Plus Size Shopping in Canada

Getting to this post much later than I had planned on! Does someone have a few hours they can give me for my day? LOL! There’s just not enough is there?

Here in Canada shopping for clothes for us Curvy girls is HARD! There is just simply not enough stores offering plus sizes, and then on top of that the even bigger challenge is finding clothing that is affordable. There are a lot of us up here that are nice and curvy and we need clothes right? Yep, we sure do! So why is it so hard to find those clothes? I really wish I had the answer to that, but sadly I don’t. What I can do is share with everyone where I am buying my clothes and hope I can help others find more options for themselves.

First some advice for shopping online since that is what most of us have to resort to. Sizing is hard when it comes to clothing of any size, I do recall back in my skinny days that sizing was all over the place even for small sizes. There is no exception to this with Plus Sized clothing. I wear a 16, but occasionally I need a 14 or even an 18 in some styles/brands. In some stores a 16 translates to an X or 1X, in other stores it translates to a 2X. So I have definitely learned that taking measurements and keeping them handy when shopping online is very important until you get to know a store and what size fits you in their version of sizing. Length can also be a difficult thing when shopping online. I’m not overly tall(was 5’8” but have shrunk already to 5’7” *sniff*), but I have and have always had very long legs…my legs are as long as my husbands and he’s 6’. If you have shorter legs length isn’t as much of a concern because you can always shorten the pants, but if you’re tall or have long legs you want to make sure to pay attention to pant length before ordering. I know I can’t order anything shorter than 32” in length, fortunately I find this is actually becoming more of a standard length these days, it used to be 30” and I could never find anything longer(and I won’t even get started on “tall” sizes which are even harder to find than plus sizes). So definitely know your measurements, returning purchases from online are usually at your expense for shipping, which means if you send it back you will get your money back for the item, but then you end up paying for shipping to end up with nothing….just NOT worth it, so be sure of what you’re buying before you hit that button to confirm your purchase. I like to test a new store first by only ordering one item so I can check fit, I can deal with one item that I might have to make alterations so it fits, but I certainly don’t want to end up with several things ordered to find out that’s not my size at that particular store.

Since this could end up being a very long blog post I will limit it to where I have recently been doing my shopping for clothes. I have a long list of stores that I would like to try and stores I have bought from before but not recently or regularly, but I will save those for another day. For today these are places that I am buying from and plan to continue to buy from.

Walmart: Ok, this one is obvious I know. I don’t buy much from Walmart, but every once in a while I find something. Their selection for Plus Sizes is BAD as in quantity, I’m not sure if this is the case in the US, but in Walmarts here in Canada it is. They have a very small Plus section that sadly in my opinion has only got smaller in recent years. At least in this small section they do seem to have an ok variety of styles for different ages, which I also think is important for stores to carry. I’m 36, I like to look good but what I think looks good and is appropriate for me now is not the same as what I would wear 10 years ago, my mom is also Plus Sized and in her 60’s so she is obviously not going to wear the same styles that I do. In their small selection Walmart at least seems to cover stuff appropriate for all ages. Fit is a problem for Walmart though, they are guilty of what so many are, they simply increase the amount of fabric with sizes but do not take into account other  things that change with size. I think I have only ever once been able to buy a pair of pants there because their pants will fit perfect throughout but then have a HUGE gap at the back of the waist….obviously impossible to wear pants that fit like that. Tops aren’t too bad though for some of them if it has straps they’re too long and the tops often gape under the arm. But I have been able to find some pretty decent tops there in the past. My best buy at Walmart has actually been shrugs, I’ve even been able to fit into their regular sizes in shrugs(which is a plus because they’re cheaper than the plus ones). Shrugs are so expensive for so little fabric in some places, I’ve found Walmart’s much more reasonable.

Forever 21+:  As far as I know the only place you can get F21+ clothing in store in Canada is in Toronto. I know for sure you can’t in Calgary . It wasn’t that long ago that I even found out F21 carried plus sizes, they are new up here and the only other time I saw their stores was when we lived in Texas and there were no plus sizes in the store I was in there either. So for most of us up here the only option for F21+ is online. I did a review on them here and I do still check their website almost every day to see what they have added. I don’t like most of the stuff they have added the past few months though so I haven’t ordered anything for a while. I really liked stuff they were adding for a while but their stuff lately just isn’t my style….a lot of t-shirts and I’m so not a t-shirt person. I’ll probably place another order after we get back from our holiday though because I am still so in love with my skinny jeans I got from there and want to get them in black if they have them, I just hope they add some more stuff I like so I can spend the $60 to get free shipping……fortunately there’s always shoes and jewelry .  I love their shipping(it’s fast!) and haven’t had to return anything but I’ve been told by the people in the stores that I can return items to the stores for credit that can be used online….with the order comes a piece of paper that says otherwise but I have asked twice in the store and they assured me I can return there if I need to.

