A Fitting Measure

Plus-size Women Personal Measurements

Nothing is quite as intimate as the language spoken by the tape measure.  Protest as we might, it never fails that the tape has spoken correctly.  Wisely, we accept the statement, make note of it, and use it in decision making until such time that statement changes.

Plus Size Women should arm themselves with a notepad, a pen, and a tape measure.  A second person can sometimes be a handy helper in the measuring process.  Of course, this second person should be a trusted friend who will not be repeating the information disclosed by the tape measure.

Where and what to measure is pictured in the line drawings here.  These are fundamentally necessary measurements to have before approaching an order form. It's important to keep a copy of your measurement results so that you can use the information with each ordering experience.

 

Be aware of two distinct types of measurement units shown on the tape measure. There are inches and there are centimeters.  The clothing industry is now importing clothing items from countries who use the metric system.

If you have your measurements in inches, but the item of clothing is sized by centimeters, there is a problem unless you can convert centimeters into inches. As a measure of length, there are 100 centimeters in a meter. 2.54 cm = 1 inch.

To convert: Inches to centimeters: Multiply number of inches by 2.54.

As time goes by, the measurements may change.  These changes need to be notated in your notepad because this can basically affect future clothing orders.

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Plus-Size Women And On-Line Size Charts

 'Fit' Depends On Chart

Plus-size women on-line shoppers will be called upon to compare their personal measurements to those found on size charts.  Note that each on-line clothing store may have their own unique sizing chart.  The 'standard' size chart seems to be the one being used at the time.

Although the first chart seems simple enough and easily used as a reference, closer examination indicates that lots of needed information is missing.

The second chart begins to tell us of additional information that may be important.  This chart is published by a particular Brand and refers only to the items sold by that Brand. 

There is a comparison of 'General Sizes', US Clothing Size', and 'Junior Approximate Size. This chart can easily become more confusing than helpful.

Reading the notes at the bottom of the chart doesn't actually help the confusion.  Statements such as 'measurements are approximate'; 'measure from armpit to arm pit and multiply'; and, finally, 'may be labeled 1X, XL or 1XL'.  That same labeling in another Brand could easily mean something altogether different.

The third chart may be more usable because it indicates a size statement in both centimeters and inches.

The 4th chart goes a step further in indicating various measurements in centimeters and inches as pertaining to particular sizes.

There are many more examples of size charts with some being more usable than others.  We believe the 5th chart, the last one presented today, is the best so far.  It neatly shows Asian, US, UK, EU, and AU sizing in both centimeters and inches.

Even with all this information, the on-line plus-size woman should check the chart for the specific item she is interested in.  After comparing her personal measurements to the chart, a very good estimation of the correct ordering size can be reached.

(More To Come)
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The Secret Problem For Plus Size Women

We are of the mind that one has to name the problem and recognize the source, or sources, of that problem before it can be ‘fixed’. First, we can say that problems for plus size women exist inside the fashion world where there has been little thought about creating designs for the curvaceous larger woman.

Secondly, we suggest that manufacturers continue to mass produce the ‘average’ styles and sizes of clothing. The fact that the manufactured items may be inappropriate, or even injurious, for the curvaceous, plus size women is apparently not a consideration.

Thirdly, the clothing outlets seem to be accepting of the clothing designs manufactured for the smaller size women. They haven’t come to recognize the potential profit sitting on the sidelines waiting to be claimed by simply meeting the needs of plus size women.

And, as much as it hurts, the plus size women must accept much of the blame for the scarcity of fashions, patterns, and sizes that are needed. By quietly accepting what has been offered instead of asking for what was needed, it is plus size women who have allowed the problem to continue for so long.

Admittedly, there has been some progress in styling for plus size women but there is much left undone while progress is stop-and- go. We tend to think that it will be the plus size women themselves who will lead the fashion designers to the solution of this problem.

(More to Come)
See Our Plus Size Fashions Site at http://in-jackson-ms.com is a good source for Plus Size Clothing

Wasn't Shopping Supposed To Be Fun?

Shopping For Plus-Size Clothing
Shopping, as a plus-size woman, isn't exactly fun.  Before the adventurous treasure hunt begins, the plus-size shopper usually has a definite idea of what they hope to find during the shopping trip. She already knows, from experience, that the particular something she hopes to find in the store will not be there.  But, hey, one must be optimistic and at least try.  Suppose it is there and the effort to find it hadn't been made.

It usually turns out that the plus-size shopper settles on 'style' based upon whatever is available and accessible in the store.  A spirit of celebration seems to be created simply by finding an article -- any article -- of clothing that is actually in the correct size.

Color?  How can one be selective about color?  If it fits, thank you.  Suppose the item found is a red rain coat.  The plus-size shopper may not have been looking for a raincoat, much less a red one.  But, buy it she  will -- because it's there and because it fits.

In this way, a shopping expedition truly becomes a treasure hunt.  When shopping is over and the purchased items are more closely examined at home, it comes to mind that she has yet to find the item that was actually needed.  Meanwhile, whatever was found will have to make-do.

Finding clothing that fit is the goal for all plus-size women.  There's a demand for 'fit' in body size, in personality types, in style choices and in the occasion for which the article is to be worn.

Because these items of 'fit' seem not to be available in the local stores, many plus-size women have turned to on-line shopping.  But, on-line shopping is not as simple as walking into a clothing store. The results can be much more satisfying but, done carelessly, it can be extremely frustrating.

How to shop on-line for plus-size women is a complete other story.  Preparation is needed to shop intelligently online.  There are tools to use and research to be done.  It can be both a challenging and a rewarding experience.

(More to come)
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