I'm in limbo - between plus and regular clothes

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  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    Yes, not so much for me but for one of my best friends who is between sizes right now (she's lost 75 lbs! Woot!). She was telling me she was fitting into a size 14, and I was like, huh? She's way bigger than me when I was in a 14. Then I realized she was talking about a 14W and I was talking about a regular 14. There does seem to be a giant gap.

    We frequently shop for clothing together, and we used to have to have "her" shopping days where we would go to all the plus size stores (the Lane Bryants of the world seem nowhere near the malls where we are!), and "my" shopping days where we would go to the regular stores. Unless we were doing department stores, then we'd be shuttling between the women's and regular/missy areas (annoyingly often at completely different parts of the store). Now she's shopping in regular, but we have to look for the looser XL's.

    Anyway, SOME regular sizes go up to a 16 or 18, but they are hard to find. It seems like an 18 regular is more like a 14W, but even then, the proportions are slightly off. Frustrating! I've got no great suggestions, sorry. But I do notice the big discrepancy in sizing.

    I have indeed noticed that 14W and 14 are COMPLETELY different sizes. Felt super good when I put on 14W and then tried on 14 and was like WTF! :frown:

    Sorta weird as I have not found this to be true AT ALL in the stores where I shop. When I first responded to this thread I was in limbo but now I find that regular non-plus fits me almost always and I've found NO discernible difference in 14, 14W, etc. Also 13 and 15 juniors fit me the same as 14 and 14W.

    Maybe it varies more by store. I don't know. Actually I have seen ONE tiny difference in some jeans, same fit/brand 16 and 16W and they fit me the same but the 16W had a TINY bit more fabric at the top, higher rise overall.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
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    Oh thank goodness, I thought it was just me!!

    My jeans are baggy, even up on the thigh and fall down round my stomach a little- even with a belt. But I can't fit in my normal next size down in the same shop :( it's more motivation and I will do it, but right now I'm struggling with the lower half. Top half is more broad shoulders and big boobs, so can't manoevre much there yet :/ but I will.
  • SarahMarieYates
    SarahMarieYates Posts: 27 Member
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    Not sure where you are located but there's a resale retail chain called Clothes Mentor here, similar to Plato's closet but a little more work appropriate. Maybe try shopping there until you make it to the regular size clothes.

    It sucks to spend money on clothes you'll only wear for a small amount of time.

    When I was an at an in between size I really liked shopping at New York & Company and Gap/Old Navy.
  • Luckyangelou
    Luckyangelou Posts: 1
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    I have been in and out of that limbo for years. I'm right back in it now. I have noticed that if I can find items in "juniors" plus size, they usually fit well. That style isn't particularly my favorite, but I have found some items from Macy's that work. If you haven't checked out Boden, they go up to a US 18, and I find that they run generously. They usually include exact dimensions for each item, so that helps when figuring what size to order. Companies like Talbots and Ann Taylor have been good for me, since they typically go up to an 18 or 20 in their misses' line, and Talbots carries smaller plus sizes (12W or 14W in some items). Target, Old Navy, and Gap also all carry XXL in most of their tops, and I have luck in these stores as well. For pants, NYDJ goes up to an 18 in their regular line, and I love the way they fit. Also, I find H&M's plus size line runs small, so the smaller sizes there in tops have been working out well for me. I hope this helps you, until you get out of limbo! =)
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    I didn't notice so much of a gap between plus and regular sized clothes but just trying on one size of several different items in a department store is frustrating because there's so much difference between brands, and sometimes even within the same brand. I bought 3 different styles of Levi's for work a couple of months ago, all in a size 12, and all three pairs fit differently. My advice is to just keep trying things on, don't get hung up on size and just buy what fits and looks good. I have everything from a size 10 to a size 14 in my closet, as well as both medium and large shirts (and a couple of XL too). As long as it looks good, I don't care.
  • louisegibbs85
    louisegibbs85 Posts: 304 Member
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    I think in general there's always that in between stage where you end up in between sizes .. Most of my jeans are UK 16 and I have to fold them over at the waist they are that big and yet 14 are too tight especially in the thighs and *kitten*! Just got to keep on keeping on!
  • ZOOpergal
    ZOOpergal Posts: 176 Member
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    I'm willing to bet that perhaps some of it is phsycological...At a bigger size we tend to wear baggier clothes to hide stuff we don't like. Now that you're shrinking, it feels weird to wear things that actually flatter your new physique. In your head you think the clothes are tight when you just aren't used to how non-baggy clothes feel. I'm not down playing the difficulty of finding clothes, just suggesting a shift in your perception as well.
  • Cathalain
    Cathalain Posts: 424 Member
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    Right now I actually have to shop in both plus and regular size sections. My body is terribly disproportionate. I wear a 16 regular (almost 14!!!) in jeans... but tops? Forget it, I'm busty (and I mean BUSTY, apparently my weight loss hasn't affected the girls one whit), I still need a 1X minimum and a 2X fits better. :mad:

    I was HOPING for a breast reduction the natural way but my body is not going with THAT idea. Grrr.
  • lecounth
    lecounth Posts: 42 Member
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    Limbo for sure. I bought a suit jacket at a consignment store in a regular size but need pants two sizes bigger right now.

    And I can fit into 18/20 in the "regular" sizes at JCPenney but bought a 1x sweater from the plus size section that is too small. I have to try on everything.

