by Oxpictus

Created on: November 05, 2008

I am going to let you in on something about me that few on the internet know. I am a plus-sized woman. I am not going to try to hide behind phrases like, "ample-sized" or "curvey" or any hype like that. Big is big. And, plus-size means big women.

That fact established, I would like to share a little of what it is like, to shop for plus-size clothing:

I was CFO of a small organization. I wanted clothing that looked business-like and professional. I preferred natural fabrics, in neutral tones, I wanted a decent fit, and a modicum of comfort. Finding garments that fit these expectations was, shall we say, interesting.

Designers think they can take a garment pattern and simply expand and enlarge it, and it will be perfect for plus-sized women. After exhausting the few places in our county that carried my size, via the internet I bought a dressy burn-out velvet overblouse to wear to a company banquet.

The material was beautiful. Just like in the catalog. I tried it on. The cuffs of the sleeves hung way past my knees, as did the hemline. It would have been perfect if I were a mountain gorilla! The neckline was suitable for a sumo wrestler. After altering it, I realized it would have been much easier to buy the material and sew it from scratch. I bought a sweatshirt last year, the neckline in the catalog was as it should be, at the neck. When it arrived and tried it on, the neckline was like a scoop-neck garment. I wear it with a turtleneck, if I even have one hope of staying reasonably warm.

Ever go into a plus-size shop? They think we want shiny, satin shirts in colors that do not occur in nature, to be worn with something called "leggings". Leggings look like thick panty hose, absolutely clinging to every square inch of cellulite and every love handle on your body! You would have to be an emaciated model-type, in order to wear them. If you can wear leggings, you don't have to be shopping in a plus-size shop! Another variation of leggings is the "stirrup pants". Think of a huge "V". This is what one looks like from the waist down, wearing stirrup pants.

Or, they have combined denim and lace. In orange. With fringe. God only knows where you would want to wear something like this. I passed on that one.

So now that I have a good wardrobe of professional-looking plus-size clothes, I have retired. We own a ranch. Jeans, boots and a sweatshirt is all I need. Oh, and don't forget the turtleneck.

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