5 Shops for the Curvy College Student
Ask any plus-sized woman out there about the struggle to find cute, affordable clothing and you’ll find that you’ve opened yourself up to the rant of a lifetime.
For the longest time, finding clothing in extended sizes that was not only stylish but affordable was nearly impossible. Luckily, in the last decade or so, the demand for accessible clothing for all body types hit an all-time high, resulting in various established brands branching out with “plus” and “curve” lines, as well as an explosion of solely “plus-sized” brands.
The visibility and importance of these brands isn’t lost on the curvier women of the universe, especially yours truly. Everyone deserves to look and feel beautiful in the clothes they wear, and now everyone truly can.
Here are five shops, perfect for every wallet and dress size.
Modcloth
From its inception, ModCloth has been a leader in the body-positivity movement. From being the first retailer to sign the Heroes Pledge for Advertisers, also known as the anti-Photoshop pledge, to its use of real staff members of all shapes and sizes in its campaigns, ModCloth recognizes the power in positive body representation. Alongside it’s social standings, the company is most well-known for its classic, vintage-styled apparel, available in every size from XS-4X.
Forever 21+
If there’s one shop every 20-something frequents, it’s Forever 21. With its effortless mix of trendy, dressy and casual clothing, it’s a must stop for anyone looking for stylish clothing at an affordable price. And with the introduction of their plus-sized section in 2009, the shop opened its doors to the millions of curvy women out there vying for cute clothes at rock-bottom prices. Forever 21+ runs from size 0x to 3x.
Lane Bryant
When you think of plus-sized clothing, the first name likely to pop into your head is Lane Bryant. With chic fashions and collaborations with top designers like Christian Siriano and Prabal Garung, Lane Bryant has been killing it lately. Longtime advocates of body positivity, they’re well known for their badass beauty campaigns. With their latest campaign, #ThisBody, they continue their long tradition of challenging long-held beauty standards by calling out social-media body-shamers everywhere. Lane Bryant runs from size 14 to 32.
Torrid
Since 2001, Torrid has been a staple in plus-sized clothing. After a rebranding in 2013, the shop took a step back from its alternative roots in favor for a more stylish and sophisticated look that they totally nailed. A subsidiary of Hot Topic, the shop still manages to keep aspects of its “alt” persona alive and well in the fun patterns and designs it incorporates, proving that a rebel heart never truly dies. Torrid runs from size 10 to 30.
ASOS Curve
Over the last few years, British-retailer ASOS has steadily become one of the most popular shops around — all without having a single flagship store. One area it has especially excelled in is its plus-sized, or Curve, department. With a vast range of items from basics like tees and jeans to fancier pieces like prom dresses and sequin capelets, ASOS is definitely a shop everyone, especially curvy girls, should have on their radar. ASOS Curve runs from size 12 to 24.
Photo Sources: Cover, ModCloth, Forever 21+, Lane Bryant, Torrid, ASOS Curve
