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How Do I Choose the Best Vintage plus Size Clothing?

Lainie Petersen
Lainie Petersen

When buying vintage plus size clothing, you should be mindful of garment size, inspect each item carefully and learn about the shop's return policy. Investigate several vintage clothing retailers so that you have a wide selection of clothing from which to choose. If you have difficulty finding vintage plus size clothing that suits you or fits you, you might want to consider buying your clothing from a company that specializes in "retro" copycat pieces of vintage styles.

People who purchase clothing, especially women, should be aware that sizes are not standard between manufacturers. This means that someone who wears a size 14 dress from one company might be barely able get into a size 16 made by another company. These size differences can be even more pronounced in vintage clothing, because body types and sizes have changed over the years. When you visit a vintage clothing store or choose your vintage plus size clothing online, don't select an item by the size indicated on the label. Make sure that it fits by either trying it on or asking the online retailer for exact measurements of the garment itself.

Plus size clothing is available in many stores and online.
Plus size clothing is available in many stores and online.

There are many sources of plus size clothing, so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with several. Vintage plus size clothing is often hard to find, so it might behoove you to seek out several shops that you can regularly comb for styles that you like. If you can develop a relationship with a shop proprietor, you can ask him or her to keep an eye out for vintage plus size clothing in the styles and sizes that you like. This can help ensure that you will have a decent selection of clothing available on a regular basis.

Tie dye was very popular in the 1960s and '70s.
Tie dye was very popular in the 1960s and '70s.

Vintage clothing typically has been worn by others, or is at least several decades old, so it is very important that you inspect any item that you are considering buying. Some fabrics and trims don't hold up well over time, so be sure to look at whether the garment has any holes or tears or whether there are sections of the garment where the seams appear to be weak. Old stains might be hard to remove, so it might be best to avoid purchasing a stained garment, even if it is otherwise quite beautiful. Be sure to ask the retailer about its return policies. If all sales are final, then you should be extra careful in your inspection of any vintage plus size clothing that interests you.

Discussion Comments

Mor

@indigomoth - Personally, I'd rather just get my cheap, plus sized clothing from a real store. I think it's the one area in which internet sales aren't as good, since there is so much difference between how something looks on a hanger and how it looks when you have it on.

Not to mention, with vintage clothing you also have to be aware of the smallest details of the fabric, sensory stuff like smell and feel that you won't be able to process online and that can warn you if something is off.

You simply can't make the right decision online and I wouldn't buy vintage stuff online unless it was really cheap and I knew I wouldn't regret it either way.

indigomoth

@pleonasm - One thing I think busty women need to be aware of when purchasing trendy plus size clothing is that the bra can make a huge difference to the fit of the clothes.

I have this gorgeous vintage silk dress that I was given by my mother and the first time I tried it on I was sorely disappointed by it. It didn't seem to fit around the chest area and I almost gave it away because it looked so bad.

But, I looked up different bra styles online and found out I should be wearing it with a shelf bra, rather than the one I was using.

Hey, presto, when I tried it with a shelf bra the fit was suddenly perfect.

I would make sure to make all your measurements appropriate to the bra you plan to wear with the clothes as well, since that can make a difference of a couple of inches.

pleonasm

I would be cautious about buying plus size vintage clothing online, although if you do it properly, you might be able to get a bargain.

Just bear in mind what kind of fabric it is and what kinds of shapes generally fit you.

For example, I always have problems fitting my chest into clothes. I have a particularly large cup size and even if the clothing fits everywhere else, it will strain across my chest.

It can be very annoying, particularly if it means I can't buy something I really like.

So, if I am buying something without being able to try it on, I limit myself to fabrics which I know have enough give in them that I will definitely be able to fit myself into the top.

Otherwise, even if the measurements seem to be all right, the fit might end up being disappointing and that's a waste of money.

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    • Plus size clothing is available in many stores and online.
      By: adisa
      Plus size clothing is available in many stores and online.
    • Tie dye was very popular in the 1960s and '70s.
      By: bellemedia
      Tie dye was very popular in the 1960s and '70s.
    • Check seams for weak areas that could need repair before wear.
      By: Eky Chan
      Check seams for weak areas that could need repair before wear.