It seems to have taken forever, but clothing stores are slowly realizing the necessity of stocking clothes for plus-size women. Gone are the days when plus-size women had to self-consciously search for the section of the store that stocks clothes that fit. Also the variety of styles has increased exponentially, with plus-size clothes being specifically designed and tailored, rather than adapted for the larger body. If you are a plus-size woman, and are looking for tips on how to dress to impress, then read this article...

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Women's Plus Size Clothing - Plus Size Costumes and Fashions
By: Natasha Bantwal

Nowadays, plus size women’s clothing is an industry that is fast expanding. Gone are those tawdry days when all the fashion houses had to offer to the plus sized women were a boring pair of stretch jeans and a ridiculously large flowery dress!

Yes these days, fashion for the larger woman has now become a multinational business that is growing rapidly with each passing day. Most of the larger clothing retail outlets are now catering to those women who require plus size dresses and outfits. Some outlets even have special ranges of outfits that are specifically cut out for the larger body type. This is making it easier for larger women, and even men to follow the current fashions and trends. With such a huge potential for profit, why didn’t retailers and fashion houses think of catering to the larger people years ago? Beats me!

Apart from this, today, there are so many specialist shops and boutiques for plus size clothing that are sprouting up all over. For the larger customer, this is indeed a very a reassuring option as most of them don’t feel comfortable shopping side by side with skinny, model-like size ten women. So, if you belong to the class of plus size people, have no fear, you can now shop in comfort in a store that is entirely devoted to catering to your every need and requirement. What’s more, you’ll also be dealing with a staff that understands your every need and who will give you useful tips and advice on the fashion, style and trends that will look good on you.

Dealing with a well-trained staff who are well experienced in dealing with plus size customers can make your shopping experience more fun and a lot easier.

As far as plus size fashions are concerned, not all ramp trends transfer well into plus size clothing and it is very important for fashion designers and buyers to have an excellent eye when it comes to what works and what doesn’t work for the larger customer. Designers that are used to working with plus size customers are always better at understanding what looks the best and what works best for these women. Some of the trendier specialist shops have their own designers who work on their customers to get the best out of their bodies instead of making larger clothes that have actually been designed keeping the smaller woman in mind.

Any good fashion designer, especially the ones who specialize in plus size costumes, will know that just like the smaller women, the larger women also want to look glamorous and sexy. But, in designing such outfits, you have to be extremely practical – you don’t want you plus size woman wearing something that looks vulgar do you just because she said she wanted to look sexy?

Tips for Buying Plus Size Women’s Clothing

•Avoid Shapeless, Oversized Clothes – Don’t go for oversized clothes that are shapeless and dowdy. Such clothes will hide your whole body, the good as well as the bad parts too! Go for clothes that accentuate your figure while bringing out your best features and hiding the bad ones.

•Black does not always give a slimming effect – Black dresses, skirts and pants are not always the most flattering for plus size women. An appealing outfit is all about the tailoring, the proportion, the fit, and the overall style – more so than the color. Monotone outfits are as flattering as plain old black, in fact less drab. Black on the other hand, tends to make most skin tones look washed out.

•Tapered Jeans don’t look good – The ice cream cone shape of tapered jeans and trousers does definitely not compliment a larger figure. Instead, go for streamline shaped pants that are straighter from the hip down. If your butt or hips happen to be the problem area, then find a plus sized pant that flares out slightly towards the bottom in order to balance the volume of the hip. A slightly flared pant or a straighter leg will give your legs a longer appearance.

•Love your Body – The truth is whether or not you like your current plus size body, you still have to dress up right? So, what’s the point in hating your body and dressing all dowdily? Might as well, love it for what it is, flaws and fat, and dress up to make it look good. If you have the right kind of confidence, and know how to carry yourself off well, then whatever may be your body type, you will end up looking beautiful and sexy.

•Don’t go for clothes that are ill-fitting or too tight – What may be a size 14 in one chart might actually be a size 16 or 18 in another. So, don’t buy clothes based on their size. Concern yourself with how the clothes look on you and how they fit. Clothes that are too tight and pull in areas or bunch up will attract unwanted attention.

Yes, women’s plus size clothing has indeed come a long way today. With changing seasons and changing fashion trends, the plus size fashions have also witnessed incredible changes in their styles and trends.

After all, who doesn’t want to wear clothes that will get them noticed?

By Natasha Bantwal
Published: 1/1/2008 

Available at:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/womens-plus-size-clothing-plus-size-costumes-and-fashions.html