Last week we sent out a clarion call for people who had ideas where women who wear large clothes and small ones can shop for modest clothing.  I wouldn’t say we were inundated with responses (if we had been, that would have meant there were a lot of places for outsize women to purchase modest clothing, which would make the question unnecessary).  But we got a respectable number of answers, so this week’s column and next week’s will focus on what Meridian readers had to say.

The first two letters had ideas for how people can work on clothing to make their own or to make store-bought clothes modest.  Here are their thoughts:

I am not a tailor but have been in the position of being a “larger woman” for many years. If you sew there are a couple of things you can do.

First, look through your wardrobe and see if there are outdated pieces that fit but are no longer stylish. It requires a little work, but pick those pieces apart. Press them. Redraw on paper (newspaper is OK but butcher paper is better), adding about 1/3 inch to the outline to make it a 5/8" seam allowance. You now have a set of “slopers” — standard pieces that all pattern companies use in commercial patterns, over and over and over again. If you do this for a pantsuit you have a set of slopers for a pantsuit with possibilities. Several years ago Sears put out a book giving instructions on how to reconstruct commercial clothing using this method.

Crafty

I’d never heard of slopers, Crafty, but that’s a great idea for people who can sew.  I googled “make clothing with slopers” and got a zillion hits.  Here is a link for just one of them.  Thanks for the idea!
 
I'm looking forward to ideas on modest clothing!  This isn't what you're looking for, but it’s an idea that may be helpful.  It seems that everything now is low cut, usually in a deep V.  You can buy a tank top to go underneath, but usually the tank tops ride pretty low too. 

When my daughter and her friends were in high school, one of them experimented with the tank tops — specifically those with the built-in bra.  They have adjustable straps, but no matter how you adjust, the tank tops are actually designed to reveal cleavage.  If you cut off the elastic that goes under the bust, then you can adjust the straps and the tank top will be higher on your chest.  Voila — no cleavage.  Sure has worked for me!
 
I hope you'll include not only places to buy modest clothing, but also places (if they exist) for those of us who don't want to spend a small fortune on clothes!
 
Veline Anderson

Thanks for the suggestion, Veline.  Brava to your daughter’s friend for having the courage to buy something and then cut it apart to see if it would work.  Well done!

My slender, six foot tall, teenage and twenty-something daughters, have found that New York and Company has stylish, reasonably priced clothes that fit them, and although they don't specialize in modest clothes, there are plenty to be had. The tall section has the only genuinely tall pants we have found and their regular sections tops seem to be longer than the average and provide plenty of torso coverage for tall women. They also have long shorts in the summer! They have website, as well as in store, sales fairly regularly, making their clothes actually affordable. My petite daughter-in-law also loves their clothes. The web address is http://www.nyandcompany.com.

I thought short, round women like me had trouble finding clothes until these girls started growing so tall. It isn't as easy as you would think.

Katie G.

I checked out the website, Katie, and the clothes are indeed stylish and affordable.  I’d never heard of this one, but it’s a great find.  Thanks!

The prices on the clothes in Roaman's catalogue are easy on the budget.  Check www.roamans.com.  

They have several suits and skirts in the catalogue I recently received that are midcalf.  I ordered two cotton knit tops with long sleeves.  The fabric was very good quality, and the construction seems very good.  I recently bought a top from a local discount store and the 3x barely fit me.  I usually wear 2x.  When I ordered these tops in 3x from Roaman's I was surprised to find them way too large.  I now need to exchange them for 1x. 

The smallest size I see in their catalogue is a 12, but there might be other catalogues out there that have the smaller sizes. 

I shop from catalogues because I don't have the stamina to shop in stores.  The price I pay is having to exchange things once in a while.  Once I find a catalogue where I like the quality and styles of the products, I stick with them until they drastically change their line.  That has happened to me. 

Diane Blakely

Thanks for the suggestion about Roaman’s, Diane.  Roaman’s is one of a group of stores that are all operated by the same outfit, but that serve larger women.  The larger your size, the fewer your options will be (as the largest ladies know all too well!), but there are some nice clothes to be found.

If you want to shop at all the stores in one place, the online address is: http://www.onestopplus.com/default.aspx?affiliate_id=004&affiliate_location_id=01.
  
We served a mission a couple of years ago and I had very little luck buying clothes in stores; I was much more successful with catalogs. The following catalogs do not cater to Church standard clothing but have a lot of clothing that is appropriate for us. The prices range from economical to a little pricier. I have been satisfied with their service. Hope this is what you had in mind.

