After years of working with women of all shapes and sizes to help them build their dream wardrobes, today I’m sharing 21 of the best style tips for plus size women! I hope you enjoy them and that you learn a thing or two to help you feel your best in your clothes.
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This post is all about style tips for plus size women.
Any time I share style tips, I always start by saying the absolute most important thing you can remember is that personal style is TRULY personal. Following rules set by society or even advice I share with you is much less important than figuring out what YOU love and what you feel great wearing. The tips in today’s post will help you do just that.
21 Very Important Style Tips for Plus Size Women
1. Embrace your body as it is today.
So many of us have been conditioned to think of our current bodies as temporary or works in progress, but embracing our bodies as they are today allows us to focus on finding what works for us NOW instead of worrying about tomorrow or next year. Don’t worry about the size on the tag or anything else that may or may not change about your body. Dress it with what fits as it is today.
2. Style Tips for Plus Size Women – Know your measurements
One of the very first things I request from a personal styling client is that they spend a few bucks on a fabric tape measure and take measurements of their body.
Especially given how much plus size women are required to shop online, it’s nearly impossible to rely on clothing sizes to be consistent from brand to brand (or even between styles within the same brand). Knowing your exact measurements and comparing them to size charts is critical when looking for clothes that fit your body.
Key measurements:
Bust: the largest part of your chest – measure while wearing a bra.
Waist: Bend over to one side and notice where your body bends. That’s your natural waist.
Hip: Stand with your feet together and measure the widest part of your hip.
3. Understand your body type
Once you know your measurements, they should help you in being able to determine your body type. Common names for body types include the “fruit names” like apple and pear shapes along with “shape names” like inverted triangle or hourglass.
Regardless of what you call these body shapes, it’s helpful to understand because there is a LOT of great information online about how to dress certain body shapes.
Examples of Body Shapes:
Pear/Triangle Shape: Widest at the hip
Apple/Inverted Triangle Shape: Widest at the waist/stomach
Hourglass Shape: Bust and hip measurements are close to the same with a smaller waist
Column/Rectangle Shape: Bust, waist, and hip measurements are all close to the same.
Image source: Pinterest
4. Determine your ideal color palette
I’ll be honest – this tip is one I love to share but don’t ALWAYS follow 100%. It’s true that based on your hair, skin, and eye color some clothing colors will complement your appearance the most. BUT if there’s a color that isn’t your “ideal” but you just truly love, I vote to wear it anyway.
Here’s a helpful graphic on figuring out how to pick clothing colors based on your skin tone:
Image source: Pinterest
Once you determine your “season” from the original graphic, you can learn more about which clothing colors complement you most here:
Image Source: Pinterest
For reference, I’m considered an Autumn. I have skin that tans easily, dark hair, and brown eyes. Generally, I do look best in the colors noted for autumn but I also LOVE wearing black, white, and grey. They don’t necessarily fit within the ideal colors for me, but I wear them anyway because I like them.
Even though I don’t follow the recommendations 100%, I find it VERY helpful to think about this info when trying to pick new clothes for myself. If I’m debating between two different tops and one is the “right” color for me, I’ll usually go for that one.
5. Fit is key
You can find the most beautiful piece of clothing in the world, but if it doesn’t fit you well, it’s not going to work. As you know, plus size bodies can vary significantly from person to person. If you look at 10 women who wear a size 26/28, I can almost guarantee that the same clothing in the same sizes won’t work for all 10 women.
Some of us have shorter arms, some of us are shorter or taller, have different body shapes, etc. This makes buying clothing “off the rack” very difficult. By the way, this is true for thin women too… not just plus size women.
Some items like sweaters or tops can be pretty forgiving and don’t need to be altered but often things like jeans, dresses, and coats need a little help to fit your body perfectly.
There are a couple of ways to achieve the perfect fit.
First, is to find a great tailor in your area. For some reason, I always thought of tailoring as a luxury but I have been pleasantly surprised that it can be pretty affordable to get clothes altered. For example, I think I recently paid $7 to have a pair of pants hemmed. I’d rather have three pairs of pants that fit me perfectly than 15 pairs that are just OK. The investment in tailoring is worth it.
