Are you struggling to find clothes to fit your fuller figure? The Weekly’s fashion editor Mattie Cronan shows you how to look as good as our June cover girl Chrissie Swan.
Looking for clothes for our cover girl Chrissie Swan was always going to be a bit of a challenge.
I wanted something beautiful for Chrissie, something that she would feel amazing in as she was about to join an elite club: The Australian Women’s Weekly cover stars!
Related: Chrissie Swan – ‘There’s nothing wrong with being overweight’
I’ve got to be honest there is not a great deal out there in the world of plus-size clothing, and I was a little disappointed with what I was seeing on the racks.
The quality, designs, fabrications, and the overall lack of choice, was not very appealing.
So Tiffany, our Market Editor, and I went to work and started researching clothes for larger women and came up with some real gems. Chrissie was thrilled to see how much we came up with and had masses to choose from on the day.
I thought it was my duty to share these great finds with all you other plus-size ladies out there!
On the cover, Chrissie is wearing a custom-made dress by one of her best friends, fashion designer Rebecca Thompson.
The dress was made under Chrissie and Rebecca’s label, Swan & Thompson, which focuses on creating beautiful silhouettes in luxurious fabrics in sizes 16-24.
Rebecca’s solo label Rebecca Thompson only goes up to size 16, and she says the bigger pieces are always the first to sell out, showing there is a huge market for plus-size fashion.
Tiffany and I also came across a great local online website Style and Substance. You can find everything from casual to bridal, the range is vast and it goes from size 14-32 .
Chrissie wore two Kiyonna dresses in our photo shoot, the Cosmo Cocktail Dress in Golden Evening and the Betsey Ruched Dress in Elegant Aubergine and looked incredible in both.
The Betsey dress by Kiyonna is a style they continue to stock, as it is so flattering to all body shapes. It comes in seven colours and prints.
Other brands and websites we used were Dream Diva for the best leggings around, At Last for Chrissie’s Bless My Soles shoes, Eve Hunter for the lilac embellished dress, Marina Rinaldi for the gorgeous gold cardigan, and of course Harlequin Market for all of the incredible jewels.
Other Notable plus-size brands are:
Muse by Dita Von Teese: Beautifully handcrafted dresses that go up to size 20. Available exclusively at David Jones.
Leona + by Leona Edmiston: A great array of fun frocks, colours and prints stocked in Myer and select Leona Edmiston Boutiques.
Asos Curve: Asos is cult British fashion website and has a line specifically designed for the curvy girl. It goes up to a size 26 and has great range that is on trend and for the more fashion-forward shopper.
Sara by Ezi-Buy: This online powerhouse brand goes up to 3XL offers a great range at affordable prices.
maggie t: Great classics for a sleeker, more polished look for the more sophisticated shopper.
The Special Size Co: This store has been in Adelaide for nearly 30 years and now sells online too. It stocks has over 20 labels including some of their own: Party Girl, Shelz, Big Scene Knitwear. TSSC also offers a make-to-order service on some garments. The size range is from 14-34 and the styles cover all occasions and all ages.
In pictures: What’s wrong with plus-size bodies anyway?
This is a great start to our little black book of preferred plus size brands, and I hope this helps when you’re out next on your shopping adventure!
Your say: Do you find it hard to find stylish plus-size clothing?
