Catalog Companies

There are many companies that will send catalogs to your home. I received three of them in the mail yesterday. They usually come when the spring, summer, fall, and winter lines are being introduced. They may also include some items that are on Clearance. Some of the companies that send out catalogs also have an online presence. When I receive a new catalog I usually go to the online store and check out what has been placed on clearance. You never know what you may find there.

The newest catalog from Ulla Popken offers 17% off orders over $39.00 if you enter the code, newyear17. It's easy to spend $39.00 on items from their catalog.  There are five pages of sale choices that include some great basics for any wardrobe.  You will find classic cotton tanks, tunics, and sweaters in many different colors. I am planning on beefing up my choices by ordering a few of the tunics and tanks. don't forget to look through the remainder of the catalog. There are some great buys spread throughout the pages. If you don't get a copy of Ulla Popkens's catalog. Order something online and the catalog will be sent to you automatically. I just checked the online site and it is also offering the 17% discount.

Right now the Woman Within catalog is offering A free striped weekender bag (a $39.00 value) for $1.99 shipping with a purchase of $25.00 or more. They also have an online site. In this edition of their catalog there are 20 pages of winter sale items. That includes but is not limited to coats and boots. You can order what you see in the catalog, online. By doing so, you will get your order a little sooner. I want to caution you about sizing. Some things I've ordered have not been true to size. I ordered a jacket tonight and I went up one size to make sure it will be large enough.

The JD Williams catalog is the third catalog I found in my mailbox the other day. There are some excellent buys in this catalog.  They are offering 15% off your first order.  You can also order anything you find in the catalog on their online site. Classic crew neck sweaters are $19.99. You can't go wrong with those. I also like the shoe options in the catalog. You can find some adorable flats and some sweet boots. Of course, the dressy dresses displayed are wonderful, too.

This is not an exhaustive list of plus-size catalogs. It is just a smathering of what is out there. When I come across some additional great catalogs, I will add them here.

Simply Be Part 2 Post #11

I have been getting catalogs from SimplyBe for about three years and have never ordered from them. About two weeks ago I found a dress that I really liked on their online site so I decided to give them a try. I also took a look at their sale items and purchased a classy looking black cardigan for $14.99. I only have one other cardigan that I purchased from Lane Bryant in a royal blue, and it really wasn't true to size. So I needed one just to have for chilly evenings. My items arrived today and I couldn't be any happier. It does take longer for them to get to you because they are coming from overseas. So keep that in mind. I believe it took about two weeks for my order to reach me.

 $69.99

$14.99

The cardigan is also available in grey in some sizes. It originally came in about six different colors, but most of them are sold out. When I did a search for black cardigan, the results showed three pages of choices. There are tons of dresses to choose from as well. 

Unlike some sites that charge shipping unless you are buying $75 or $100 in merchandise, SimplyBe ships for free if you order $40 worth of clothing. It's not hard to hit that minimum. Although this is not a site that is purely devoted to plus-size women, the sizes go up to 28/30 which in the US is equivalent to 24/26.

Activewear for Plus-Sized Women Post #10

Many plus-sized woman are into yoga and other active sports. This blog entry will explore different sites that offer activewear options. There are mega sites that have sections for activewear. Plus there are sites that just sell activewear. I will share some of both with you.

The first site is Old Navy. There is one page of activewear selections. If you catch it at the right time you can get some good buys. Tip: If you are an E-Bates member, you get 8% back at Old Navy.

Full Beauty has quite an extensive collection of sport themed attire. They have a special promotion right now. If you buy one, you get one free. There are some restrictions so read the disclaimer. On this site you will find yoga pants, bike shorts, swimwear, and jogging suits to name a few. You can also purchase footwear.

Lane Bryant also offers a nice selection of activewear. Most of their items are quite slick looking and very fashion forward. You should check them out if you are looking for new pieces for your wardrobe. They offer, jackets, cooling shorts, yoga pants, socks, and sport bras.

Now for the sites that pretty much specialize in activewear. Some of them include missy sizes, but all of them offer activewear in plus-sizes.

Fractal 9 offers leggings, shorts, and capris.  They are beautiful and very colorful. Take some time to check them out. Pull down the Shop menu to locate the plus-size clothes.

Malesh Activewear is a site that only caters to plus-sized women. Their motto is "To offer quality activewear for curvy women at affordable prices." The prices are affordable, the offerings are limited. I believe this site will grow as people become aware of it. There is a blog connected to the site that features recipes and newsy information.

Lineage Another site that offers activewear. The sizes range from 0 to 30. Tops and leggings are available among other offerings. There is a blog on the site, but it has not been updated in quite a while. I do like the fact that they also have items for children. Although not as reasonable as Malesh, you still may come across some interesting finds.

Rainbeau Curves The first section I would hit on this site is the clearance section. You can pick up tops for $14.95 and yoga pants for $16.95 and they are mighty cute. Sizes run from 1X to 5X. The Blog on this site is worth reading and watching, because they have taken the time to insert videos. New arrivals run in the 30 to 50 dollar range. This site is a must!

Although there are additional sites that offer plus-sized activewear, I have chosen to highlight the sites listed here. If you think other web sites should be included here, please leave them as a comment.

Simply Be Sale Pages Post #9

Simply Be is a company from the United Kingdom. They have oodles of sale pages. I was blown away by the number of dresses on sale. I believe there were around 650 different ones. Not every dress posted is available in every size. (BTW their sizes run from size 8 to 28.) You can search by size so that you can find the dresses that are available in your size. Dresses on their site fall into the following categories: party dresses, maxi dresses, evening dresses, work dresses, swing dresses, and wedding dresses. The prices are pretty good, too!  They even have a section for weddings which includes dresses for bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and guests.  Here are just three of the dresses that are currently on sale.