Another great option is to order hard-to-fit items custom. This is something I also have always considered even more of a luxury than tailoring. I thought only the rich and famous got custom fit clothing!
When I discovered Eshakti, I was blown away! They offer affordable custom clothing in ANY size. Plus you can customize things like neckline, sleeve length, and garment length.
Eshakti and other custom clothing options are especially helpful if you have a non-traditional or non-common body type. For me, I’m a pear shape which means I’m smaller on top and have wider hips. However, I also have larger arms to go along with my small bust. This means that non-stretch tops are very difficult to find because to fit my arms and hips, they’re always huge in the bust. Eshakti is my go-to for non-stretch tops and non-stretch dresses for that reason.
6. Style Tips For Plus Size Women – Don’t forget shoes and accessories
When we’re looking for the perfect clothes in the perfect fit and the perfect colors, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. While a great outfit is wonderful, the shoes and accessories are the icing on the cake.
To start, opt for some classic styles that can be worn with everything and then as you build your wardrobe you can add some fun and unique options!
7. Style Tips for Plus Size Women – Look to others for inspiration whether they’re plus size or not
We’re so fortunate these days to have a LOT of plus size women sharing their personal style online. I wish that existed when I was younger, for sure!
You also don’t have to limit yourself to following only plus size folks for inspiration! It’s also super fun to find styles you like on any celebrities (or anyone on the street) even when they’re smaller and try to make them your own.
8. How to Dress Better Plus Size – Invest in higher quality wardrobe essentials
If you’ve followed my work, you know that I LOVE a bargain. I often shop at places like Target and Old Navy and I love it. It’s really nice to add fun colors, patterns, and trendy items to your wardrobe on a budget.
HOWEVER, for staples like great jeans, a perfect t-shirt, a nice cashmere sweater, etc. I think investing in quality makes a lot of sense. One of my favorite resources for higher quality wardrobe essentials is Universal Standard. They offer clothing in sizes 00-40 and their quality is top notch.
9. Plus Size Style Tips – Consider working with a plus size friendly personal stylist
Many years ago, I hired a plus size personal stylist to help me revamp my wardrobe. I was starting a fancy new job in New York City and wanted to make my existing wardrobe work for my new lifestyle. I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable it was to have someone come to my home, go through my wardrobe, and help me create a TON of awesome outfits with clothes I already owned. She also gave me a list of items she thought I was missing to help make my wardrobe even better.
Fortunately for her and unfortunately for all of us, the incredible stylist I hired at the time has gone on to become an incredible celebrity stylist so I can’t refer you to her.
I do offer 1:1 personal styling services virtually in a very limited capacity. If you’re interested, contact me at miranda@thepluslifeblog.com.
Here’s a list of other plus size friendly personal stylists created by my plus size blogger friend, Brianne Huntsman. You can find Brianne on Instagram here.
10. Try new things without the risk
When working on finding your personal style or making a change to it, it can be difficult because you need to try a lot of different things to find what you love. Trying a clothing rental service can be a great way to try a ton of different styles without the commitment of buying the items.
I personally used Gwynnie Bee for a long time and find it especially great for folks who work in an office environment and want to change up their outfits a lot.
You can read my full review of Gwynnie Bee here (and get a discounted first month)!
For another great option with trendy clothing, casual clothing, and workwear, I also recommend trying Eloquii Unlimited, which is Eloquii’s subscription service.
You can learn more about Eloquii Unlimited here.
11. Style Tips for Plus Size Women – Combine fitted and tighter pieces
Typically when getting dressed, finding balance is very important. While there are some exceptions to the rule, most of the time if you’re wearing a fitted top, looser pants or skirts will look best as they balance. Similarly, if you’re wearing fitted pants like leggings or skinny jeans, it typically looks best if you balance them with a looser top.
12. Don’t worry about the numbers – sizing doesn’t matter, fit does
Every brand’s sizing is different. You might wear an XL in one brand and a 3X in another. It’s really important to not associate your value or worth in your clothing size. Honestly, no one’s going to see the size on the tag except you.
What they WILL see is the way your clothing fits. Get whatever size you need that works for your body.
