Time Out New York's Guide To Plus Size Shopping

Time Out New York’s Guide To Plus Size Shopping

Plus Size Women have many needs and wants when it comes to fashion. While shopping in one place for all of your style needs may be preferred, you may have to visit several stores to get the perfect outfit.

Time Out New York recently published a Plus Size Shopping Guide to NYC. Categories and stores are listed below.

Best one-stop shopping: Avenue

Often overshadowed by its Goliath competitor, Lane Bryant, the Avenue’s casual, trendy apparel in sizes 14 to 32 shouldn’t be overlooked.

Best for weekend gear: Courtney Washington

The breezy linen and signature pucker-fabric dresses ($140–$360) by this New York designer are perfect for a lazy Sunday—that is, if you spend your weekends sipping Bloody Marys in the Hamptons.

Best chain: Fashion to Figure

As the great-grandson of Lena Bryant (founder of the ubiquitous plus-size chain Lane Bryant), owner Michael Kaplan had some big shoes to fill when he set out to create “an H&M or a Forever 21 for plus sizes.”

Best for Halloween costumes: Frank Bee Costume

This Bronx behemoth has been outfitting witches, ghosts and goblins since 1957, but the retailer’s expansive plus-size selection is a more recent addition to its shelves.

Best for denim: HotSexyFit

Home to the “Brazilian butt-lift” jeans, this tiny Harlem shop carries denim that works like a Miracle Bra for your rear. “Compared to the other jeans out there, these don’t flatten out your butt,” says manager Jenny D’Andrea.

Best tailor: Imparali Custom Tailors

Providing impeccable service is par for the course with any respected New York tailor, but what really sets Imparali apart is the pricing: The midtown shop is one of the few tailors in town that doesn’t charge extra for larger suits (the custom-made creations are priced by type of material, not the amount used).

Best for accessories: Lee Lee’s Valise

This women’s boutique boasts the What Not to Wear seal of approval (it has been featured on the TLC show a dozen times). Owner Lisa Dolan has built an international following for her fashion-forward designs, which share rack space with top brands such as Donna Ricco dresses, Svoboda jeans and Prima Donna bras.

Best for work wear: Marina Rinaldi

This upscale Italian brand, part of the MaxMara Fashion Group, is the ideal place to invest in crisp women’s work suits and buttery cashmere cardigans. The store—chock-full of luxe fabrics and soft knits—just recently relocated to brand-new Upper East Side digs, where you can rifle through high-end items in sizes 10 to 24.

Best for evening: Monif C.

Designer Monif Clarke began her plus-size women’s line five years ago because she wanted to wear fashionable clothes but couldn’t find anything that fit. “I think I came out of the womb a size 18,” she jokes.

Best for lingerie: Orchard Corset

This Lower East Side staple for bras, corsets, bustiers and shape wear has a secret weapon: Peggy Berk, who has been fitting women for more than 30 years and can size up her customers in a single glance.

Best for vintage: Re/Dress

Staying far away from muumuu territory, owner Deb Malkin sets out to provide women sizes 14 and up (up to 5X or 6X for contemporary designs, 4X for vintage styles) with clothes that are both fashionable and unique—a rarity in this city.

Best for men: Rochester Big & Tall

With 13,000 square feet of retail space spread over three floors, this Manhattan king of the Big & Tall franchise stocks everything from Michael Kors pullovers ($145) to Calvin Klein suits ($475) in sizes up to 66XL.