In addition to dresses, Simply Be also sells tops, denim, slacks, t-shirts, skirts, swimwear, shorts, jumpsuits and rompers, shoes, nightwear, and accessories. The variety for each category is extensive. Just a note about the shoe section...The shoes and boots come in three widths, D, E, and EEE. That is important to know because some plus-size sites only carry shoes that are D width.

If you become a VIP for Simply Be you can take 15% off your first order. That means applying for a Be card and using it on your first order. There are plenty of perks that go along with being a VIP. You will receive $20 off your second order if you spend over $100, you will get a special gift on your birthday, you'll have early access to sales, in addition you will get special offers and discounts that are exclusive to all Be card members. Another perk is the ability to earn up to $50 in vouchers each month. Check out this page about the Be card.

Forever 21 #8

I'm not sure how long Forever 21 has been selling plus-size clothing, but there are some cute offerings for the under thirty crowd. Actually, some items could be worn by people over thirty if you are young at heart. I just ordered three things from their site; a cranberry top I plan to wear this fall, an elephant print kimono, and a teal knit poncho that was originally, $30, but was on sale for $15.90. Shopping on the site is easy because you can filter by size. (I figured that out after being disappointed that the first half-dozen things I looked at didn't come in my size.)

Elephant Print Kimono $14.90 Sizes XL/1X and 2X/3X

After I checked out, I found an adorable dress that I would have ordered if I noticed it when I was shopping. I like the cut of the dress and figure the pattern is good for fall with a shrug worn on top. The dress was only $17.90. Just about everything is priced reasonably. The sale prices are even better.

Tribal Print Dress $17.90 Sizes OX, 1X, 2X and 3X

I decided to order because I want to see if the clothes run true to size. Once I receive my order I will add some additional comments here. Hopefully, I will be pleased with my purchases.

BTW...I didn't have to pay any shipping costs. That always makes me happy! I checked back and found that it is a special, for July 4th sales.

To go directly to the plus-size section on Forever 21, just click the following link:   Forever 21 Plus-Sizes

Followup: My package arrived and I was pleased with the blouse and the poncho. The elephant print kimono is adorable but ran a tad small. I held on to it, though, hoping that one day it will fit.

Plus-Size Lingerie #7

Plus-size gals like to look pretty just like everyone else; even in the bedroom. On the sites listed below you will find lingerie that is in good taste and lingerie that is more risque'.  Check out these sites. I hope you can find what you are looking for.

Hips&Curves "Your Ultimate Plus Size Lingerie Boutique" Here you will find a large variety of items, including but not limited to garter belts, peignoir sets, corsets, costumes, and sleepwear.

Lane Bryant-Cacique On this site you will find new arrivals, bras, panties, seriously sexy lingerie, sleep & lounge, and shapewear.

macy's If you are looking for hosiery, shapewear, gown & robes, or bridal lingerie you may want to check out what macy's offers.

Torrid This is a plus-size site that has a selection of intimates. Some of the categories are bra and panty sets, bridal, shapewear, and sexy lingerie.

I'm sure you will be able to find some intimates at other major department stores. The online sites I have listed above have a decent amount of items. I was very surprised to find that there are just a few companies offering pretty things for us larger girls. If you know other sites please feel free to include them in the comments section and I will add them to this very short list.













      

Sizes Are Sometimes Not What They Seem #6

When ordering online, sizes can be deceiving. It pays to looks at the sizing information located on the website. At least that will give you a general idea of what to expect. For example if you normally wear a 2X don't assume that a 2X from every web site will actually fit someone that is a 20/22. The sizing guidelines are there to help you. The other day I saw that a 2X was made to fit a 16/18. I have also found that if you are a 2X that also wears a size 22, most times you will have better luck ordering something that is a size 22 rather than a 2X. Some sites even have their own sizing hierarchy,  using a scale of 0 to 4 to represent XL-3X. It really can be confusing.

On the same topic of sizing I have found that clothes at Lane Bryant and Avenue have a tendency to run small. When in doubt order the next larger size. I know that is frustrating especially if you have just lost weight and are happy to be a size 20, you hate the idea of ordering a 22/24. However, if you want it to fit properly you may have to do so. If I am ordering for a special occasion and not sure if something is going to fit, I will order it in two different sizes to make sure that I have something to wear, vs. nothing. I just return that other one. I know that means you will incur extra shipping charges. If the occasion is important it is worth the extra money.

If you are shopping in a brick and mortar store you find size abnormalities all the time. When I go to Macy's I find that certain brands are smaller and would not actually fit you in your normal size. Lucky Brand has a tendency to run small, so does NY and Company, Alfani, Karen Scott, and Calvin Klein. On the other hand INC., and Charter Club run true to size. Those are my findings you may not follow the same pattern.

Please stay away from RoseGal. It had some cute looking clothes, but...when they arrive they are smaller than you are hoping for, and made very cheaply. I ordered a size 3X black capri. What came is something that will fit a 10 year old. I am giving it to my niece and I am not even sure that it will fit her. One of the tops I ordered came in a 2X instead of a 3X and I don't even think I will fit someone that wears a 2X. The clothes come from China, they take a long time to get here, and the quality and sizing is poor. I also ordered a couple of necklaces from them because they were unique. One broke as I was taking it off. I learned my lesson. The ironic thing is that after I placed my order I saw a posting on Facebook that warned people about the site. I wish I had seen it before I ordered from them.