Blair catalog, 800-821-5744
http://www.blair.com/home.jsp

Chadwick's Catalog, (800) 544-3795
http://www.chadwicks.com/?affiliate_id=020&affiliate_location_id=01&WT.srch=1&mid=g0000298

TravelSmith catalog, 800-950-1600
http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?itemID=0&itemType=HOME_PAGE&ps=ps

Drapers and Damons catalog, 800-843-1174
http://www.drapers.com/jump.jsp?itemID=0&itemType=HOME_PAGE

Coldwater Creek, 800.510.2808
http://www.coldwatercreek.com/

Eileen Johnson
Pioneer, California

Thanks for the links, Eileen.  What an assortment of places!  I had never heard of Drapers and Damons, but that site was especially impressive.  The clothes only go up to a 3x (size 26-28), but for the smaller large-size woman, that site will be a real lifesaver.

CJ Banks has several locations in Utah, California, Chicago, and I don’t know where else.
They have size X-3X (or 14 W–26W) and are modest and prices are reasonable.  They have an online store as well.

Karin Bybee
South Jordan, Utah

Thanks, Karen.  I found the website for those who fit in this size range.  Here it is:  http://www.cjbanks.com/home/index.jsp?clickid=topnav_logo_img?cid.

I have found three great stores that have clothing for larger women.  I used to wear a size 18 but due to health problems am now a 14-16.  However I need a women’s size in a 14-16, not a misses — there is a difference.  

The one thing I do not know of is something for a tall thin person.  My mother was a size 2,  5ft 81/2 in tall and she was a very classy (business suits, tailored dresses) person.  She was a great seamstress and so she did things to purchased clothes to make them fit.  

These stores are all reasonable priced and I do shop sales to get last season’s classics:
   

• Dress Barn for Women.  I buy all my jeans there since nowhere — and I
  mean no other place — makes jeans that fit me.  They have a 14 W that is
  perfect.  I do have to be patient because they don't always have it in stock but when they do I buy a couple of pair in different colors and they last for a long time, through a lot of wearing and washing.  I like to get my summer capris here, too.  I buy some white shirts and some times a business suit.  I don't like to look like I am sixty (which I am), so I am pretty careful.  They carry up to size 24 and sometimes 26.  No online store but they do have a website with some good info and suggestions on fashion.
      http://www.dressbarn.com/flashHome.jsp
• Coldwater Creek.  This is my favorite for skirts, blouses, jackets, and cool tops.  They are a little more expensive but again I shop the online sales for a lot of seasonal buys and I use their outlets when I travel to visit family and rarely buy in store unless it is their ½ yearly sales.  They have up to size 24 in many of their styles and believe me
  this stuff is classy stuff — not your daughters’ stuff, but clothes you would want to be seen in.  The online store has great bargains in shoes (I wear size 11 so that is tough to find) and accessories.  They have one style of pant that fits me and I use it for kind of dressy/casual.  In basic colors, it would be very acceptable for the office.  They also occasionally have tall sizes in some things.
        http://www.coldwatercreek.com/
• CJ Banks. I was introduced to this store last year; it is a sister store to Christopher Banks and though I don't buy a lot here they do have some things that I like.   Good quality basic tee's with a short sleeve that is more than a cap, at my age no matter how much you exercise you don't have tight skin over those tight muscles.  The
  short sleeve comes about halfway to the elbow on the upper arm.  Also offer ¾
  sleeve year round.  The have some pants, but I have to be careful with all pants because I hate those that fit below my belly and I can't wear those that fit at the normal waist unless I can remove the elastic (which I do quite a bit).  If I get them to fit my waist I generally look as though I am wearing harem pants in the thigh and bottom.  (I know, weird).  They also have on line store and sell up to size 24.
        http://www.cjbanks.com/home/index.jsp

Kathleen

Thanks for such a detailed report, Kathleen.  It was great to have specifics so people can gauge whether they want to visit the websites.  Well done!

One of most difficult problems in dressing modestly for larger sizes may seem strange, but I find that, in making clothes larger they also make the neck hole larger — so much larger that my garments show at the neck. I know our necks are a bit larger, but I find they take this alteration to the extreme — and it’s not as easy as you would think to fix it. I’ve tried lace inserted to fill in the gap, taking in the shoulder seams to make the neck-hole smaller and other trials and errors. It seems we just have to contact the designers and manufacturers and hound ‘em until they listen.

As for the LDS clothing people, I had contacted some of them but they say that they don’t sell enough of “those sizes” to be profitable.  Don’t they know over 40% of the women in America are “those sizes”? I can’t understand it.

Lori
Augusta, Maine

Lori, I am painfully aware about the larger neck openings for larger women.  It seems as though designers lazily just make the patterns bigger everywhere, so that a dress that fits me around the “waist” (“waist” being in quotes because I don’t have one) can fall right off my shoulders.  Not being a seamstress, I have no idea what to do about it.

I also hate being classified as one of “those people.”  Makes you feel like an unperson, doesn’t it?  I am one of “those people” who takes my business elsewhere when people treat me that way.