    Find a few key pieces and jazz them up with accessories. I wear black pants nearly every day because they match most of what I own!

    A little trick -- shop the clearance racks or consignment shops and then have things tailored to fit. Buying a blouse for $10 and having it tailored to fit for another $10 - $12 is still a bargain and it will fit better than off the rack.

    As many have said, I'm glad to be here even with the clothing hassles!!!
  • misti777
    misti777 Posts: 217 Member
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    Try to find different brands to try on. With sonoma lift and style and croft and barrow at kohl's I can wear an extra large, the 1x is a little big, but one of my other shirts I wear is actually a 3x top and is a little loose. I've had it for like ever though, and my mom got it from a lady at work, so..
  • 4ever420
    4ever420 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    I'm happy to say that I'm finally able to fit into more and more "regular clothes". I think it helps that the spring clothes out right now seem to be more loose, flowy blouses as opposed to all the tight fitting sweaters that seemed to be everywhere around Christmas time. Guess who bought a blouse recently in not an XL but a L?? This girl did, yay!!

    I also have noticed that regular clothes don't seem to be cut as flattering as the plus size clothes so it's harder to hide all my lumps and bumps in them. Sometimes I miss the plus size clothing but it's nice to finally have a variety of stores to choose from as opposed to just a few. :drinker:
  • 4ever420
    4ever420 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    I'm willing to bet that perhaps some of it is phsycological...At a bigger size we tend to wear baggier clothes to hide stuff we don't like. Now that you're shrinking, it feels weird to wear things that actually flatter your new physique. In your head you think the clothes are tight when you just aren't used to how non-baggy clothes feel. I'm not down playing the difficulty of finding clothes, just suggesting a shift in your perception as well.

    This is most definitely true for me! At my largest I would wear clothes 2 sizes too big just to hide everything. Now a lot of my problem areas are way better but I still have this pooch of fat just above my bellybutton and a shirt that fits me everywhere else will be clingy to that tummy roll and it's definitely not cute! :huh:
  • 4ever420
    4ever420 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    Having to shop in both sections of the store was totally me for months and months. Pants weren't so much a problem and I can buy them all in regular stores but the shirts are a big problem for me as well due to very disproportionate tummy fat.

    Oh and the first hundred pounds I lost barely came from my DD boobs, the last 30, all boobs. :cry:




    ETA: This was in reply to Cathalain, sorry.
  • tavenne323
    tavenne323 Posts: 332 Member
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    I was at that point for a very long time. I could wear the biggest sized non-plus and the smallest sized plus. But I found that it wasn't so much that there was a gap between sizes...it was more the way the clothes were cut. The non-plus size stuff was cut more slimming (I thought) but I often needed a size up, which would have put me at the smallest plus size. But those clothes were cut more boxy and looked baggier than they actually needed to be.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i'm in the same size range but dont really have an issue finding stuff that fits me. i never wear stuff that's too baggy or too tight either. i've only bought a few things from lane bryant and wasnt impressed with the quality or the style so i never really shopped there since it seems their clothes are made more for pear shaped women than my body type.

    i wear a lot of dresses but old navy skinny jeans (in all their numerous incarnations) are good. as far as brands go, ralph lauren and calvin klein are good. i also have ordered a few things from pinup girl site (their clothes seem to be perfect for hourglass/cello shapes), modcloth and zulily.

    i can also find things like tees and leggings for cheap at places like h&m and foreever 21
  • caminoslo
    caminoslo Posts: 239 Member
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    Hey everyone. Does anyone else notice that there seems to be a gap between the smallest size in plus sized clothing and the biggest size in regular clothing (women's clothes)?

    I am at a point in my journey where the smallest plus sizes are getting too big but when I try on the largest sized clothes in a 'regular' store, I find most of them to still be very tight. I notice this mostly with shirts. Some of the shirts in the regular store fit but it seems to be the ones that are made to be really loose fitting and those barely fit me.

    I'm happy I'm almost out of the plus sizes but it's frustrating because of the extra time and effort it takes just to find an outfit that fits well and looks good. Anyone else in "limbo" between plus and regular clothing?

    Sherri
    Target seems to have al sizes
  • IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire
    IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire Posts: 218 Member
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    Totally feel your pain on this one. It is so frustrating when you loose the weight and then can't find clothing that fits you just right. I experienced that all the time. Too small for plus size but just a touch to big for 'regular' sizes. One suggestion..when buying pants/jeans look for ones that have stretch in them. I've found that if i can find a pair of 14 jeans in a regular store with stretch the will fit, ones without, it's hit or miss. The stretch gives you just enough forgiveness to fit. Tops you just have to look around for more relaxed fits in regular stores. I find the cut on the top made all the difference. Hopefully before long you will be out of this tricky place to be. I know all to well how it can make you want to pull your hair out.
  • lecounth
    lecounth Posts: 42 Member
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    The last time I was in Catherine's shopping, I told the sales lady that I had lost a lot of weight but because I was in several different sizes depending on brand, cut, etc. she reminded me that they carry size 14/16 -- so, if you like the cut better of the plus size clothes, and you can wear 14/16, you may want to give them a try. And it's usually what's on the clearance rack since most 14/16 size women prefer to not shop there (or they were never big enough to need to).

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