BY KELSEA VENTURES
I’m at the smaller end of plus-size, bouncing between a size 12 and 14, but even with less curves than some girls, I struggle to find clothes that fit my body shape. It seems like if you don’t have that perfect plus-size model body, regular stores just don’t have flattering options for you.
This has become especially a problem as I’ve been growing on social platforms and while I’m typically a comfortable clothing type of girl, I do feel like I’m at a point where I need to switch up my three outfit choices on occasion. You know, for like dinners and events and stuff. Well, maybe, we’ll see, I really like being comfortable.
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Anyways, I started looking online to find some online plus-size boutiques and was extremely surprised by how difficult it was.
For starters, there don’t seem to be many plus-size only stores and boutiques out there and then once you find them it’s difficult to determine which ones are actually worth paying for and which are maybe not the best.
After doing a lot of my own research I decided to put together a mega list of plus-size focused clothing options for girls who are looking for new clothing options.
Note: These are plus-size focused brands, not just any brands that offer plus-size clothes.
1. ELOQUII
If you’ve already done some Googling to find plus size boutique options, there’s a good chance you’ve run across ELOQUII, and for good reason.
ELOQUII is one of the largest plus-size only fashion “boutiques” online which is a huge benefit to shoppers.
Instead of the classic problem of having larger sizes of clothes designed to fit smaller bodies, they specialize in creating fashionable pieces for women over size 12. Because they do focus on fashion specifically they have those boutique prices (if you know what I mean). However, keep an eye out because they frequently do sales.
Prices: $$$
Reviews: Mostly Positive
Negative reviews related to return policy and quality of clothing for the price.
Best Sellers
My Favorites
My Thoughts
ELOQUII has a basic casual/formal vibe to me which isn’t really “fashion” forward in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, they make clothes that are in season, but I wouldn’t put them into any particular fashion category. They’re also fairly expensive for the basic clothes they offer. For instance, the cheapest t-shirt I could find was $24.
While basic, they do have some cute pieces, I however have yet to order from them because my personal taste is more into unique, leisurewear, or edgy pieces.
When I went through reviews, my general thought was that if they had something I wanted I would chance ordering from them. It sounds like if you don’t need to return the product life is good.
However, I would probably make sure to check the dimensions of the outfit against my dimensions to help mitigate the potential of needing to return the product.
This would be a place I would shop if I worked in an office environment or had a bunch of casual business lunches I was obligated to go to, but as it stands I don’t foresee myself ordering from them.
2. Ashley Stewart
Ashley Stewart is what I would consider a fashion forward brand. They have unique and edgy apparel specifically made for girls who want to celebrate their curves. The styles offered by Ashley Stewart would best worn casually and are definitely fashion statement pieces.
Prices: $$
Reviews: Mostly Negative
Negative reviews related to all aspects of online shopping from customer service to shipping to returns.
New Collection
My Thoughts
3. Avenue
Avenue started in 1983 and is one of the oldest plus-size only focused clothing stores. The style at Avenue reminds me of “mom” wear.
It’s very casual and probably aimed at an older audience, yet there are definitely some pieces that I would wear.
Avenue has a huge range of products including swimwear and shoes, which sets them apart from other plus-size stores.
Prices: $$
Reviews: Mostly Negative
Negative reviews related to all aspects of online shopping from customer service to shipping to returns.
Best Sellers
My Favorites
My Thoughts
Just like Ashley Stewart the number of 1 star reviews on Avenue would make me think more than twice about making a purchase.
If they remedied the customer service, shipping and return issues, I might consider shopping there in the future for cheapish plus-size jeans and t-shirts… otherwise they don’t really have my style.
4. Hackwith Design House Plus
If you want a truly exclusive fashion experience, Hackwith Design House Plus is a limited edition company that only releases 25 products of each design they create. They make the pieces in the United States on order, which makes them feel extra fancy.
In addition to just having a cool concept for original clothing, Hackwith offers a variety of collections from the core collection to intimates and swimwear.
The style of clothing Hackwith offers is cute, casual and versatile. Their pieces appear to be comparable to ELOQUII in price, but are handmade in the USA and limited edition…. Just let that sink in.
