Special Sizes Archives - Page 3 of 7

Feeling Too Fat to Interview

01/07/2014 by Kat

How can you feel confident during an interview when you don’t feel the best in your clothes? A petite and plus-sized reader wonders how she can look her best, short of losing 40 pounds in a week:

Interview suits for the short and round. Please help!

I admit it. At 5’2″ and a size 14/16 I am both short and fat (sigh! it kind of got away from me). For everyday work wear this isn’t really an issue, but what on earth do I wear for a job interview?

Suits typically come to mind for interviews, but with my lack of height and overall ROUNDness, typical business suits (pant or skirt) really aren’t all that flattering on me. They tend to make me look even shorter and well, dumpy.

Short of losing 40 pounds in a week, what job interview looks would you suggest?

Note: I’m not in an ultra-conservative industry, but this would be for management level positions.

Thanks for any guidance!

We’ve recently rounded up the best stores for plus-sized workwear (including for petites and sizes 16-18), we’ve talked in the past about how to buy (or tailor) a great plus-sized blazer, and of course we have our Guide to Interview Suits, but nothing quite addresses this. And I can suggest a few suits for Reader M (such as the pictured Talbots suit or this Pendleton suit available up to 18P), but that doesn’t totally address the situation here (at least the one that I’m seeing when I read between the lines): your confidence is taking a hit because of how you look. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Body Shapes, Happiness, Interviewing, Job Hunting, Networking, Special Sizes, Suits

The Perfect Pants Fit

12/10/2013 by Kat

2017 Update: We still stand by this advice on the perfect pants fit; links have also been updated below.

What is the perfect pants fit — how SHOULD should they fit? When are they too baggy; when are pants too tight? Reader K wonders…

Can you discuss proper fit of suit pants/slacks for the workplace (including trouser jeans for casual Fridays)? I can’t find anything related in the archives- I was hoping for something like the guide to hem length. How do you find the right balance between too baggy and too fitted, especially in the thighs and butt? If they have a crease on the front, should the pants be loose enough that the crease stays creased all the way up?

I’m curious what readers say here about the perfect pants fit — for my $.02, I think this is easier to say what NOT to do than what TO do. In my mind, you want to avoid: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Basics, Body Shapes, Special Sizes, Tailoring

The Best Stores for Maternity Wear

11/18/2013 by GuestPoster

2018 Update: We still think this is a great round up of the best stores for maternity wear, but you may also want to check out our more recent discussion of what to wear to work while pregnant.

We’ve talked about the best stores for workwear for tall women, for petites, and for plus sizes; the last one we’re going to talk about is the best stores for maternity wear. Spoiler alert: the choices are never great — but they have expanded quite a bit since I was pregnant (and since we last looked at professional maternity clothes). Today I’ve asked blogger (and Corporette reader!) K from Work That Bump to guest post and round up some of the best stores for the working pregnant lady. Welcome, K! – Kat.

Scaling Mount Everest, running a marathon, and collecting a suitable maternity working wardrobe — it may not seem that the last one belongs, but trust me, it does. So although I can’t comment on the first two feats, I was thrilled when Kat asked me if I would guest post on the third. I’ve created what I hope to be a comprehensive list of maternity brands and stores (something I wish I had when I was pregnant). Other issues I’ve addressed that may be helpful: I recently spelled out my approach to shopping for maternity wear and my maternity-wear budget. I’ve also tackled the difficult questions of intimate apparel while pregnant and a transition wardrobe while pregnant.

Before we get into the list of stores, though, it is worth noting that you can score some good prices on maternity wear on Gilt, Rue La La, Zulily, and Haute Look. Gilt currently has eight pages of maternity wear from good brands like Maternal America and Eva Alexander, as well as nursing bras, jeans, and casual tops for the weekends. For example, I really like this Charlotte dress from Nom Maternity that is available for $60 on Gilt (pictured above) — it should prove to be very versatile: you could wear it with pumps and a blazer for work or with riding boots and a cardigan for chilly weekends.

And now to the list of stores and brands: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Pregnancy, Special Sizes, Wear to Work

The Best Workwear for Plus Sizes

11/04/2013 by Kat

2018 Update: We still think this is a great roundup of the best workwear for plus sizes, but you may also want to check out our recent post on where to find stylish plus-size suits for work.

We’ve talked about where to shop for workwear if you’re petite and if you’re a tall professional in recent weeks, so I thought we’d continue the series today with a look at the best plus-size workwear. I’m going to sort it into three categories: regular plus sizes (generally 14W-24W), petite plus sizes, and regular sizes 16 and 18, which tend to be incredibly difficult to find. We’ve discussed plus-size workwear before, of course — in 2008 and 2011, and in 2011 guest poster Kathryn Rubino wrote about her must-have list for the perfect plus-sized blazer — but we haven’t talked about this in a while. Readers who shop plus sizes — which are your favorite shops for workwear? How about suiting? Size 16s and 18s — and petite pluses — which shops am I missing on the list? (Pictured: Sejour Micro Houndstooth Suit Jacket, available at Nordstrom in sizes 14W-22W for $148.)

Note that we’ve talked about maternity plus sizes over at CorporetteMoms.

Workwear in Regular Plus Sizes

Recommended by readers last time: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Body Shapes, Special Sizes Tagged With: plus sizes, plus-size petites

The Best Workwear for Tall Women

10/07/2013 by Kat

2016 Update: Check out our latest discussion on suits for tall women.

Are you taller than 5’8″? Where do you find the best workwear for tall women? We had a good conversation a few weeks ago about the best workwear for petites, so I thought I’d continue the series. We’ve talked about the best suits for tall girls before, as well as “clothes for Amazonians,” but not in a long while. (Pictured: J.Crew’s Schoolboy Blazer in Tipped Wool, available in tall sizes — — was $268 now $228 in three colors.)

Some of the readers’ favorite online shops mentioned previously include:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Body Shapes, Special Sizes, Wear to Work Tagged With: tall, tall workwear

The Best Workwear for Petites

09/23/2013 by Kat

2016 Update: Check out our latest discussion on the best petite suits.

We have a super old post about the best suits for petite women, but we haven’t talked about this in ages, so let’s discuss: which are your favorite stores and brands for workwear for petites? Are there any indie brands or Etsy shops that you love?

For my $.02, it seems like the list of stores that offer petite sizes is growing, which is a great sign; I feel like bespoke dressmakers and suiting alterations are both more common than before as well. Here’s the list of stores that I know of that offer petite clothing:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Special Sizes, Tailoring, Wear to Work Tagged With: petite workwear, petites