Transitioning from summer to fall for a plus sized woman can be problematic and overwhelming, especially when you’ve grown tired of trolling the same places looking for variety. Women of all sizes deserve choices when investing financially in fall trends or just dressing appropriately for the season. Fortunately, we are no longer stuck with only the Lane Bryant mall experience! We have options and while there are independent designers and emerging brands that may not be in your local strip center, they provide even the most curviest fashionista some alternatives. That’s right ladies, we have grown past the belted moo-moos and potato sacks and can now find tailored selections that complement every curve.
Boots, jackets, and holiday glam are just a few items that can be difficult to find for a plus-sized woman. To help lighten the load of a curvy girl’s plight, I am listing some of my favorite designers that absolutely slay in their collections. While most of these style extraordinaires are online only, a few actually have showrooms that you can visit and get a customized shopping experience. Let’s get into the brands!
1) JIBRI
Atlanta-based JIBRI has dressed “fashion conscious curves” since 2006. Owner Jasmine Elder is the brands exclusive designer and seamstress. Collection after collection, JIBRI continues to make timeless garments that are well- constructed and classic in design. JIBRI designs have been worn by many singers & starlets including Tamela Mann, Tasha Cobbs, Kiera Sheard, Jill Scott, Toccara, Amber Riley, Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes), Tess Holiday, Gabourey Sidibe & Lonnie Love. Customers can shop JIBRI’s website or visit their showroom located about 25 miles from downtown Atlanta.
2) Z BY ZEVERRA
Finally a brand that’s perfected the cocktail dress (but in extended sizes)! Sexy, ultra-feminine, and perfect for a night out, Z By Zeverra is an emerging brand launched in 2013 to cater to the long time deficit of sophisticated and glamorous garments offered to a full-figured woman. Launched by Lakisha Livingston-Brown, a software engineer turned designer, Brown was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of providing luxurious garments at a reasonable price point. Z by Zeverra is online based and offers sizing up to a 24.
3) ELOQUII
Originally launched in 2011 under The Limited Brands, Eloquii is a contemporary plus retailer based out of Columbus, Ohio and New York City. As seen on Forbes.com, Eloquii has vowed to “fill the void in plus sized fashion” by offering new product lines every two to three weeks. As an online retailer, the selection of available garments makes the hassle of shopping via the internet worth it. Eloquii offers clothing for sizes 14-28 and most recently launched petite plus options.
4) ASOS CURVE
International e-tailer ASOS has become a household name across fifty countries and counting. In 2011, ASOS launched the Curve line catering to women US sizes 12-24. The brand within the global marketplace has now fully developed into a collection of retailers whom all cater to the curvy woman. Chi Chi London, New Look, and Junarose are a few of the brands you can find with exclusive curvy looks designed just for ASOS.
5) ASHLEY STEWART (WEB EXCLUSIVES)
With eighty-nine retail stores across the country, retailer Ashley Stewart has served as a leading plus-sized retailer since 1991. An extremely customer-service oriented brand, Ashley Stewart hosts amazing in-store events and social media campaigns (i.e. #IamAshley). Ashley Stewart has made it their business to ride the waves of technology by successfully staying connected with customers on every social media platform. Most recently they launched extended sizing, up to size 32, and web exclusive fashions only available via their website. Ashley Stewart’s Web Exclusive collection offers coats, wide-width shoes, and Halloween costumes up to size 3x.
Known for their ability to provide seasonal “fast fashion” and for consistently staying on trend, Fashion to Figure (FTF) is a United States retailer with twenty-six physical locations and an online and social media base. Fashion to Figure was co-founded by brothers Michael and Nicholas Kaplan, two of Lena Bryant‘s (founder of plus-size mega retailer Lane Bryant’s) great-grandsons. Affordable and stylish, FTF’s price point is rarely over $50 and unlike most plus brands, FTF offers a range of prints and color in several of their items.
7) REBDOLLS
#SEXYFORALL is this fashion retailer’s slogan they’ve been sticking to since they launched in 2015. Rebdolls offers basic wardrobe essentials in various colors to fill in the gaps of a true working closet. Bodycon dresses, pencil skirts, and body suits are a few garments you would find on their website, up to size 5x. The brand also takes swimwear very seriously and launches a massive campaign every summer using plus bloggers and familiar faces. With an extremely reasonable price point most of Rebdoll’s items sell out quickly so die-hard shoppers act quick.
Ladies will you be shopping these brands for your fall selections? Comment and let us know your thoughts!
