I’ve been a plus-sized person all of my life. From being a “husky” kid to a fat adult, I’ve been through it. While I will argue that shopping options for plus size people are infinitely better in today’s world than 15 or 20 years ago, it can still be an emotional – and financial – minefield. Online shopping makes the process more convenient, but lingering doubt over size charts or even the legitimacy of the site itself can give any shopper pause.
This is part 1 of ??? in a series I’m doing on my personal experiences shopping these retailers as a US24. I’ll be covering sites and stores I have personally shopped, and these are my own opinions. Most size references refer to “women’s” sizing (gendered sizing is bullshit, but that’s the only frame of reference I’ve got).
Let me know in the comments which stores you’d like to hear more about!
Torrid
Ah, Torrid. I remember when you were just a wacky offshoot of Hot Topic. That goth/alt/emo kid DNA lingers in the background of Torrid’s style, even two decades later; it’s much-maligned on TikTok for its use of skulls and cartoon characters to try and spice up its clothing.
The style: This definitely leans youthful, which is in keeping with the brand’s DNA… but it can almost lean juvenile with the “Fangirl” pieces. It has been criticized in recent years for clinging to mid-to-late-2000s style (think cold shoulders and sassy phrase t-shirts) rather than embracing current trends. Their online “Daily Drop” line is trying to compete with fast fashion brands, and I find that it’s effectively incorporating more on-trend and current looks. Torrid is making some headway into business wear, but they don’t have much in the way of formal wear.
My overall review of the shopping experience: Torrid’s sizing is fairly standard to typical US plus sizes, and many consider it the de-facto standard of comparison since so many plus size folks have shopped with them. The quality of many of their pieces is far below the standard pricing, but their pricing is over-inflated to account for sales and rewards cash. In-person, I find that it can be tough to get the kind of deals you can get online, but Torrid has become a mall staple in many places, making it a readily-available option for a lot of shoppers.
Pitfalls: In addition to the quality concerns of certain pieces – too-thin t-shirts and see-through white jeans, for instance – I find that their dresses can be somewhat shapeless. Always trust reviews.
Eloquii
Eloquii is like the cool older sister of Torrid. She goes to work, she brunches on the weekend, she is dating someone super cool.
The style: This veers more on-trend and occasionally, somewhat experimental; some of the styles are truly unexpected, which can be awesome or awful. It definitely feels on the whole more grown-up than Torrid, but not stuffy.
My overall review of the shopping experience: I find Eloquii’s sizing to be spot on to standard. The quality of pieces is generally much better than many other sites, but they do occasionally cheap out by only using interesting fabric on the front – always check the photos closely. I don’t think they have in-person stores, so it’s all online (as far as I know.) They frequently run sales, so unless a piece is truly something you can’t possibly miss, wait for the discount. They’ve recently been acquired by FullBeauty, so everyone’s waiting to see if that changes the experience in any way.
Pitfalls: As I mentioned above, always check the photos closely. The interesting construction of pieces can mean they wear a little fussy. In my experience, I have had very few issues with quality; one or two pieces I got on clearance were a little thinner than I expected, but otherwise, they’re built solidly.
XlusWear
This is a fast-fashion brand that focuses largely on streetwear and clubwear based in China.
The style: Definitely streetwear and clubwear. Lots of bold colors and fun looks in a fairly wide range of sizes.
My overall review of the shopping experience: Nope, don’t do it. I placed one order for two dresses; one was a pre-order, and one was in-stock. It took nearly a month for the in-stock dress to arrive. The listing online made the fabric look black with white or silver polkadots (poor quality, grainy photos); in actuality, it was almost more of a cream with a very un-saturated black on a polyester fabric. The dress wasn’t lined, which was explained in the listing; HOWEVER, the large sleeves were lined with black, making them look completely different than the rest of the dress. The listing said the dress had some stretch, but it actually had none. The style was really cool, but it just didn’t feel like it was worth the cost. I reached out to cancel the pre-order item; their FAQ said pre-order items generally took 3-4 weeks of production, and it had already been a month and no progress had been made. I reached out by email, and it took several customer service reps to cancel the order, multiple back-and-forths and a few days; they first claimed they couldn’t find the SKU I copied, then tried to convince me to modify the order, then suddenly offered to ship it out faster. The sizing seems to be fairly true, but it’s just not worth it.
Pitfalls: As I mentioned, customer service is lacking. Items do ship from China, which naturally takes quite a while. The quality is fairly low, as can be expected with fast fashion, but from TikTok reviews, it can actually be hilariously bad (they’re kinda infamous online for not delivering on what’s presented in their photos, which are rumored to be stolen from other businesses.)
