That said I think there are many more options for plus sizes in the world than there used to be. The fashion industry though they may not have in the past, are coming around to embrace the curves of America and other countries. We have to keep advocating for ourselves and demanding to see more options and going out there and affecting change!

The biggest bugaboos I have when it comes to fashion is people not dressing in proportion to their size. If your big or your small or your anywhere in between if you feel like your stuffing 10 pounds into a 5 pound bag trust that it looks that way too.

I don't care if your a 6 or a 16 if you need to wear a 20 it's just a number!!! Get the size that FITS you.

• If you bend over and it's a full moon... it's just too short!!
• If you lean over and the buoys are afloat then it's just too low cut.
• If you stand up and you have to de-wedge your clothes from any crevice on your body then it's just too small!!
• Spanks are not meant to constrict your breathing, or to help you lose 20 pounds in a single wearing. They were invented to enhance the line of your clothing against your body. If you can't sit down or you can't breath it's too tight!!
• If your wearing jeans and you can only do one of these zip or button them...they are too small go up a size! Open buttons and/or zippers...yeah don't go there.
• The ripped look shouldn't include the seams of your clothes. If it's ripped at the seams it's time for something new.
• If your busty you need a bra. Yes I know under wire is not fun, but you have options so go for a good bra fitting and note that bra's were not invented to be your hand bag. To fit properly they don't need to hold your cellphone, lipstick or money.

OK I'll stop there

**sheepishly removes cell phone from bra**

Haha I hate the fact that I've allowed my bra to become a 5th pocket. I'm getting out of the habit as my 2 yr old now puts her 'play' cell phone in her shirt when she's done 'talking' to Grammy. Lol.

Ok, I've got two from my Lane Bryant days...

One being that just cause I was a size 22/24, does NOT mean I have huge boobs. I get it that cutting sizes need to be proportional to the overall garment, but I am not proportioned correctly, and by the time I found something that fit over my belly, it was so huge in the boobs that the arm and neck holes hung way too far down, so I ended up having to tailor stuff anyway.

Second...how short so many things seem to be! I appreciate the plus sized industry wanting to make the same cute clothes as the smaller gals, but c'mon...at the size I was, the last thing I wanted was a crop top!

Does anyone remember when Lane Bryant decided to introduce vanity sizes in their jeans collection? The only thing I ever bought at that store was a pair of jeans and when I went back to get another pair, they had a new sizing system. The sizes went from 1-10 but they didn't sell size ten in stores and a shape system: triangle, circle and square based on how your pants fit. The best part was that to determine your new size a salesperson would take a measuring tape and measure you in the aisle right in front of everyone. I was a size ten so I left never to return.

They must have received a lot of negative feedback because they have gone back to standard sizes. I have no idea how someone thought this would be a good idea.

Edited May 28, 201511 yr by merry1126