Brick & Mortar for the 30/32 Shopper...
Please read the fine print here, "The Fashion leader in women's plus-size clothing sizes 14-32." Yet I have to go into the tab for, "Special Sizes & Fit" to find a size 30! And when I do I get a total of 11 pieces (of garbage if you ask me) to choose from...wow!
http://www.lanebryant.com/pagebuilder/product_thumbnail_image?cgid1=910&my_nav=special_sizes_fits&cat=size%2030_32
I thought to myself, "Self, you should really look at their normal selection and just see if a 30/32 size comes up that way!"
No dice, 26/28 is the cutoff. Which is usually fine for me as I am somewhere in between a 28 and a 30...but what if I wasn't?
They claim to be, "The Fashion leader in women's plus-size clothing sizes 14-32" Can 11 pieces of clothing truly be the leader in these "Special Sizes?" LAME!!!I have yet to encounter a single LB location that regularly carries sizes 30/32. I have purchased one top in a size 30 in the store and one online. That's it I used to LOVE LB I used to spend a huge chunk of my paychecks there and would still walk out anticipating the next season's line or big sale coming up. But now?
I recently went to LB to spend my "Real Women Dollars" (don't get me started on the name!) and was flabbergasted that I wasn't headed to the dressing room with arm fulls of clothes. Seriously I went into the dressing room with 2 pair of capris ($6.99 each, I had to buy them, too!) and a few bras. I bought everything I tried on, but still couldn't believe that I wasn't going over budget As I walked around the store it was all overly jeweled tops and sythetic fare. Gross! One of the salespeople asked if I needed help and I explained my distaste for their stock and she said something to the effect that that was the fall season's trend: Jewels!
And why is it that every person I encounter working at an LB is visibly miserable?!
I later realized that I've been buying the majority of my fatshion online or at the Avenue:
Ahhh yes! Another lie You see, Avenue claims to have sizes 14-32 (and sometimes they do), but if you want any new items or bottoms in any of their Signature lines (chinos, etc) and you're above a size 26, forget it! I will say though that Avenue has carried more in the 30/32 range than anyone else in more fashionable tops and jackets (I have an addiction, I admit it!). I recently walked into one of their stores with a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $10 or more...no problem! And sure enough, I walked in, saw something I liked, tried it on and made for the register. I knew if I looked I would go beyond the budget. Ha! (I bought this jacket in Red which is more of a berry):
http://www.avenue.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay
Their website is set up better, too! You can click on an item and choose the size in the drop-down and if 30/32 is available it will show it there...no special tabs! And last year they were on-trend with the big trench coat craze and this year? I think they have some of the more fashionable coats and jackets than I have seen in the plus-size world in awhile. This is just my opinion of course, but I do think they're slightly more affordable, too. I love this page
http://www.avenue.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ThemePage?storeId=326&langId=-1&viewName=theme/falltrends.jsp&categoryId=77490&pCategoryId=77490&catalogId=40000000326
Their lingerie and PJ's are great, too. Though a tad pricey for me.
And their Avenista blog is often informative and fun: http://blog.avenue.com/
Although I was completely unimpressed with their, "Designer Boutique." Just, EW! And their "Career Essentials" are far more realistic than when I went to LB last year desperate for interview clothing and all they had was some frankly, skanky/shimmery/synthetic stuff I couldn't bear to even try on! I have since bought a blazer, two shirts and a sweater for my interviewing needs all from Avenue! However, their customer service varies greatly by location! My local one is the epitome of FAIL! But I don't mind swinging by the one 20 miles away when I'm in the area because they rock!!!
I don't think either (or any for that matter) retailer gets the fact that we prefer larger models showing off our larger clothing...
I guess my point in all of this is that there are very limited options for the fatshionista who is over a size 26. And if you're over a size 30/32?
You're only option is the internet. This makes me sad and mad! Mostly because most online retailers charge for returns (RIDICULOUS!!!). Old Navy allows for free returns, but their sizing is soooooo utterly wonky I always order a ton of stuff in random sizes and am always surprised by what I keep versus what I return. It's exhausting and expensive!
(Roaman's, etc...charges for returns! And beware of their dreaded back-orders...they don't always tell you until after the majority of your order has arrived and then they give a delivery date 3 months away!).
I would personally love to hear more from and about the fatshionistas in this size bracket! =0) Thanks for reading!
Oh! I just checked my email and saw this banner above it:
Nice! Now the 30/32 set are plum out of luck!