Fashion Faux Pas for Plus Sized Women

I am 5'4" tall. I weigh 210 lbs. I wear a size 16 pant and a size nine shoe. I am NOT normal. But, does that mean I am not cool? No! I am as cool as I want to be. For many plus sized women, there are fashion faux pas' all around us, trying to lure us into being as cool as the size six woman next to us in line. I, for one, am not about to start measuring my self worth by the size of my waist.

For as long as I can remember, the racks in stores were filled with wonderfully stylish clothing all available in sizes 0-12. Anything beyond that was vaguely reminiscent of the patterns used to adorn my grandmother's sofa. Then, in the blink of an eye, the fashion world changed and plus size was okay! The racks reordered themselves and to my dismay every item that was earlier reserved for the "little" woman was now on the "big" woman side. Not the best decision to make. We, as plus sized women, found out very quickly that just because it looked good on the mannequin does not mean it will look good on us.

After realizing I would never be a size "normal," which took about a second, I decided to start taking note of the clothing offered to plus sized women and should not be! Here are my Top 5 Fashion Faux Pas for Plus Sized Women.

SPANDEX

This one had to top the list because it happens every summer. The retailers change out the racks from winter wear to summer wear and WOW there is spandex. The spandex revolution is over and done with and no self respecting woman should wear them anywhere outside of the gym, let alone on the street or out shopping if you are a size 14 plus. Stay away from the spandex. (The exception to this rule would be the ever-so-cool spandex leggings now offered in plus sizes for wear under dresses.)

Alternative: Yoga Pants - These are made with loose-fitting waist lines and boot cut legs, perfect for the plus size body.

CHARACTER T-SHIRTS

I know we have all seen these. The licensed character T-shirts are the "anti-Christ" of plus sized clothing. As respectable women who now have more options than ever before, we must stand together and expel our childhood favorites from our wardrobe. It is neither chic nor fashionable to travel out of the house with a Winnie the Pooh T-shirt screaming, "I am not fat. I am just fluffy!"

Alternative: Screen Print T-shirts - Nostalgia and style all wrapped into a nice and fashionable package. These T-shirts allow you to speak your mind without calling attention to the fact that you love Disney!

BIKINIS

I fall back on the cliche statement, "Just because it is available in your size does not mean you can wear it!" Every summer I find racks and racks of bikinis in sizes 14, 16, 18, and above. Now, while there are some plus sized women who can pull off the lusted after two-piece bathing suit, most of us cannot.

Alternative: Tankini - The Tankini must have been created by a plus sized woman. From the first season I found a Tankini in my size, until today, I have purchased one every year. These two piece bathing suits are perfect for the plus sized woman who wants the freedom and style of a two piece without showing off everything.

TOO BIG or TOO LITTLE

When plus sized women wear clothing that is either too big or too little, it does not hide what is there. If an outfit is too big, you will appear larger than you are. On the other hand, if an outfit is too small, the same effect actually occurs. Finding the perfect size and cut may take a little longer, but you will be happy with the outcome.

Alternative: Plus sized cuts - Shopping at a retail establishment that is geared toward the plus sized woman such as Lane Bryant or Newport News will increase your chances of finding a great cut for your beautiful body. These companies support the full-figured woman with great style and grace and even offer size charts with real measurements fit for the queen in us all.

STRAIGHT CUT BOLD PRINT DRESSES

I know every plus size woman in the world has at some time looked at one of these dresses on the rack in their favorite clothing store and thought to themselves, "I would never wear that. It looks like a curtain." Yet, every summer there they are on the racks again. Someone, somewhere is buying these straight cut dresses shouting to the world that they have no waist under their clothing!

Alternative: Fitted waist dresses - Finding a great dress with a fitted waist will be a great addition to your wardrobe. We must keep in mind that just because we do not have a tiny hourglass shape does not mean we do not have an hourglass shape. Curves are beautiful and should be accentuated.

As the summer season approaches, plus size women across the world are shopping for the perfect pieces to add to their summer wardrobes. As long as we stick together and stay away from these Top 5 Fashion Faux Pas, we will make stylish statements and retain our "cool" status. Just because we are average does not mean, we cannot stop a room full of men in their tracks. We are phenomenal women no matter our size.