Staying Hip in a World Where the Hip Fear Hips!

An important part of being a teenager, of course, is being hip. I for one have always gone out of my way to be the eccentric one among my friends, simply because I would rather my name be synonymous with "strange" as opposed to "that fat girl." But anyways, being hip! It's quite difficult to find nice clothing in plus sizes for younger women because most stores assume you're a mother (such as the local Lane Bryant, which has toys sitting out in the dressing room waiting area) or just an older woman who wishes to hide her body from society. Well, as a teenager, you can't really get by wearing things like that and still look good. Where I go to find clothes that embrace my age always varies, but there are quite a few awesome places out there where you can find sexy clothes for us big'ns!

STORES THAT ARE COMMONLY FOUND IN RANDOM PLACES:

Target-
I always have excellent luck at Target. Most of their normal clothing goes up to a size 17 or 19 and an XXL. Even non-clearance items are quite affordable, but the clearance is usually amazing! The only gripe I have is that the brand Mossimo in the plus sizes runs a bit small, so I, at a 20/22 just fit into a 24. But hey, it's not the number that matters, it's the fit! The tops on the other hand all seem to fit well within my normal number range.

Wal-Mart-
Okay, so their plus sizes are exactly what I described up above, made for older women and those who wish to hide. Well, all juniors products (I do believe) go up to an XXL and a 19, of which I can normally fit into the former. The regular plus sizes aren't always all bad though, where I've been able to get things on clearance from the Metro collection that are cheap, fit well, and work great with any outfit. One example of this was a black half-length arms sweater which is great for mildly chilly temperatures with really any tank top or shirt in general.

TJ Maxx-
Usually a pretty good selection, usually not too expensive, and while the juniors run SMALL (generally), the plus size section will randomly have awesome things that aren't super dowdy.

J.C. Penney-
Most of their plus size selection sucks, but Bisou Bisou and Mixit are both excellent brands. Also, J.C. Penney's prices usually aren't too high and they usually have random clearance items.

USUALLY IN A MALL NEAR YOU, BUT NOT NECESSARILY:

Torrid-
My absolute FAVORITE. Most of the time the clothes run a bit expensive, but there is always a great clearance section, and I know I've bought things full price only to find it for a third of the price two months later... I absolutely love everything they have there. It's perfect for the plus-sized girl who enjoys keeping up with the trends, is a bit punk, or simply wants something that fits well and is sexy. Whenever I hear "Shopping Spree," my first thought is, of course, of Torrid!

Lane Bryant-
The name is synonymous with plus size! Now, sometimes their stuff can be overpriced and of low quality, but usually you can find a great item or two here. Especially lately, since they have been experimenting with creating clothing that's obviously designed for a younger crowd. Also, their clearance is usually pretty awesome. (Can you tell I'm bargain hunting obsessed yet? XD)

Old Navy-
Yes yes I know, they pulled their plus size section. Keep in mind though, that their regular clothing goes up to a size 20 and XXL. I've found some excellent tops there, and their pajama pants run huge. I have them in XL and XXL and the XL fits great whereas the XXL falls down pretty easy, but are the most comfy.

BY ORDERING ONLY:

B & Lu-
I've only ordered from them once, but I was 100% satisfied. Their clothing fit really well and the prices weren't outrageous. They have a wide array of clothing available, but not nearly as much as the other stores listed technically have. Most (possibly all) clothing is actually B & Lu brand, as opposed to a lot of this brand or that brand.

Alloy-
I haven't ordered from Alloy in a while, but almost half of the items from this catalog and online based retailer go up to I believe a size 25. Not all but many tops also go to XXXL, but I have to order a XXXL normally there, and I can fit into almost all XXL's elsewhere and many XL's as well. They do have a great selection of jeans though, with inseams as long as 35". I don't know about you, but a pet peeve seen on most plus size women (even in catalogs!) is too short pants. In my opinion, flares should finish flaring alongside your shoes, not your ankles!

PLACES THAT DO NOT SPECIALIZE IN PLUS SIZES BY ANY MEANS, BUT ARE POPULAR AND OFTEN FIT:

American Eagle-
They are probably the last of the popular stores to not succumb to the popular XS-L strategy taken by many. Although their website says the XL is online only, don't be fooled! Perhaps in your area, but in mine the XL is still intact. In fact, although I can't fit into non-stretchy shirts or their specialty shirts, the Aerie underwear is quite comfy and big for XL and so are their T-Shirts. Also, online, their pants go to an 18 and the shirts extend to XXL.

Rue 21-
I've had good luck and bad luck here. Their pants don't go very large, but the shirts do fit fairly generous at times. The T-Shirts in XL are wayy too small, and appear to me to be no larger than a size 12. But the other shirts, such as the popular tunic style shirts fit very well. I would not suggest this place, though, to people who have bust to waist measurements much larger than 48-41, because I barely fit and the aforementioned measurements are those of my body.

COMING UP SOON:
Clothing stores that are not good for plus sizes that may have you wandering around hoping for the best and failing!

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