Looking for that Perfect Outfit, But Don't Know Where To Go?

Over the summer I was on the hunt for places where I could find “cute & fashionable” plus size clothing other than the usual Lane Bryant, which I love don’t get me wrong, but sometimes their prices are just redonkadunk.  I put a list together of some of my favorite places to buy clothes that I think fit and are easy on the wallet.  Below is a compilation of retail and online shopping. 

Old Navy.com – You can only purchase plus size clothing online – they no longer have them available in stores.  But, make sure you check out some of their XXL items in the misses b/c they do run big.  Depending on the size/cut and what the occasion is I am a 2x-3x AND I have a couple items from Old Navy size XXL that fit.  Not true to size.   Always buy on sale here…..it seems like they always are running some sort of promotion. Plus they always offer free shipping and returns.

Old Navy Terry Cover-up - XXL - Fits Me!

Old Navy Boardwalk Shorts - 3x - feel like an XL! (Tight)

Avenue.com -  They have really good prices and usually run good sales around season changes.  I like their shoe selection, they offer wide width and wide calf boots.  The only downfall is that you have to spend $100.00 for free shipping and you have to pay around $8.00 or so to return items through mail, but store returns are free. Go here to read clearance post.

Eloquii.com (Limited branch) – really cute stylish clothing.  Sort of pricey, but their clothes make me feel so fashionable and almost like I fit in (sounds weird, I know!) On the other hand they do offer really good sales and have unbeatable clearance prices. 

Printed Tie Waist Top ~ $26.24

Maurices/Marices.com -  They offer sizes from 0-24 and XS-3X.  Some of their items can be a little funky and pricey.  You sort of have to rummage through the "ruff" to find what you are looking for.  Good place for work attire.  

T.J. Maxx -  They have some really cute items, but remember it is a hit or miss with them b/c they are sort of a buyout store.  So you must have persistence and patients with them.  But, I have found a lot of good bargains here, so don’t give up! 

Talbots/Talbots.com -  If I could afford to buy one of everything …… I would.  I love their clothes, just not the prices (this is a high-end store). They offer such sleek and stylish clothes that fit and are quality made.  They also offer a selection of wide width shoes.  Make sure to watch for semi-annual sales because you can snatch up many good bargains.  A couple years ago I just happened to walk in when they were having the event and I got a shirt and cardigan for about $25.00!  I still have the cardigan, but I snagged a hole in the shirt (bummer)

Torrid/Torrid.com – I love their shoes!  They have them in wide width and wide calf boots.  They usually have cute clothes and the thing I like the most is that they put together something called a “lookbook”  where where you can see what an outfit looks like on the model, plus it gives you ideas of how to pair separate pieces together.    

Taupe Buckle Luna Wedge Boots ~ $68.50

Lands End/ Landsend.com - They have causal and career wear here.  I have only purchased a swimsuit top from this company, but I was very pleased with it.  It was true to size and made with quality materials.  Plus, it seems like I am always getting e-mails notifying me of a sale.   

Look What I Found............

So here is just an example of what I found for for a deal. Take a look. I also had to adjust my amounts because every time I use my DivaStyle rewards I get 5% off for being a qualified member. So of course that will come off before the promo code.

Torrid Deal

Wow! I just saw that Torrid has a coupon code out right now that if you spend $10.00 you get $10.00 off. Use code BTDM710 at checkout. You do have to sign up for a DivaStyle rewards account which is free and basically it is like any other perk card. Also, they have $8.00 flat rate shipping. Which technically you would be getting $10.00 worth of items for $8.00 + tax. Pretty good deal. I'm going to see what I can dig up.

Old Navy $2 Camis !

Starting tomorrow (July 29-31) you can get up to five, yes that's right, (5) layering Cami's (per person) for $2.00 each. Just mention Cami4me to the cashier or go here for a coupon to print out and turn in. Unfortunately, this is only an in store promotion, so hopefully you have an Old Navy close by to you. What an awesome deal! These are usually $8.50 and layering Cami's are always nice and in style.

Old Navy Online Deal Alert !

What a major coincidence, that Old Navy is running an online exclusive sale. They are having 30% off any adult item purchase (women's, men's, maternity, women's plus, etc.) of $100 or more. YES! This sale will be running 7/23 - 7/25. Just use code ONADULT at checkout. Then they are having a code for free shipping if you spend $50 or more using code ONSEND50 at time of checkout. You can really turn this into a great deal! But, then if you go through Ebates, Old Navy has 10% cash back. See this post for more information ( at the bottom).

Old Navy Sale!

Whew! Look at all this you can get for a little over $100. Then use the 30% off code and you just brought it down to $70. So here is a couple items I thought were pretty cute to make an example out of. Enjoy!

Deal Scenario:
Below clothes = $104.26
- 30% discount = $72.98 + tax OOP
went through ebates cash back = $7.30
= $65.68 + free shipping + free returns! Not to bad for $100 worth of clothes sent to your door!



1. Graphic Jersey Lounge Shorts - $6.97
2. Logo Hoodie (Aquatic Park or Shot of Love colors) - $12.97


3. Distressed Boot-Cut Jeans sizes 16 to 30 - $36.50


4. Braided Belt Twill Shorts (also come in white & black) - $14.97
5. Seed Bead Embellish Tank - $4.47 (this might be out of stock)


6. V-Neck Jersey Tee (other colors like black and white)- $6.97


7. Crochet-Hem V-Neck Tee - $9.47


8. Raw Edge Ruffle Trim Henley - $6.47


9. Striped Chest Pocket Tank - $5.47

Fashionistas ~ what to choose?!

