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Size isn't Everything...This column may not apply to all of you. But it could
apply to a heavier friend or relative. Pass it on...Lately, the media
has been flooding us with headlines of NYC (& America) growing in
girth. In fact on August 13, 2003- the DAY BEFORE the blackout- the
NY Post headlined page 7 with "OBESE-CITY CRISIS". The article
stated that: "One out of six New York adults is obese & more
than half are overweight". Do I smell a conspiracy here? Maybe
the "powers that be" felt that we should walk our fat asses
home & get a head start on weight loss. And as we all age, it gets
harder & harder to lose any weight with our slowing metabolisms. |
| I've been on both sides of the fence. My weight has fluctuated through the years from a size 10 to 20...Honestly, I'm not happy about it. I can still remember the good old dieting days of junior high where I actually touched down upon a size 5/6! Ah Youth! My second bedroom/storage closet chiefly houses clothing that has fit me at various stages in the last decade. Amazingly, I could have a wardrobe for myself from size 10 to 20. I never got rid of the smaller gems- the cool vintage finds & funky designer purchases. My tweed Chanel-ish minis & Pucci-esque knits of the early 90's are now timely again, but they just don't fit... The fashion industry focuses & fixates on the slim. One might say: The Sleek Shall Inherit the Earth. Fuller-figured gals find it harder to dress attractively, appropriately & comfortably for their work & personal lives. It becomes increasingly challenging to find clothing that befits our taste, size & budget. |
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What size is plus size exactly? It depends on the designer, company & country. Regular sizing usually ends with "Large" or 12/14. Although in some Madison Avenue designer boutiques, 12 is the end of the line, baby! Of course, clothes (& shoes) look so much cuter in smaller sizes. Many "small-minded" designers will not compromise their visions & adjust to a larger target market. That's a shame, because there is a huge (no pun intended) audience hungering for fashionable plus-size clothing. 34TH STREET? 34th Street between 8th Avenue & 5th Avenue- is a great street for the weight-challenged. Starting on the western end of 34th Street, there's a CONWAY'S plus-size store for cheap "throw-away" clothing about mid-block... MACY'S has its own larger-sized department with various designers on the 7th floor. Sizes 14-24. (I must admit that this floor seems sad & dowdy compared to the energetic sounds & colors of the junior floor). On the youthful full-figure tip, look for J Lo's Lovelies line, Fubu & Tommy Hilfiger on this floor... Across 34th Street, there's OLD NAVY which carries up to size 20 & XXL. Do NOT forget the men's department for jeans, tees & sweaters. This branch has a giant bargain basement where one can find a full size range with patience... |
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...DAFFY'S, the designer discount chain has a prime spot in the often-overlooked property on the southwest corner of Broadway & 34th. Daffy's is one of my favorite stores overall-especially for accessories. Big sizes are scarce, but attainable. Unfortunately, when it comes to sizing & organizing, most Daffy stores have not conquered this problem completely. Look for the plastic "donuts" on the rails which sometimes correctly segregate the sizes... Near the northeast corner of 6th Avenue & 34th is H&M. This is the only branch in NYC to carry its larger B*B label (up to sizes 26 & XXXL). Recently, the department moved to an awkward area on the main floor tucked behind the escalators. Both work & weekend duds at decent prices can be found... ...Across 34th Street, the GAP presides with two bustling floors of merchandise. Unfortunately, size 16 is the limit. The men's floor is a possibility for some items. Otherwise, check out www.gap.com which does carry up to size 20 & XXL... ASHLEY STEWART is in the shadow of the Empire State Building near Fifth Avenue. This urban chain carries sizes 14-26. When I stopped by, there were some pretty wild prints-- many admittedly f-ugly... STRAWBERRY has some plus-size racks shoved into one area. When I visited, they were renovating. In that mess, I was looking for a pair of medium to dark jeans in a SOLID color. Impossible! All the denim was treated with bleach effects (for example: blotches & "whiskers"/creases). I hope this trend ends quickly! I feel that bleached bottoms do not need such unwarranted attention, especially if it's your problem area... |
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...If you have any energy left on the last leg of the shopping tour, swing up Fifth Avenue one block. Near 35th Street is RAINBOW SHOPS (yes, they still exist). Their basement houses the larger counterpart to the trendy junior togs upstairs. Sizes 14-24. [You will see this is a trend for plus-size departments: Hide them in the basement]. Some designers that sometimes "cater" to a bigger gal? -- Eileen Fisher, Ellen Tracy, Liz Claiborne's "Elizabeth" line, Dana Buchman, Marina Rinaldi, Oscar De La Renta, Jones New York & Josephine Chaus. [FYI- the best & biggest Eileen Fisher is located at 395 West Broadway. Wait for sales!] Many of these lines can be found at major department stores. SAKS FIFTH AVENUE has a whole floor of goodies for full-figured femmes. BLOOMINGDALES "shoves" the larger lasses into their basement. Not only is this department adjacent to the rumbling subway, the store's cafe is amusingly located right in the middle of this floor. NORDSTROMS (L.I.) has a fashion-forward department & a cushy ladies room & powder area (rest up, kids!). LORD & TAYLOR- the quietest department store in town (at least whenever I've sporadically checked it)- has its own area, as well. |
"Just because I can't squeeze into the slim-fitting waif garb in Nolita boutiques doesn't mean I have to embrace Ashley Stewart & Lane Bryant...You just have to know what to look for & where to look..."
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Reasonably priced larger lines can be found at TARGET, JC PENNEY'S, KOHL'S, SEARS, WAL-MART & AVENUE. Designer discount stores- such as CENTURY 21, MARSHALL'S, TJ MAXX, FILENE'S BASEMENT & LOEHMANN'S- have their larger sizes corralled into a small area. "Just because I can't squeeze into the slim-fitting waif
garb in Nolita boutiques doesn't mean I have to embrace Ashley Stewart
& Lane Bryant...You just have to know what to look for & where
to look. Another great option is DIY clothes: I’m not afraid to
wear a dress as a shirt, a miniskirt as a tube top, or a scarf as a
belt. My closet is overflowing with halter tops that were once vintage
dresses, tank tops that were once t-shirts, capris that were formerly
pants, and so forth..." This excerpt was taken from an article
called "Big-Sister's Clothes" by Margeaux Watson in Time Out
New York (August 23-30, 2001). I kept the article because this was written
by a real woman with clothing frustrations I could relate to. She echoed
the sentiment that "fashionable clothes in double-digit sizes are
hard to come by". |
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Lane Bryant has come out of the fashion dark ages. The days of the muumuu are long gone... Runway shows, shops with: plush thick velvet drapes, heavy wood-doored dressing rooms with low lighting & seats, & clothes being designed with the fashion trends in mind. One isn't as embarrassed now to be seen carrying a shopping bag from this store. The stigma has been slightly lessened. There are some features at this store that crack me up... For example, the rounder racks which spin for my lazy perusal. Let the rack do the work! Also, every time I go there it always seems like they are about to close for the day. I joke to my friends: the salesgirls are rushing home to dinner. |
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