Why I Hate Fashion...

[pomba gira]

So OK, I decided I want a couple of these cute lil' flowy low cut baby-doll/ cami tops the young'uns are all wearing... so I look on eBay & there's some nice plus size ones at reasonable prices... BUT they are almost ALL in these horrible insipid pastel colors that I wouldn't wear to a dog fight! Coral, baby pink, lime green, washed-out aqua, white... pussyfied flowers & butterflies... Yuk! Whatever happened to basic black? Or nice deep jewel-tone colors? This is getting helly frustrating... now I remember why I became so anti-fashion in the first place!

[bean]

That's funny, I was doing the same thing earlier, and complaining about the same thing. I'm sorry, but I do not want to wear pink or some ugly pastel crap with some stupid design on it....I feel your pain. Seriously, why aren't there any black baby dolls on ebay?

[Nienna]

Ashley Stewart has what you want... check it out. For real!

[pomba gira]

Ashley Stewart has what you want... check it out. For real!

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Thanks... but... one reason I'm such an eBay junkie is I hate paying str8 retail for any kind of wearables. In this case I may just have to bite the bullet & fork it over, tho.

I used to shop at Ashley Stewart's lingerie branch, they had some really nice things... as I recall I was pleased with the non-frumpiness of their regular clothes too. So it's definitely worth a look!

[Nienna]

Thanks... but... one reason I'm such an eBay junkie is I hate paying str8 retail for any kind of wearables. In this case I may just have to bite the bullet & fork it over, tho.

I used to shop at Ashley Stewart's lingerie branch, they had some really nice things... as I recall I was pleased with the non-frumpiness of their regular clothes too.  So it's definitely worth a look!

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Oh I'm totally in the same mindset as you! They do have some cute stuff this season though..

[Brenda Starrr]

"Oooooooo wa! Do do do do do do do. Fa-fa-fa-fa FASHION!"

David Bowie

[Ginevra]

Check Target. No joke. They carry more than 5 different types of the broomstick type camis in Juniors, regular, plus and maternity sizes.

[lullaby1031]

Alloy & Delias they always have cute shirts there. They should even have some sales going on.

[kellygrrrrrl]

I am big into the "CUT" of the clothes...it HAS to be a cute cut....I am very very picky especially w/ Jeans. Since I am short w/ a fat ass, I gotta usually get bells to even out the apprearance of my fat booty. (No...I don't exercise - too lazy)

I find that it is very difficult for me to find the perfect jean. I wore the same pair for 6 years and they finally went hole in crotch on me last week. I like the Peasant cut shirt....but I to find a black one in MY size is usually impossible. Clothes are generally designed and made for the 5'7" or above size 5 people that weigh 100 lbs. WHAT ABOUT ME? What about the 5'2" 125lb big bootied people? Anyone know of any companies that custom design jeans locally? I've been searching but haven't found any....Maybe a personal Seamstress?

[Fierce Critter]

OMG - a subject SO close to my heart.

Down here, there aren't a lot of plus-sized stores. Unless you count the "women's" departments in stores like Penney's, etc. YUCK ON A STICK.

I went into a store called Cato that is one of those half regular/half plus sized stores. They had some really cute tops, sorta like the ones you describe but more like tank tops with a skirt. I thought, "bonus - tank top comfort with a nice length to cover my belly".

Of course, they ended up being from the regular sized side of the store. So my husband and I (he shops with me, bless his heart) are browsing the plus-sized side. And we're seeing pink, pink, pink, lime green, pink, pink, lemon yellow, pink, pink, pink, lime green, pink, pink, pink, turquoise, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink - etc.

He was as ready to puke as I was. And I actually DID say out loud, "what the hell is with all these pastels & godawful neon prints - hasn't anyone heard of jewel tones?!?!?!!??"

Mid high-school, I stopped following fashion trends. Sure, I did the Cyndi Lauper thing my sr. year, but I was one of... ONE person doing that in my school.

I wouldn't call myself "anti-fashion", but for the most part, I've always had to set my own personal trends. A lot of times, that was due to the "trendier" clothes either not being available in plus-sizes, or the current trend was so freaking unappealing to me, I had to find another way.

Case in point: the return to polyester shirts. OMFG - I had to wear that shit when it was NEW in the 70's. Why would anybody in their right mind go back to wearing that plastic crap? It became so hard to find cotton clothing when that all came back in the 90's.

I've had to resort to unusual shopping to find what I've wanted over the years. I got into Converse hi-tops in the early 90's - before the resurgence of interest in them happened a few years later. At that time, the only colors available were red, black, white, and off-white. So to get the pink ones I wanted, I had to dye my own white ones. Then, when I wanted rhinestone ones, I had to dye another pair of white ones, deconstruct the shoes & buy a "Be-dazzler" kit from LeeWards (what Michael's stores used to be).

