Tips for Buying Plus-Size Dresses for Your Holiday Parties
With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve right around the corner, you might be thinking about what you’ll wear to all those events at work, with family, friends, and partners that typically arise over the holiday season.
If so, it pays to have at least a couple of cute dresses in your wardrobe that you can pull out for a do, whether you’ll be in a wintry, chilly area or somewhere more temperate. If you’re a plus-size gal, here are some tips for finding the best dresses to get you ready to celebrate with style.
Be Open to Online Shopping
While the range of quality plus-size dresses on offer in stores these days has grown, it’s worth taking your search for new clothing online, too. You’ll find many websites selling plus-size options digitally, including those specializing purely in goods for bigger ladies. Do a Google search, and you’ll soon find pages of e-tailers to visit.
Always check the shipping and return information before making a purchase online, in case you can’t send goods back if the fit isn’t right or in case it costs a bomb to do so. However, most eCommerce sites today are very reasonable in these areas. They make it easy for customers to try clothing on in the comfort of home and get a refund on whatever doesn’t fit them or otherwise suit.
Understand Your Body Shape
Next, you’ll save yourself time, energy, and money if you go shopping with clarity about your body shape. It’s not enough to just see yourself as plus-size and look at party dresses based on that vague term. Instead, know whether you’re a pear, apple, triangle, hourglass, or other body shape and what suits you best in turn.
Once you’re familiar with the types of dress styles that do and don’t work for you, you can avoid spending time checking out less-than-ideal clothes and instead focus on the options that help you look and feel your best. It pays to look at the dresses already in your wardrobe that you love and know work for you, so you can see some of the styles that suit you nicely.
Measure Yourself
Another tip is to measure yourself before you go shopping. While you may think you know what size to look for, the truth is that different brands often have quite different sizings, and their sizes can even vary within their ranges. You could range between two or even three different sizes.
As such, don’t assume you should only try on or purchase the size you’ve been in your favorite dress at home. Instead, check out sizing charts on websites and look at product measurement details in stores to locate the goods most likely to be the right fit for you.
Be Bold with Color
Many plus-size women make the mistake of avoiding color too much when buying clothing. However, while people might tell you that black and other darker shades are slimming, you can still have fun and get a great look with brighter hues. In fact, you can use softer shades to draw the eye to the areas of your body you like most, such as your decolletage or waist.
Choose colors that suit your skin tone, too, and consider the event you’re buying for. For instance, you might feel a bit dowdy and uninspired in plain black at a fun Christmas do.
Consider Materials and Care Instructions
It’s a good idea, too, to consider materials and care instructions before you purchase a new dress for the end-of-year celebrations. Some fabrics are more flattering than others, and you’ll generally find that structured materials give you the line you like and that you’re best to avoid flimsy fabrics or those that otherwise cling too much.
Read the care instructions on products, too. If you’re going to buy something new, it makes sense to select a dress that’s easy to look after and keep looking good so you can wear it for years to come. A dress you can machine wash or that shouldn’t be too challenging to hand wash will make your life easier, unless you want something for a very special occasion and don’t mind buying a dry-clean-only dress.
Some other tips for buying plus-size dresses this holiday season include utilizing shapewear for the smoothing and support you need, completing your outfit with the right shoes, and strategically accessorizing with jewelry and bags.
Also, find the right balance between a loose and tight fit when searching for a dress, and tailor clothing as needed to get the perfect shape. Keep all these factors in mind as you browse, and you’re sure to have multiple party dresses hanging in your wardrobe soon, ready for a fun occasion.
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