This post was written by Miss Ashe Mischief of Dramatis Personae and originally posted here. Check out Dramatis Personae for Miss Mischief’s unique take on fabulous, fashionable life.
A few months ago, I griped about my issues with finding business friendly clothes for a plus-sized gal. Obviously things have not changed much (the exception being that Lane Bryant, the ONE place in town for a girls sized 14 & over to get work slacks is now OUT OF BUSINESS!). How a store like Lane Bryant goes out of business in a state that vies for #1 in the nation for obesity… well, it’s frankly beyond me.
This post has another focus though, and that is on Etsy designers who create lovely, customized pieces for ALL SIZED GALS! ♥ ♥ ♥
First up we have Bon Bon. I found her shop so long ago when I fell in love with this wool fishtail skirt. Frankly, I’m going to love any seller who doesn’t charge more for larger sizes, whose size “Small” has a 30″ waist, and who models their clothes themselves.
Ashe Mischief’s Bon Bon Favorites:
♥ Wool Jumper! Perfect for Midwestern winters, I love how it can be paired with so many lovely tops! Plus it comes it sexy leopard print.
♥ Wool Fishtail Skirt Hello, there are flowers with rhinestones below the derriere. If that doesn’t make Ashe Ass look awesome, I don’t think ANYTHING will.
♥ Grey Party Dress with Yo-yos! I wish wish wish this were available in my size! Only sizes XS and S are left, though the S has a 36″ bust and a 30″ waist (VERY Apple AND Pear friendly!).
We also have the glorious Miss Brache who custom fits clothes from size 0-24. With a motto of, “the main reason I make clothes is because I want you to feel beautiful in what you wear no matter what size,” how can you not want to support this woman? From dresses to swimwear or seaweed cotton blouses, her pieces are bold and beautiful…
The “Yes, Please, I’d like them in my wardrobe!” pieces:
♥ Sweet Coquette Maillot (striped swimsuit)
♥ Mod Jumper Dress
♥ Organic Seaweed Classic Dress Shirt
♥ Ahoy! Vest
Honorable Mentions:
♥ Vigilante Labs, who create the most beautiful anemone skirts!
♥ Maisy Brown Repro Retro, and I’m insane for her Magenta Scoop Bust Pinafore Jumper Wiggle Dress! (Can you say that 5 times fast? Yikes!) This dress is HOT HOT HOT. The color is magnificent, and the cut looks flattering and comfortable. I’d be halfway tempted to see if she has enough fabric to make another to my own measurements.
♥ Desirapesta one of my favorite sellers of all time. Her profile lists her as specializing in couture and being able to make it in almost any size.
♥ Lisa Rietz (who I’ve posted about before) will make clothes outside of her size guidelines for anyone who inquires!
Does anyone else know of any great independent designers (on Etsy or not) who cater to plus sized gals? Or offer custom sizing? If their designs double as work wear, you win an internet cookie!
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
very cool sites! I would never charge more for a large skirt than a small skirt. that’s ridiculous!
I’ve actually JUST opened an Etsy shop, and I ONLY make plus sized clothing! I’ve still got a lot of work to do listing more of my pieces, but I would love any comments/feedback/suggestions!
http://quilt7metal.etsy.com
I love Jane BonBon. She does fantastic things!
I regularly feature Etsy designers on my plus size fashion blog, and I do have a plus size clothing search engine that includes Etsy designers and many mainstream clothiers, as well as having a long blog list. If you’re ever completely stuck, shoot me an email or find me on Etsy (I’m magickalrealism.) I tend to have a lead on where all the good plus clothing is, indie and otherwise.
Fantastic roundup. Yet another reason homemade rules.
Hey you! Thanks for the add. I actually do plus size and have done quite a bit of it, the largest size being 24.
! Thanks again and go designers who don’t only make size 2!
this is so inspiring. I am absolutely in love with Miss Brache. I might just have to break my no-buying-for-now contract and get something…oooooo!! Thank you SO much for the link!
MyBlackDress does custom work in all sizes – I’m not plus size but I love the dress she made for me.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5975780
I have that Mod Jumper in my Favorites on Etsy!
I am a designer on etsy– I feature plus size clothing and do custom orders. I DO charge more for some plus size designs– the ones that take more time/materials. When creating a plus-size custom order– I utilize a photo of the buyer (when available), their measurements and frequent measurements of the garment during the creation process.. I put considerable effort into getting the sizing just right because I know that not all plus-size figures are created equally. I simply could not use the same pattern-sizing techniques for a size 22 who was 6 feet tall with thin arms and legs as I can for a petite size 22 who is round all over. For the increased price you are getting a custom-sized garment JUST for your figure! I use mostly organic and recycled materials (using recycled materials is a CHALLENGE in plus sizes!) and have some very time-consuming high fashion designs that genuinely do take significantly more time to make larger– particularly my hand-woven designs.