Then there was the hair crimping. You know how hard it was to find a crimping iron in the mid 80's? They were everywhere by the late 80's. But before Leah Thompson had crimped hair in the movie "Howard the Duck", you MIGHT have been able to find one at a good beauty supply.

Right now, a good percentage of my "trendier" clothes (read that as punk/goth/peasant/etc) are well over 10 years old. Purchased when Lane Bryant actually carried COOL clothing, and 14/16 Plus stores were still open. I cry every time one of my tops gets so threadbare from 10+ years of wear & washing that my fingers go right through them.

Sigh.

I did luck out at Lane Bryant 2 years ago. My summer daywear tends toward the peasant look - almost strictly jean shorts and empire-waist babydoll tops over sports bras. Lane Bryant had a decent amount of cotton peasant tops of one kind or another. No empire-waist babydolls, but they are COTTON, and came in black & off-white in addition to the pastels of late. So I was able to pick up about 3 pieces on clearance.

Besides those, however, I probably haven't bought anything decent new in over 5 years.

And don't get me started on tie-dye. :doh

[ManicQueen]

Target has what you're looking for.. seriously. I seen some yesterday when I was there. I think they were only $14.99 and they has blawk!

[pomba gira]

I recently heard a comedienne (can't recall which one) say how hard it is to buy clothes once you hit a certain age, 'cos the selection in stores jumps straight from "teenage prostitute" to "Stepford wife". Too true!

Thanks for the suggestions sistawomen! Guess I'll stop at Target tomorrow. I actually do a fair amount of shopping there, but mostly for household-type stuff... only clothing I get there is mainly yoga/workout pants & my beloved microfiber cami tops that I wear under everything all winter. So I usually don't even go into the misses/plus departments.

FC your Cyndi Lauper comment brought back some memories... back in the mid-'80s I actually had a skirt that was near-identical to the "Girls Just Want'a..." one. It was part of a South American cowgirl outfit someone gave me. Won't even mention all the stupid comments I used to get when I wore it... but I loved it anyway. And I never stopped wearing hi-top Chucks, from the '70s on... & I too can remember how hard they were to find in the '80s.

and... you are mad lucky to have a hubby who shops! ("husband-who-shops"-- kind of like "woman-who-hunts" in Clan of the Cave Bear) My first hubby was helly fun to shop with, but then he was bi after all. Estranged Hubby Rick is one of those who act like his fingernails are being torn out with pliers if he has to set foot in a store that doesn't sell music, hardware or electronics.

[DisturbedMania]

I've had luck at Deb's, they should have a decent clearance selection still. You have to wade through some shyt sometimes, but $3-5 tops work for me. Dots works too and so does that One Price store. I've even heard about deals at Family Dollar. I myself prefer Salvation Army.

[pomba gira]

Thanks for the suggestions! Not familiar w/Deb's, is that a chain like Dots? Not much luck w/Dots... the few things I've got there tend to fall apart by the 5th wearing or so... I'm helly hard on clothes, always catching sleeves on door handles, stepping on skirt hems, etc. so I really need good quality, well-made stuff.

I feel ya Kellygrrrl... most clothes esp. jeans are also designed for Caucasian figures... even plus jeans most of the extra material is in the front. It's infinitely frustrating tryna find jeans to fit my short-waisted African-booty figure. Even before I gained all the weight & crossed over into plus-size land it was difficult; now it's damn nigh impossible.

[Vater Araignee]

When I can't find something in black I know that a bottle or two of violet/blue/violet will right the wrong. and at $0.99 a pop it beats Rite dye which ends up costing about $30.00 to turn white to black.

Feel proud I wasted post 1000 on this

[Vivian]

I have to throw out a reply, try Rainbows. They usually have some decent clothes in the plus size range, and you can always turn something sturdy into fashionable with a few choice accessories.

[Brenda Starrr]

When I can't find something in black I know that a bottle or two of violet/blue/violet will right the wrong. and at $0.99 a pop it beats Rite dye which ends up costing about $30.00 to turn white to black.

Feel proud I wasted post 1000 on this

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Vater! That wasn't a waste!!!

[Vater Araignee]

Vater! That wasn't a waste!!!

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Hence the

[pomba gira]

When I can't find something in black I know that a bottle or two of violet/blue/violet will right the wrong. and at $0.99 a pop it beats Rite dye which ends up costing about $30.00 to turn white to black.

Feel proud I wasted post 1000 on this

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I'm honored! :grin

I'm also ignorant- violet/blue/violet? what's that? the silk dye stuff? I gave up on Rit years ago...

[Vater Araignee]

I'm honored!  :grin

I'm also ignorant- violet/blue/violet? what's that? the silk dye stuff?  I gave up on Rit years ago...

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The blackest black hair dye one can get, that shit will stain stainless steel.