Price: $$$
Reviews: NA
While I tried to find reviews of Hackwith, from what I could tell there are none to be found although the company has been in existence since 2013.
My Thoughts
Hackwith is definitely a company I would try if I wanted to splurge. I love the idea of owning a limited edition outfit and of having my clothing handmade in the USA. Reviews or not, I’m a sucker for the “romance” of the situation and I’d totally do it!
5.Curvy
The name says it all. The about make of Curvy explains that this boutique is founded on the idea that over half of all women in the USA are a size 14 or higher, yet it’s difficult to find clothing lines made for curvy bodies.
The style of Curvy is younger than many of the other clothing lines and the style is a casual formal.
Price: $$
Reviews: NA
Once again I attempted to find reviews and couldn’t find any for this small boutique.
My Thoughts
I was surprised that I liked the overall vibe and style of Curvy and since they’re cheaper than many other brands. I would definitely consider purchasing from them, but I’m also hesitant just because there aren’t any reviews. They also have fairly limited sizes which seems counterintuitive to having a plus-size focused brand.
6. TORRID
Torrid is definitely a big player in the plus-size industry. Not just a small online store, it’s one of the biggest with stores in malls across the United States. Torrid is definitely mainstream and not what I would call a “boutique”, but for cheap, mainstream clothes they’re definitely an option.
Price: $$
Reviews: Mixed
Reviews about online shopping are negative- mainly related to customer service, returns and mistakes in
My Thoughts
Torrid is a really mainstream brand. I have purchased from them before in the mall and I feel like they’re a cheap, alternative to shopping plus-size in a mall-type situation.
However, I wouldn’t consider Torrid a “boutique”, nor would I say that they’re necessarily the best fitting plus-size clothing line-but they’re better (at least in my experience) than the plus-size you find in other huge stores that don’t focus on just plus-size.
With all of that being said, I wouldn’t shop Torrid online after looking through reviews about the online shopping. Customer service once again is at the forefront of the issues with the online shopping situation, and dealing with poor customer service is extremely frustrating and not worth their clothing in my opinion.
7. Monif C
Monif C is all about creating trendy hot pieces that reek in sophistication and sexiness… according to them. They offer swimsuits, jumpsuits and other trendy “let’s go out on the town” outfits. According to their website, Monif C has been in the business of designing plus-size outfits for over 10 years.
Prices: $$$
Reviews: NA
I can’t find reviews on the website itself (customer service, fulfillment, shipping etc), but the Monif C clothing has good reviews when sold through other stores… so if you want to try them out perhaps buy them through a third party seller to ensure the shipping, handling and customer service will go smoothly.
Best Sellers:
My Thoughts:
Monif C seems like a good option for girls who want jumpers, rompers or swimsuits, but the brand is limited in offerings. It’s also a very particular style. I personally probably wouldn’t order from them just because I’m not a romper or jumper kind of gal.
8. City Chic
Sizes: 14-24
Prices: $$$
Reviews: Mixed
I found two reviews on better business bureau that were negative due to customer service issues. However, it appears their US fulfillment is fairly new, so these issues may resolve in the future. The clothes themselves and physical store in Australia have mostly positive reviews, but one again there are only a few of them so it’s hard to say for sure.
Best Sellers:
My Thoughts
City Chic has a lot of cute casual pieces and some that can be dressed up for formal/casual events, I could easily find clothes to wear through them. However, I don’t see myself ordering from them at this point because I’m in the US and it seems like they need to work somethings out in terms of fulfillments, customer service, shipping etc. I would definitely keep an eye on them in the future and if you live in Australia I would consider them.
9. Mei Smith
Mei Smith is a designer company that is based on minimal pieces specifically designed for plus size women. They are made in the United States, and they call their pieces “quality” pieces.
Prices: $$$$$$$$
Reviews: NA
I didn’t find any reviews, but their products have been featured on some larger websites like Refinery 29. I’m not sure if these were sponsored posts or not which would definitely make me question the validity of the post if they were.
My Thoughts
I would personally never buy from this company because the prices are WAY too high for the basic pieces offered. We’re talking over $400 for a “minimalistic” pair of pants. I could get some pants from a cringy-expensive store like Gucci if I wanted to spend that amount.