1-Plus: This site is a combination of Addition-Elle, Penningtons and  MXM Boutique. Addition-Elle and Penningtons are two separate stores, MXM is a line that is carried I believe only in Addition-Elle(I could be wrong on that one, it might be in Penningtons too…I can’t remember). But they are all owned by the same parent company and you can order online from all 3 on the same order. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with these stores. I love their clothes, love their customer service in the stores usually(usually the associates are very friendly and chatty which I love), their locations for me are great(I have 3 of each of the stores within about a 20 minute drive from me), and I love that you can order online from all 3 on one checkout. I hate their prices though…I have noticed their prices seem to just keep creeping higher and higher to the point that even a simple sale doesn’t bring the prices down to what I’m willing to pay, I have to wait until they have stuff on clearance and then a sale like another percentage off of that price before the prices become ok. I can’t justify paying $30 to $60 for a top, I mean if I pay $30 or $40 even for a dress it better be a pretty amazing dress, there’s no way I’m going to pay that for a top, especially if that top is not much more than a tube top….so little fabric yet such a high price, I can’t and I won’t pay it. I really love their stores though, they are definitely the best option up here for a store to walk into and shop, selection is usually really good…..a good variety of tops and pants, and an ok selection of dresses and skirts(sometimes I’m a little disappointed in the selection of regular everyday dresses)….they also carry PJ’s(I love their spaghetti strap nighties and own a few which I wear almost every night), panties and bras(haven’t tried their bras as they’re too expensive for me but I’ve heard they’re good). I have only ordered once from their website and my biggest complaint with that was that one item I ordered that said in stock got canceled. Apparently this is what is done if they don’t actually have the item even though the website and checkout says they do, problem is they don’t let you know that the item is out of stock or even offer you a chance to choose another item….they send you an email that makes it look as though they are canceling the item for you because you requested it be canceled. When I emailed them because of that it took much too long for them to get back to me with an explanation, there is no reason for it to take more than 24 to 48 hours for a company to get back to a customer….it took them a week to reply to me….I’m a real stickler for customer service and to me that’s not good customer service…..in this day and age all stores should offer very good and quick customer service via email, I know I’m far from alone in being someone who does almost everything via email.  So my experience ordering online was definitely not as good as my experiences in store and I think they should improve on some things to make their online customer service better. Overall if price is not an issue for you these stores are definitely the BEST option for most of Canada, if price is an issue for you as it is me then you really need to watch for the good sales….sign up for their emails and join their Facebook page is a great way to do that. They also ship to the US for anyone down there interested!

Sexy Plus Clothing: I have to include this website on this list even though it’s not a place that I will buy from much….at least not as long as I have kids to feed and clothe still. I have only ordered one thing from this store and even on sale it was expensive for me, the prices are really high(crazy high for my budget on most of them), but it was so cute and hubby loved it so I caved……unfortunately there’s one part of the top that just doesn’t fit me right and I haven’t worn it yet….I really must get that taken care of so I can wear it since it’s a Fall top and soon the weather will be right for wearing it. BUT, the reason I must include this site is 1. because her stuff is GORGEOUS and 2. the owner is so absolutely wonderful! I don’t know her so this isn’t just a plug for someone I know, but I starting following this store on Facebook as soon as I found it and the owner interacts with customers on her site and you can just tell she is a sweet and wonderful person and cares about her customers…..and she even included a really nice pair of earrings in with my order as a thank you for ordering which I though was absolutely the sweetest thing ever that you will never get from a big chain store. She does have an actual store, but unfortunately it’s in Toronto, the rest of us can only order off her website, which saddens me because from feedback I see on her Facebook page it sounds like a trip to her store is a fabulous, fun and sexy time! If you’re tight for money like I am this store will not be for you, but if money is not an issue and you like good quality, fun and sexy clothes then you MUST check out her store either online or in person if you can.