As a bigger person I am always on the lookout for cute clothes that fit well and that are affordable. Sometimes that is very hard and almost near impossible to find. But, my goal for this new segment of this blog is to find clothes on the net and post about them. I will put outfits together, show shoes, accessories, etc. Hopefully, I can do this on a weekly basis to keep up with the trends and seasonal changes.

So, this week I am putting the spotligt on finding a cute summer dress. I have a wedding to go to in August and even though I have a back-up outfit of gray pants and a black zipper top, I wanted to find something a little more dressy. Also, I have had this obession with wearing blue shoes and I want to find something that I can wear with blue shoes. I have been searching and searching and I have only found a couple. Here are a couple of my top picks for dresses and shoes. Let me know what you think.

TORRID: They had a couple cute items that I found. The only thing that I watch out for when I buy dresses is how it will make my butt and arms look. I have such a big butt/hips and large flabby arms. So, I am very self conscious of sleeveless and puffy dresses. On the other hand I found that a lot of their dresses looked super short. Jeez! I'm going to wedding not a night club!

Don't really care for the shoe style but I really like the color of this shoe. I was hoping I could find something similar to this color but maybe in a sandal or stiletto style shoe.

(Since so small go here to view)
This dress I really like how it looks on the girl and I would really consider wearing it to a wedding, but I'm concerned how it would look on me w/ my big butt and hips.

(since so small go here to view)
This dress would probably work out great. It is a little longer, which is good, and I can add a cardigan to it and disguise my arms, butt, and hips! Also, it would go pretty good with the color of shoes that I am obsessed with wearing.

OLD NAVY: They surprised me with a couple of cute dresses. Sometimes they just have mostly "out there" dresses that I would not even stand beside, let only try to look good in.

I really, really like this dress. It would be cute to wear and I could add a cardigan to it and cover my problem areas up. But, on the other hand I am nervous that it is going to be sticky and the front may look bulgy instead of sleek. (even w/ the SPANX)

This dress is very cute but I'm concerned about being clingy and making my problem areas more of a problem than I have started with. I love the neckline! This dress looks very dressy, classy, and a could make a great wedding guest outfit.

This dress is super cute! I absolutely love the buttons up the side. A couple reason make me shy away from this dress though. One being that it may not look dressy enough. It kind of looks like a nightgown or a swimsuit cover-up. Number two reason being that since it has sleeves, which would be great for my arms, it will be very hard to wear a cardigan to cover up my hips and butt areas. Also, it looks like it may be a little clingy and short. Even though it would look super cute with heels on a skinny person, I just think that I may need to wear small sandals and skip the height. I would look like the not so jolly gray giant!

20% Off Coach Outlet Coupon

Go here to snag a 20% off Coach Factory coupon good through July 25, 2010. You can also use this coupon on clearance items that are marked around 25 - 60 % off already. Wow! this would make some super cheap Coach! I wish I had one closer to me!

SPANX - LOVE EM!

About 3 years ago my friend, Emily, introduced me to the most miraculous invention on Earth ……drum roll……SPANX. I am absolutely in love with these little pantyhose tummy sucker inners. LOL! (Can you tell I make up words?) My favorite style of SPANX is the high waisted power panty. It comes all the way up past your stomach and goes down the legs all the way till about the top of your kneecaps. I wear these with everything. I wanted to post about these because sometimes you just need that little extra help. Maybe those pants are just a tad too small or you have a dress that your stomach looks a little pudgy in. The SPANX will come in very handy!

These come in all different sizes and designs. You have probably heard of them already. The originator is Sara Blakely and she has expanded the collection to make up cami’s, menswear, swimsuits, and undergarments. These come in all different sizes and colors based on your needs and wants. Even though these are as good as fudge, they are a little on the expensive side. (See Below) Now, she has also created a cheaper line, called Assets, that are sold at Target and a few select other stores. They are supposed to compare to the “real thing” but I have tried the equivalent to what I buy and I was not satisfied. It was very flimsy, didn’t really shape me, or even help.

(COMING SOON!) I’m going to take a couple pictures of me wearing SPANX and then not wearing and see if you are able to figure it out. LOL! I know you won’t be fooled!



Here are a couple common stores that carry the SPANX Brand. Now the reason I am posting about this is because sometimes you can find a promotional code that you can apply to them and get your order cheaper than you can from the official SPANX site. I.E. free shipping, a certain dollar amount off, percentage off, etc. And, you don't want to go out of your way to find these. So if you have a store nearby, stop and look at a pair. Also, if you buy online, go through this amazing free site called Ebates you can get a percentage back from your purchase. You will also get a $5.00 sign up bonus. Then when you hit $15.00 you can select to receive a check through mail. All you have to do is sign on to ebates.com, then select the store you will be shopping. When you do that ebates will direct you to the stores site. This is how they track your ordering and how much you spend. So make sure you go through ebates site first so that you can get your money credited to your account.

• Lane Bryant - 3% cash back through ebates
• Free ship to store. Which can be a Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines, or Cacique.
• Right now they are having $20 off $40 purchase. WooHoo! That will make some cheap SPANX baby!
  

• Catherines - 3% cash back
  

• Torrid - 4% cash back
• I'm not sure if I completely like this store and how they do business. They charge astronomical prices for their shipping. But, unlike others their returns are free.
  
• They also have a rewards program called divastyle reward where you can earn points and coupons.
  

• Dillards - 3% cash back

• Target - 3% cash back
  
• Assets brand also can find at David's Bridal.