13. Start with the right foundation – get great undergarments
Starting with the right undergarments is VERY important. Every person’s needs are vastly different so it’s hard for me to recommend exact options for everyone.
I highly recommend getting fitted for a great bra. You can get fitted at your local Lane Bryant stores, Nordstrom, and any specialty undergarment shops in your area.
14. Don’t be afraid of trends
For years plus size women didn’t even have the opportunity to try trends because we were so limited in clothing options. Now, though, more and more brands are catering to the plus size crowd and trendier options are available.
I love following publications like Vogue, InStyle, and WhoWhatWear to see what’s trending then I scour the plus size fashion sites to find things that can work with current styles.
15. Don’t be afraid to stick to what you love and ignore trends
To completely contradict my last point, I’ll also say that there’s NO rule that says you HAVE to follow trends. I would say I personally skip 80% of the new trends each year because I either don’t like them or they don’t work for my lifestyle.
Creating a classic style that can last for years to come is VERY wise in so many ways. You can save money, make getting dressed and shopping much easier, etc.
I like to follow the 80/20 rule and have about 80% of my wardrobe be classic styles and only about 20% are trendy items that will quickly go out of style.
16. Follow plus size bloggers and influencers
I’m a little biased here given that I AM a plus size blogger and influencer (follow me on Instagram here), but I truly believe that becoming part of the plus size fashion community is beneficial in many ways. Outfit inspiration is one thing but it’s so much more than that. It’s incredible to watch other plus size women living their best lives. We all have so much to learn from one another!
17. Join a plus size community on social media
While following bloggers’ websites and social media accounts is great, it’s kind of one sided in that we’re sharing information with you and while we can DM one another and reply to comments, there’s a LOT of value in joining a community where you can interact with lots of other likeminded folks.
We’d love to have you join us in The Plus Life Community on Facebook. We’ve got over 1,500 plus size fashion loving women and it truly is such a safe space to talk about so much more than fashion too. We chat about all the things plus size women face in life and it’s an incredibly supportive place.
18. If all else fails, wear a wrap dress
It’s truly amazing how a great wrap dress looks incredible on everyone! I’ve never seen someone look bad in a wrap dress and I’m not convinced it’s even possible.
19. Style Tips For Plus Size Women – Print is your friend
Somewhere along the way, we have told plus size women to avoid prints and it’s just terrible advice. You can use prints strategically to draw attention to the areas you want to show off and add balance to your shape.
For example, if you’re pear shaped like me and have larger hips, wearing printed tops and solid bottoms can help balance out your appearance creating the illusion of an hourglass shape.
Alternatively, if you’re an apple shape, you can wear solid tops and printed bottoms to create balance.
Print doesn’t JUST have to be used to create “balance” either. All-over print looks great too!
20. Wear your confidence with a smile
When you feel confident in what you’re wearing you’ll look even better. I often get asked about how to become more often and the truth is that it takes practice. Self worth is something that we always have to work to develop and more and confidence comes with time.
It’s simple, but figuring out how to dress in a way that makes you feel great about yourself is a wonderful first step in developing more confidence in your everyday life.
You can read more about my thoughts on self-confidence here.
21. Self care matters
I’m sure self-care being included as a personal style tip seems weird, but I don’t care how cute the clothes you have in your closet are, if you’re not focused on the most basic self-care, you’ll feel bad no matter what. I genuinely feel like I have a different aura or glow when I’m finding time for myself and feel so much better in all ways, including more confident and happy in my clothes. You’ll notice a difference too, I’m sure.
You might also enjoy this article from Very Well Mind that describes the different types of self-care and how we can assess our self-care strategies.
22. Style Tips for Plus Size Women – Again, the ONLY thing that matters when getting dressed is that you love it.
I said this in the very beginning of the article but it’s important enough to be repeated. You can follow every style rule in the book and hate it. Or you can break them all and love every minute. It takes practice but figuring out the styles that make you feel the most like YOU is a worthwhile effort!
You’ll feel better prepared to tackle each day when you’re able to show up authentically as yourself and portray your inner self on the outside too!
I hope these 21 style tips for plus size women have been helpful for you! Any other tips you love that I should include? I’d love to hear them in the comments.