Here’s a letter from a reader who thought this topic was so important that she postponed a trip to the hospital to write in.  Here is her advice:

Just read your article and as I am off to the hospital for bowel resection and will be there for 10 days, I decided to dash off an answer to your home email.  Like you I am larger than average, being comfortable in a 20-24 (depending on the maker), but also only 5'2", so everything drags on the floor or falls off the shoulder because "tentmakers to the over size 16" seem to think we have no shape.

I don't have names and addresses, and yes I do tailoring but I am not available right now.  Here's my "quick fix."  I go to any store that sells my size, find something that fits me in important areas like the waist, buy it long and take it to a dry cleaner for shortening.  (They nearly all do alterations.)  I shop at discount and stores like Gabriel Brothers, so that if I am careful to make sure there are no glaring problems with the item, I am not paying "over the top" with the alterations price.

Secondly, lots of sisters have sewing skills.  Maybe a RS newsletter could give a heads up on sisters needing to make money staying at home who would be willing to do alterations.

Wendy Holsberger
Wrightsville, Pennsylvania

It’s great to hear from you, Wendy, and I hope you are comfortably recovering and will soon be back in the saddle again.  You gave a good suggestion about buying clothes too big and then taking them to the dry cleaner (or someone in the ward) to be altered.  The dry cleaner in our neighborhood does wonders making rips in fabrics invisible.  If she can do that, she could certainly do a little nip and tuck in order to make clothes fit.  (Assuming, of course, you’re in the happy position of being able to buy clothes too big and having them fitted to your frame.)

I have been a size 3X for many years now. I used to absolutely hate going from store to store trying to find any clothing (let alone modest clothing) that would fit me. I could never be certain if "my size" would actually fit, because sizes are vastly different depending on which store you are in!

Almost eight years ago I discovered QVC (a home shopping station on cable TV). If you know your measurements, then no matter the designer or clothing line, your size according to their sizing chart will actually fit. Yes, they do sell some clothing styles that do not meet temple standards. But there are so many other styles available, that I don't feel there are limitations to my choices.

QVC prices are reasonable, even with the shipping & handling costs. I rarely ever send clothing items back anymore because I have developed the skill of seeing the clothing item on the hanger or model and intuitively knowing if it will look good on me or not. Plus I do not need to wait to see it on TV either, because I can browse the entire QVC clothing and shoe collection on their website when I have the time (and money).  Here is the link to the fashion department for QVC.

I have also in the past purchased a select few clothing items from the Lands End or LL Bean catalogs. I am much more comfortable trying on clothes in the privacy of my own home. In the end, the convenience of shopping from home far outweighs the minimal costs of shipping and handling.

In the past I have tried looking at websites for LDS-oriented modest clothing. But unfortunately they apparently tend to market more to a younger, and much smaller size population. I don't even bother going to their websites anymore. Perhaps in the future more retailers will acknowledge the existence of plus size women. I look forward to finding out where other women do their shopping!

Curious in Cleveland

Thanks for the advice, Curious.  It’s nice to find a place where the store (QVC, in this instance) forces the designers to standardize the sizes of their clothing.  However, you may want to be careful because there seems to be a change of policy at QVC.  Read about it here.

As for a marketer of LDS-oriented modest clothing for large people, I have long had a dream of starting a clothing line called “Fat and Sassy,” just for people like us.  But with no sewing or marketing skills, and no money to get it started, I’m afraid it’s going to remain just that — a dream.  Bummer.

I understand how both these sisters feel because I am both tall and heavy (6' tall and size 20) and have an even harder time finding clothing that fits.  I have had good luck with The Dress Barn in finding clothing that is modest and in style, although I don't know if this store is available everywhere. I love this store but I usually only buy tops there because they do not have tall pants. 

Probably my biggest success in finding clothing that fits is to shop online. There are many online sites that have tall sizes that also go up into the bigger sizes. For example, JC Penny's has a tall size section that is great and there are some big women shopping sites like www.womanwithin.com/ or www.lanebryant.com that carry some tall sizes in pants and skirts. 

If the tall sister is quite thin (like a size 6-10) and taller than 6 feet, she may have to look a little harder but I'm sure there are some websites that have clothing that would fit her. My biggest frustration ordering online is that I never know how it will fit, even ordering it in my size, as no two manufacturers size the same (we could start a whole new conversation about this gripe). Lately I've had a hard time finding dresses that I like and have gone over to wearing skits and tops, which is fine but I'd like to have a new dress. So I'm looking forward to seeing what other people are suggesting.

Stately in Utah

Thanks for your comments, Stately.  I, too, am hoping we’ll get some responses for tall and thin women in next week’s mailbag.  Readers, if you have any information or advice you haven’t seen here, send it to meridianmagazine@aol.com.  Put something in the subject matter so we’ll know it isn’t spam.  And be sure to sign your name the way you want it to appear in the magazine — whether the name is Sally from Slidell or Sally Jones from the Slidell Louisiana Third Ward (if there is such a place).

Until next week — Kathy

Richard Steele, Sr.