Women's Vintage Plus Size Clothing

The full figured lady who’s into serious retro style is a lucky lady indeed, because women’s vintage plus size clothing in excellent condition is very easy to find and can be more flattering than a lot of modern clothes. All that’s required to create a swinging vintage wardrobe is effort, patience and a little more money than you might spend elsewhere, but it is completely worth it once the compliments start rolling in.

Women’s Vintage Plus Size Clothing Online

Because cuts, styles and sizing have changed so much over the years, it’s always preferable to try on a piece of vintage clothing before you buy it. It may seem like it’s going to be exactly right, but you just never know. However, unless you live in a city with good vintage shops, your only option is online shopping. Fortunately, there are a lot of options and you can find some incredible deals. If it turns out you’ve purchased something that doesn’t quite fit as you were hoping, a clever tailor should be able to alter it to satisfy your needs.

One of the first online outlets you want to try is eBay. Prices for basic items can be very reasonable and most sellers are good about detailing the exact measurements. Buyer beware, but you can still find some nice items. Look for dresses from the 1930s-1950s. Most women were larger than is fashionable today, so it’s easy to find plus size dresses, and the cuts are very flattering to curves.

Several Web sites selling vintage clothes have specific plus size sections:

• Another Time Vintage Apparel has pictures and carefully describes each item, which includes suits, formal dresses, day dresses and blouses. Most prices include shipping, and stock changes regularly. They are happy to answer any questions you have via e-mail.

• Ballyhoo Vintage, has a plus size section called Curvier Vintage Dresses and More. They have a substantial collection of “never worn” dresses, which means the garments still have their original tags. With many of them costing less than $100, they are an absolute steal. You can ask questions via phone or e-mail, and if you’re not happy with an item, you can return it and get a full refund, less the cost of shipping.

Reproduction Plus Size Vintage Clothing

When you can’t find the genuine article on which your heart is set, or if you’d just prefer to have something in a modern fabric, which can be far easier to care for, you can always go shopping for vintage reproduction clothing. Many modern designers appreciate the vintage look for its ability to flatter curves and thus create clothes specifically for the larger woman.

• Stop Staring Clothing is one of the better designers creating clothes for women of all sizes. The company knows how to design flattering tops and dresses for women of size. You can shop directly on the Web site or find their products at several other stores, including Daddyos, which also offers other brands of reproduction women’s vintage plus size clothing, but predominately the Stop Staring products.

Make Your Own Vintage Clothing

Even easier to find than the original clothing are original vintage sewing patterns. You have to be a fairly experienced seamstress to use them, as they are not as user-friendly as modern patterns. However, this is a guaranteed means of getting the exact item you want in the fabric you like and a perfect fit.

Any decent vintage shop will have patterns, but in this instance, you’ll find it much easier to shop online. Start with Lanetz Living, where a search for “plus size” will turn up dozens of pages of original patterns from the 1800s to the modern era. You can also go back to eBay, where hundreds of patterns can be found at low prices. You can even find vintage fabric, which will make your fantastic find that much more unique!