Lane Bryant/Cacique
For plus size folks of a certain age, the mere mention of Lane Bryant can be cringe-inducing. But the truth is, it’s the most dependable name out there. And I will give full props to Cacique; their selection of plus-sized underwear and lingerie is truly great.
The style: Normcore. Basic. Average. It’s fine.
My overall review of the shopping experience: It’s fiiiiine. Since LB is a mall staple, it’s close to most people in case you need to run in and buy something. I know some people still prefer the in-person shopping experience, but the stores rarely run sales and the online shopping experience almost always has coupons, so I don’t know why you wouldn’t shop online. You can order to the store to try it on and return it right at the counter, so like, why not? The selection online is slightly better than the brick-and-mortar, as well. Quality is okay, though I’ve only had bad experiences with the wear on their jeans. Their sizing is exactly standard.
Pitfalls: It’s fine. You’ll look like a human person in their clothes.
Universal Standard
You know how I’ve been saying brands’ sizing is standard? These guys’ sizing… is not. The entire concept of Universal Standard is that they build their “standard” pattern size around the “average” US woman (around a US14), then went up and down from there (most brands start with their medium US6/8.) The result? Sizing that is confusing for first-time shoppers. They offer size 00-40.
The style: Basics. Most items are in jersey knit or denim.
My overall shopping experience: Frankly, I hate it. I appreciate the sentiment, but I find the sizing wildly inconsistent; I wear a 22 in their jeans, and L (22/24) or XL (26/28) randomly in their tops and dresses. Everywhere else on the internet, I am consistently a 24 (occasionally I slide into a 22, but it’s rare.) I’m sure they have their manufacturing info somewhere, but it’s not readily available. With their pricing, it feels like they expect us to be grateful to them for… making t-shirts. I’ve bought directly from them and gotten the Mystery Box, and honestly? I’ll not be doing either again. The quality truly is wonderful! But even at that quality, a pretty basic t-shirt is $50. I can’t! All of that said, if you feel like your options are incredibly limited at your size, US has all of the basics you can stand in fairly trendy cuts. BIG credit to US: they feature a diverse range of models, so you can actually envision the pieces on bodies larger than a US10.
Pitfalls: The sizing is inconsistent, in spite of them professing to be the new standard.
Roaman’s/OneStopPlus
To be completely fair to Universal Standard, I’ll contrast it with Roaman’s. Roaman’s offers sizes US10 – 44 (again with vanity labeling, Small – 6X). For folks over a US30, this has long been one of their few shopping options.
The style: Tunics. Most things are jersey knits, but in the less-than-fashion-forward way. That said, there are absolutely cute styles in there!
My overall shopping experience: It’s really okay. Shipping can be a little slow, but these guys are dependable. As a member of OneStopPlus, you also have access to shopping other brands, such as Ellos (which is more current, IMO). Their standard pricing can be on the high end, so shop with discount codes or during sales. The quality is totally okay, though I feel like many pieces are cut “generously,” which means there’s a lot of room sometimes in odd places. Respectfully, many pieces are downright shapeless when worn (and many models are standard size, ew.)
Pitfalls: There are often so many options, it can be a needle in a haystack situation to find something great. I also find that their online size recommending tool gets it wrong; it tends to lean toward sizing up.
Old Navy
If you’re looking for basic, look no further than ol’ Old Navy. They’ve gone to the many styles in most sizes (US00 – 30 women’s, as well as a good variety of men’s sizes) model, which they’ve actually executed pretty well online – and pretty poorly in-store.
The style: BASIC. Jeans, t-shirts and a few cute thises and thats.
My overall shopping experience: I rarely get jeans anywhere else. I can get a pair of jeans for as cheaply as $20, and they often last through regular (read: at least 1x/week) wear for years; Lane Bryant’s far more pricey jeans absolutely never matched that longevity! Their t-shirts aren’t the best quality, but they’re absolutely fine for day-to-day. Lots of sales, rewards cash, etc. The in-store shopping experience is pretty bleak for plus size folks; online reviewers mention that some locations have few-to-none plus size items in stock. (Mine operates more like a messy clearance rack yard sale, so it’s pretty equal opportunity on not having styles in particular sizes.) Shopping online, do check the reviews for fit tips, but generally, I find them spot-on standard sizing.
Pitfalls: Quality can be an issue. More interesting pieces tend to be more spendy, and are often excluded from sales (at least initially). All that said? This is a great way to bulk up your wardrobe. I find their shoes to be a bit small.
Dootsie Bug 
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