With that being said, the company does make their products in the US, so there is some added value to that-but still. However, if you want to support a small business and are willing to dish up the coin, their pieces are definitely minimalistically stylish.
10. Kiyonna
Kiyonna is unique in that it was started as a business venture when the founder surveyed a group of women to determine what the needs were in the clothing marketplace after she graduated from business school. They have a large selection of clothes from basic camis to evening gowns at fairly reasonable prices.
Prices: $-$$
Reviews: Mostly Positively
I like to check reviews across the same review sites to ensure as much unbiased as possible. Kiyonna is small enough that they’re not on some of the larger review sites. However, the sites they are being reviewed on have mostly positive reviews and the negatives are about random problems like “it showed my rolls” or “I didn’t like the material”. With all of that being said, it’s hard to know if your experience will be positive or negative based on reviews.
Best Sellers
My Thoughts
Kinyonna is probably somewhere I will be shopping in the future. They have a large enough variety that I know I can find some basic pieces for a reasonable price. However, because of the lack of reviews I don’t know if the quality of clothes are great for the price.
11. Full Beauty
Full Beauty is another site that hosts a large amount of product types including shoes and even a men’s section. Full Beauty is not what I would consider “boutique” as much as mainstream basic and affordable clothing (which is honestly more up my alley).
Prices: $
Reviews: Mostly Negative
A lot of people seemed to have issues with the customer service, returns, and the shopper’s club.
My Thoughts
I would actually try Full Beauty because they’re so affordable, but I would probably only order a few of the cheaper items to test them out. It sounds like as long as you don’t need returns and you don’t join the shopper’s club, it CAN be a decent place to shop for the price. With all of that being said, they definitely aren’t what I would consider a “boutique”.
12. IGIGI
Prices: $$
Reviews: Excellent
From what I could tell all verified reviews fell into the “excellent” range of 4.5-5 stars. There were some negative reviews a few different places, but they all promoted alternative brands which makes me skeptical of the validity of the review, plus none of them were verified.
My Thoughts
The dresses made by IGIGI range from $100-$200, but for a custom made dress with great reviews it seems like a really great option for plus sized gals who might need particular sizing. I don’t know if I would ever order a dress from them because I’m not a big dress person, but I would consider it for an event or special occasion.
13. Hips And Curves
Prices: $-$$
Reviews: Mostly Positive
The only negative reviews I found (and there weren’t many) was about the processing time of the products. It sounds like processing can take upwards of two weeks before the product even ships.
My Thoughts
For the everyday Hips And Curves probably wouldn’t be my go-to (did I mention like to be comfortable and I’m lazy?), but if I ever wanted a costume-esque flare I would definitely consider them. The prices are fairly reasonable and as long as you plan in a couple weeks for processing (just in case) it doesn’t sound like you’ll be disappointed.
14. Curvaceous Boutique
Prices: $-$$
Reviews: Mostly Positive
They don’t appear on many review sites (as is expected with a small boutique) but their Facebook page has a 4.8 star with 45 reviews which is actually decent.
My Thoughts
Prices being what they are, I would definitely look into buying products from them especially with the positive reviews.
15. Chic And Curvy
This is the first brand where “Bold” is the first thing that comes to mind. Chic And Curvy offer an assortment of products from hats to skirts to body suits. They also have a look book section to help you piece together your looks (something I love because I such at it myself) and a shopable Instagram that you can follow.
Prices: $$
Reviews: Mixed
It sounds like their downtown LA store does well, but their online customer service leaves something to be desired. Every online review (there weren’t many) were negative.
My Thoughts
I doubt I would shop here, I’m just not into dresses. But if I did I would drop into my local store instead of order online.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, after doing all this research I can’t say that there is a perfect plus-size only shop out there.
Hopefully that will change in the near future, but for now, my first pick (based mainly on reviews and prices) would be ELOQUII, followed up by Curvaceous Boutique and then visiting a local Torrid (but not buying online).
Hopefully this list was somewhat helpful to you, I know putting it together helped me understand the plus-size market a lot better!