eBay: Ok, on eBay it is two stores specifically….121Avenue and DealZone.  Both of these stores carry the same items so I believe they are connected(and I’m pretty sure my orders from both did come from the same place). They are a US based eBay store but they also offer free shipping to Canada(I think some shoes and jewelry you pay shipping but clothes are free). I have ordered about a dozen items from these stores in the past few months. They carry from Small up to 3Xand even the occasional 4X. Their stuff is cheap and cute! Some of the stuff is definitely a little thin(which for me is a good thing because I’m always overheating and need light stuff especially in summer LOL). They are not going to be amazing quality for most of the stuff but are a great option for those on a budget, though a couple of the tops that I got definitely were of a surprising quality and I was really shocked and  impressed. I have not seen a single piece of clothing listed for more than $20, including the dresses! I’ve only had a real problem with one item so far, sadly it’s my favorite! The first time I wore one of the dresses half the stitching came out in the top part(it was a strapless) and after taking it to an alterations place yesterday I found out it is something that is very difficult to fix and it will be very hard for me to find someone to fix it…..I’ve sent an email to the eBay store and am hoping even though I’m past the return date(which is only 7 days and you pay shipping….I didn’t even wear it until after I had it 7 days) that they will do something for me because of how much I’ve ordered in such a short time…..so we will see how that goes, hopefully well LOL. All items except 1 were exactly as I was expecting…..there was one dress that was WAYYYY shorter than what it appeared in the picture, in the picture the dress went down to the mannequins knees, on me it barely covers my ass LOL, so I have to wear it as a top and it works just fine.

City Chic: This site I have noticed is very popular among the Plus Sized blogging community, I will be completely honest(as is how I am with everything ) to say that this store has huge potential to be one of the best, but both from my own experience and from things I read on their Facebook page from other customers they have some work to do(I’ve seen complaints about service, pricing and quality apparently not beeing as good as it once was). I had an issue with them when I first ordered from them in that I could not get a reply from emails to their customer service and then posted on their Facebook page to only be ignored at first there as seemed to be the same for anyone posting a complaint…..they were on their page often posting things but were not acknowledging anyone posting with problems(while they would comment to people asking questions that were not complaints). After a second post in which I said I would not shop there again and would share my bad experience with others I finally got noticed and someone got in touch with me. Apparently not being able to get through to customer service is not usually a problem for the US site(this is according to the service rep I was corresponding with) but it has been for the International site…..so she couldn’t even offer me a reason as to why nobody got my 2 emails I had sent. I did get apologies from customer service and they even gave me a credit to try ordering from them again. I did order a second time and the item came quickly, other than an issue with fit on the top part of the gorgeous dress I ordered I was very happy….I love low cut stuff(ok, my husband loves it when I wear low cut stuff LOL), but this dress just would not stay put….I wore it yesterday for the first time(it’s a Maxi with a heavy lining, which I don’t get….I don’t want a heavy lining on a summer dress) and I spent the entire day covering my boobs back up LOL. I think the problem is a design flaw in the dress, the bottom is lined and I think the weight of the bottom because of the lining(it is pretty heavy) is pulling down on the top part of the dress thus showing off my boobs to the world….at least I was wearing a pretty bra! LOL! So all I can say is that I hope my little service issue was a one time thing because I was pleased with my order. Now, when it comes to prices at City Chic things are a bit crazy! Their regular prices are high but they seem to almost always be having a sale of some kind. Problem is the prices are just all over the place from one week to the next at times. For example a dress that is regularly $80 in a period of a few months I have seen be full price, half price, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it at 30% off and 40% off, and even for $20……confusing part is that with clothing you usually see an item at full price when it’s new and then the price gradually goes down….not the case here though, I’ve seen it go down and back up and down and back up again. Maybe I just haven’t paid enough attention yet to know how and when they run their sales, but it just seems odd and something I’ve never seen before with clothing. I will continue to check this store though(I believe they have actual stores in the US) as I like their styles for the most part and maybe I can get a good deal on some things I like. Shipping is usually free but I was on there one time when all of a sudden it was only free over a certain dollar amount, every other time it was free no matter how much you spent….so not sure what is up with that.

I have more to share but it’s getting late and I need to get used to an earlier bedtime(not my usual 4 to 6 am going to bed) because hubby is on holidays and we’re going on a road trip next week…woohoo! So at least here’s a start for anyone interested and I will talk more soon on shopping for Plus Sized clothing in Canada!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe long weekend….I know it’s a long weekend both here in Canada and in the US this weekend…….stay sexy, love your curves and I’ll hopefully be back to regular blogging soon!

Jolene