The Clothes You Wear

Forever 21 had some really cute plus sized clothes (once you dig through the teeny bopper crap). My personal fav was Torrid www.torrid.com , followed by Blondellamydean. www.blondellamydean.com

I like to save a buck so I hit up Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Bealls weekly. I don't always buy something, not very often actually, but do like keep an eye out for something extra cute that I will get a lot of use out of. I don't have a huge wardrobe, but it is selective.

LOL most of my clothes are 6-10 years old. I'm rather frugal on basic things like clothes and such. I do have some stuff that is 3 years old from when I tried to buy more "girly" stuff but... It never gets worn because I still don't feel very comfortable in them. Although last night when I was brushing my teeth I said to myself "not too bad" I think that was a great moment!

I shop at my favorite store: Goodwill. I have dropped sizes like crazy so it is the only place I will shop at. I get nice name brands and the best part is when they get too big, I just re donate them back. Its like renting the clothes for awhile.

Pro Tip:

Sing up for Lane Bryant's snail mail list. They will send you coupons for free items of 15 dollar value with NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. It can be used on sale items to I have gotten a free shirt and a sweater that I ended up paying $2.50 for.

(Victoria's Secret has FREE Panties coupons if you sign up for theirs.)


So far the Lane Bryant coupons seem to be coming around once every 3 months and one time I got two coupons at once to be used a couple weeks apart according to the date. I think I got a free button down this way too? Yes, I remember now I did.

ETA: Just remembered I also got a free infiinity scarf, hat, and nail polish this way off clearance, all free due to being priced so low on the clearance racks.

Lorna Jane Pro-Tip:

Their sizes fit bigger women up to a point and they had a program where you bring in old workout clothes in good condition to donate and you get a percent off a new purchase. Unsure if they still have it so call first.

They also have "bundles" and pairings of items online that offers a good discount on their stuff.

My favorite store is LOFT at the moment. I didn't know they carry a lot of things through size 16 and the occasional 18, too...I could have used that info last year, because I didn't really start shopping there until I hit size 12. I particularly love their outlet locations and clearance racks because their regular prices aren't super low.

I buy the MOST items from Target and various secondhand/thrift shops. I am obsessed with Target's clearance racks for 30, 50 and 70% off. Sometimes I find things that are in a different size than I need and then stalk their website for my size...it may be a few dollars more but I don't mind. I also like to shop at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross for inexpensive deals.

Occasionally I get a $10 off $10 coupon in the mail from Kohl's and usually manage to find a couple of tanks or a clearance dress or something, but generally I am not a big fan of their clothing. Same with Macy's.

We have a store in my area called Name Brand Clothing 1/2 of 1/2, I don't know how widespread they are but I know they have locations in a few Midwestern states. Anyway, I found my dress for my second wedding, prom dress back in high school, and countless great coats/jackets there over the years. It is usually very messy and you have to be careful because a lot of the merchandise is returns/close outs and some items are damaged. I go there weekly and often leave empty handed...but it's worth it when I find a huge cartload of fantastic name brand items for around $50, or even just a cute dress for $9.

For athletic items I really like thrift stores. In my area there seems to be a LOT of low priced Athleta stuff in thrift stores so I take full advantage of that. JC Penney's X-ersion line is also good and they do regular and plus sizing.

Honestly even when I was wearing plus sizes for 20 years I tried to avoid Lane Bryant. I think their bras and underwear (Cacique) are excellent but most of their clothes were never cut right for me, and the prices are a bit INSANE (brought down to average-insane with coupons and specials combined...too much hassle).

Kohl's and Target..reasonably prices, and their sales are pretty good if ya hit them right.

Kohls, Sears, JC Penny

<<<< this swimsuit is from Sears It was $18

I love target for things like tanks and cardigans. The had some cute maxi skirts this summer but I don't know if I'd call a lot of their stuff "cute".
I do most of my shopping online, particularly a relatively new site called Zulilly.com. They have "events" that last about three days then they end. It means new things show up everyday. The prices are great, I've picked up a lot of cute things in the $15 range. They have lots of both regular and plus size. The down side is that things don't ship immediately. They wait until the event is over until placing their order with their supplier. Quality is not high end...think Forever 21 or Kohl's but then I don't feel like I have to wear it forever.
Other sites, avenue.com and northstyle.come but the latter is pricey.
Happy shopping!

I shop the clearance racks at Dillard's, JC Penney, Stage and Sears. Usually find the best bargains in early fall and late winter. I try to take advantage of any coupons they are offering. Dillard's will also periodically have sales where you get an extra XX percentage of reduced merchandise. I also check the website for JC Penney and Stage for coupons before going to shop at their stores.