Plus Size Shopping Is Easier Than Ever Here’s Why

Plus size women were ignored for years by the fashion industry. Magazine editors, fashion designers and retail merchandisers focused on thin women and overlooked curvy gals until recently. As most of us would agree, the fashion world has its head in the sand when it comes to the reality of what everyday women actually look like. Roughly half of women wear a plus size 14 or above, which means they don’t fit the standard clothing sizes 0 to 12 sold in stores.

If you believe what you see in print ads and television, women larger than a size 4 don’t exist. In reality, ordinary women are looking for trendy plus size fashions above size 12. This segment of women’s apparel is coming into its own with many plus size fashion websites as proof. Once underrepresented, full figured women now have online publications to read featuring stylish plus size clothing trends. Sites like the curvy fashionista, fashion to figure, and full figure plus have articles with style tips for larger women.

In the plus size modeling world there are super models just as beautiful as any size 0 you see on the Paris runways. Ashley Graham models plus size lingerie for Lane Bryant, the chain that specializes in women’s plus size clothing. Her ad for the retailer’s lingerie line was censored by ABC and Fox for having too much cleavage. She’s modeled for Macy’s, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales. At 24, she’s a size 16, 38D and super sexy. Many women relate to her size and her fashion sense. Retailers would be careless to ignore her followers and those of other plus size models like her.

Shopping online for women’s plus sizes has become easier in the past few years. An abundance of sites accommodate women seeking stylish clothing made to flatter their curves. Wardrobe essentials like suits, jeans, dresses & skirts, tees & tops in fashion forward designs are available on sites like Avenue, Lane Bryant, Kiyonna, Catherines, Ashley Stewart and Just My Size. Many of these sites offer fashions up to size 36w and 5x. Not only do they sell everyday wear, they also sell full-figured lingerie, swimsuits, evening wear and accessories. Even retail chains like Macys, Kohls and JCPenney are realizing their customer’s needs are changing and have expanded the selections in departments for Women’s sizes 1x to 3x or 16w to 24w.

To make online shopping for plus size fashion simple, almost every website has a page with measuring tips to help achieve the best fit. These tips make it easy to figure out what size you need. Almost every site includes size charts. In addition, if an article of clothing doesn’t fit, most return policies allow for easy returns as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

If you’re shopping for women’s clothing and wear a size 14 or larger, check out these coupons for plus size fashions:

• Save 50% off Women’s Plus size suits at Macys.
• Free shipping on orders $70 and more at JustMySize.
• At Torrid buy one get one 50% off all hosiery! Save on textured tights, leggings, knee highs and more.
• JCPenney is offering free shipping on orders $50, free shipping to stores. Check out their women’s plus size clothing shop.