Did you know that the Plus-Size Database, a compilation of over 300 brands that feature products and services for the plus-size community, started as a personal project to get out of a fashion rut?

It’s true!

My Experience with Plus-Sized Fashion

Until recently, navigating the fashion world as a plus-sized girlie was a chore since—let’s be real—the industry views plus-sized fashion as an afterthought.

I grew up with a straight-sized body and was always a confident shopper. I could walk into a mall, pick any store at random, and was 90% guaranteed to find something that fit well. I realize now that this was a result of body privilege; I fit the cultural expectations and, therefore, I benefitted from clothing designed for bodies like mine.

When my body changed, as bodies do, I was painfully aware that my body privilege was slipping away.

Most stores don’t carry plus sizes in-store (and no, XXL is not a plus size). When a store does carry plus sizes, there is often only one rack at the back next to the clearance items. Stock is limited, styles are outdated, and pieces rarely fit plus-size proportions right.

→ I want to take a moment to recognize that even though I no longer had the privilege of fitting into 90% of clothes a store offered… I still maintained the privilege of having access to that 10%. Body privilege is incredibly nuanced.

Eventually, I stopped shopping for clothes in stores altogether because most stores that had clothes I liked didn’t have clothes that would fit… and most stores that had clothes in my size didn’t have styles I liked.

But I learned that shopping online can also be intensely frustrating—even more so than when I shopped online when my body was straight-sized. Many sites technically carry plus sizes online, but often brands don’t have plus-sized representation in their product photos or social media pages. So I never know how the dress or pants or swimsuit will actually fit a body that is built like mine… unless I order it and try it out for myself.

I wasn’t prepared for how infuriating the cycle of plus-sized online shopping can be…

→ spend forever and a day searching Google and reading blogs to find where to shop

→ find a cute item in a website’s plus-size section

→ cross-check the size chart and realize it is UK sizing so the 18 is a 14 and will not fit you

→ start again and find a new website to search

→ realize that the company claims to be size-inclusive… but they only have a handful of plus items and they have no body diversity in their product photos

→ start again and find a website that actually has clothes in your size

→ scour the reviews to find fit details

→ pray to the fashion gods that someone has put a picture or their height and weight details in their review so you can more accurately gauge how the insert article of clothing here is going to fit your specific plus-size proportions

→ decide on a couple of pieces + pay extra for shipping

→ wait for them to arrive

→ try them on at home only to realize they do not fit like you thought they would, which is extra frustrating because you literally spent hours pouring over website charts and reviews to ensure a proper fit

→ cry… feel body shame… and work suuuuuper hard to convince your brain that returning to disordered eating and diet culture is not the answer–remind yourself that clothes are meant to fit your body, you don’t need to alter your body to fit clothes

→ coordinate returns and [potentially] pay for return shipping

→ start all over again

The other option is to give up on fashion and sink into a black hole of ill-fitting items in styles that do not match your personality at all.

I did that for a while.

It sucked.

A Style Icon in the Streets and a Digital Organization Nerd in the Spreadsheets

In 2021/2022, I decided to reclaim fashion and rediscover my style. It has been a lovely experience, albeit one with steep learning curves.

Over time, I found some brands that made clothes in my style and my size (hallelujah)… but I didn’t have a good system to recall that information later. I saved random items in varying places—Pinterest boards, posts from Instagram, ads on Facebook, and lists in my Notes app—but I often lost track of the brands that I resonated with and ended up doing the same scouring online over and over to find it again.

As the true digital organization nerd that I am, I started making a master list of fashion brands I could shop from if I needed to replace my basics, had a special event coming up, or saved a bit of spending money to revamp my wardrobe. At first, this list lived in my Google Sheets—but it got moved over to Notion as soon as I saw how much easier it was to organize and visualize information.

In addition to my desire to organize the brands I’ve come across for my personal use, I realized that the same two questions kept popping up over and over in various Facebook groups or conversations with friends:

“Where can I shop for stylish plus-sized clothes?” and

“Does anyone know where to shop for insert specific plus-size clothing item here?”

I knew that my personal database could become a resource for others to use as well… if I could make it easy enough for others to navigate.

The main goal, then, shifted. I wanted to help others address frustrations in trying to figure out where to shop as a plus-sized human—and more than just compiling brands that resonate with my style, I knew it had to be a collection of stores where anyone could find badass plus-sized fashion brands and specific items for any occasion that resonate with any number of personal preferences.

We deserve to know what options are out there for us.

We deserve to find clothes that fit our unique style and then to wear those pieces with pride.

This database makes plus-sized fashion more accessible. You don’t have to search high and low for what is available in your style and in your size. I have spent hours and hours (like, literally hundreds of hooooours) scouring websites to cultivate this database. In doing so, I am slowly reclaiming my love of fashion and I hope you do, too.

much love, grace

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This database is free to use—brands do not have to pay to be included and you don’t have to pay to access the information. This is intentional—now and in the future.

If you find this database helpful and want to say thank you, I have two ideas for you:

→ First, use the Plus-Size Database often and share it with your friends and family!!

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