Innate dressing ability is a gift not everyone possesses. There are lots of people who get to understand their fashion needs and dressing sense as they grow older.
There are a lot of people who have been given this god given talent of choosing exactly what to wear on a specific occasion while there are others who learn about it along the way.
Learning on the go is never considered to be a bad thing necessarily, in fact it is lauded in many things. However, from the view of clothing and fashion everyone would love to be born with this innate talent.
While the ability to dress correct is god given or built over time, the clothing that makes for this ability are created by designers and brands all over the world. Clothes of the finest quality, made from the best materials for the population world over.
These clothes are made for a range of people, differentiated on the basis of age, gender and size. While age and gender are really important, here we are going to focus on clothing differentiated on the basis of size.
We in fact, are going to take into consideration a very specific size of clothing. The clothing that is made for the plus size community.
In recent years, the plus size community has gained a lot of importance and relevance in the world of fashion. The number of brands that have now come in and started making a variety of styles and types of clothing for the plus size community has made the community feel like a big part of the industry.
A lot of the trends that begin in this industry are now based keeping in mind the needs of the plus size community as well. This has increased the options available in the market for the plus size community which brings along with it a slight problem.
The problem of confusions. Confusion about what to buy and what color to buy the desired piece of clothing in. There is nothing to fear however, as we will help you sort this confusion out.
In this article, we will look at some of the best choices of clothing, a sort of must have lists of clothing items for a plus size woman.
Dresses: Must haves for plus size women
Long Jackets
Long jackets are a versatile clothing item and is perfect for fall. Long jackets help your body to look elongated and hide all the flab and bulges. Long jackets in a single color can be worn over dresses, skirts as well as Jeans And Tops.
Long jackets have somewhat come into their own as a fashion trend ever since they were introduced in the world of fashion. Effortless to carry and almost completing any kind of attire, long jackets have become increasingly popular, especially during the fall and winter seasons.
They are also worn by top celebrities, which adds a formidable backing to why it is a great choice of clothing. During the upcoming season of winter, you can also wear these long jackets with sweaters. Long jackets are classic and sexy.
Just pair them off with some great pair of boots and you will be ready to take on the world.
Decolletage Dresses
When outfitting your body type, it’s all about highlighting your assets. Fuller-figured women can put their curves to work for them in a dress that shows off the décolletage area. It’s a sultry, statement-making look that doesn’t cross the line into being too provocative.
Plus, showing some skin up top directs the eye upwards to create a vertical, slimming effect while directing attention away from any bottom-heaviness. The same rule applies to shirts, too.
Peplum Dresses
You’ve likely seen several versions of a dress with a ruffle at the waist over the past few years. This style is called “peplum,” and it’s great for creating an hourglass figure. Although the underlying structure of a peplum dress is similar to that of a bodycon, an added ruffle wraps partially around the natural waist, flaring out for a few inches.
This makes the waist look smaller compared to the shoulders and hips. This means peplum dresses are suitable for rectangle or oval-shapes who want to balance their waist against the rest of their body.
Shapewears
Of course, no list of figure-flattering clothing would be complete without the glories of shapewear. While it can be an asset to figures of any shape and size, fuller frames will see will definitely benefit from this investment.
Shapewear shouldn’t be seen as a method to make you three sizes smaller. Rather, its purpose is to minimize lumps and bumps, creating a smooth foundation.
These body-slimmers come in all shapes and varieties, right from high-waist biker shorts, to bodysuits, tights, and bras. This means there’s literally one for every body, and every outfit.
Off-shoulder Dresses
Designed to show off your decolletage, off-the-shoulder dresses have sleeves, usually at least an inch thick that wraps around the shoulders rather than going across from front to back.
The effect adds weight to your upper half, making off-the-shoulder dresses great for balancing out women with shoulders that are more narrow than their hips. Wearing an off-the-shoulder dress with an A-line silhouette also creates an hourglass figure for women with a rectangle body shape.
Off-shoulder dresses have gained a lot of prominence and increased in popularity over the years. It is one among many dress types that has both casual and stylish written all over it.
It can be worn for a Saturday night party or a casual brunch and you would still become the highlight of both. All you need to add is a little confidence with the dress.
A-Line Dresses
This silhouette creates the impression of an hourglass shape. It has a fitted top and torso, then flares out at the waist in a triangular fashion. This style is great for women of all body shapes.
Full-figured women should choose plus size A-line dresses made of sturdier fabrics such as cotton, rayon, denim and polyester rather than flowy, clingy options like silk and satin. Stiffer materials retain the shape of the dress, making its flattering features suitable for every body type.
These are some of the must have dresses that every plus size woman should have in their wardrobe. For plus size women, one more thing they ought to remember while buying these dresses is their body shape. Based on their different body shapes, plus size women need to know what suits their body the best.
Here is a detailed list of what to wear and what to let go for the different body shapes among the plus size women.
Deciding the dresses based on body shape
The Apple Shape
Knee-length skirts and dresses with a subtle A-line shape—the widening of the silhouette should be gradual and not overly exaggerated—will minimize lumps or bumps.
Make boot-cut or straight-leg pants and jeans your go-to; a little volume on the bottom will balance out the top half.
And look for vertical patterns to elongate and draw the eye away from the middle. From what to not shop, fussy details like pleats and pockets around the fullest areas should be avoided along with high-cut necklines, pencil skirts and boxy jackets.
The Pear Shape
To strike a balance between top and bottom, aim for “structured jackets with slight shoulder padding, short jackets with shape at the waist, and tops with wide necklines such as ballet, boat, or square,” advises Jodi Arnold, creative director of Eloquii, a plus-size fashion retailer.
The no no’s for this shape of plus size women include, fit and flare dresses, a-line skirts and empire waistline dresses. “Slim-cut or skinny pants will only accentuate the disproportion,” says Brewer.
Ditto for snug-fitting skirts, as well as pockets or any embellishments around the hips or bottom. And, she advises, “no jackets that hit at the widest part of the butt.”
The Hourglass
Ready balanced proportions need simple, streamlined silhouettes to flatter without overdoing them. peplums, shaped jackets, and wrap styles are real good dresses for women with the hourglass figure.
A pencil skirt with strategic seaming that visually shapes the skirt looks impeccable on an hourglass body shaped woman. For jeans and pants, stick with slim-cut, body-skimming boot-cut or straight-leg styles with a mid-rise to show off your shape.
The strict no no’s include Oversize cuts, which will hide your curves, and ruffles or other frills around the bust that will just add unnecessary volume. Full skirts with busy patterns and belts that are worn low on the hips are also not flattering and will disrupt your natural proportions.
There are a lot of options available in the market nowadays for plus size women. A lot of the dresses are available in all ranges and sizes which makes the task of making the final decision of what to buy and what not to buy a tough one.
The few things that you need to take into consideration before deciding on the final outfits include your body shape, your skin tone, your comfort level and your style of clothing.
The outfits that tick all these points are the ones that should make the cut and become a part of your wardrobe.
