In a US store (they only have about 2-3 stores in the UK, as far as I can remember).

I asked what an XL was in UK sizes
“oh, about a 12? Possibly a 14 at a stretch” (US 8 and 10, respectively).
She didn’t seem to think that this meant I wouldn’t be able to fit into any clothing. This is fairly normal for me: I’m large framed so because people don’t see fat/podge they don’t think “fat”, but I am still plus size. When I explained it meant I’d have to put stuff back she gave me an awful look.

*Never* had the problem anywhere else. I can only assume that I either have a look that doesn’t encourage it, or I’m lucky, or the UK has more enlightened attitudes to these things.

H&M, although having a very difficult to find plus size section (main section goes up to US 16 or UK 20, plus size overlaps from UK 16 (US 12) to UK 32(US 28)), is wonderful. I’ve never had any problems with the staff, and I suppose it makes sense for their business: a huge amount of their money comes from accessories, which don’t have size restrictions.

My experiences have generally been positive, apart from before the “bra sizing revolution” and constantly being told I’m a 44A without actually looking at the bra on my body. Now people fit by size, it’s a lot different: no more back pain :D

You bring up a good point Z. It could be some of these stores that won’t offer clothing in sizes beyond a 14 and/or relegate larger customers to only online shopping don’t believe they can project an upscale, attractive image. So even middle and upper class people of size who can afford the clothes are SOL because they are lumped in with the stereotypical image of what society thinks a fat person looks like and behaves. They’re tying in fatness with myths about class and socioeconomic status and that’s wrong.

Gosh, I’m so unreasonably picky, aren’t I? I could not find a single dress that met more than two of those criteria. I asked the saleslady if they had anything closer to what I was looking for, and she pointed me to the Mother of the Bride section. In what universe are Mother of the Bride dresses appropriate for the Senior prom? I was at least 30 years too young for anything there!

Thankfully, one of my best friends was about twice my size and her grandmother was a master seamstress. When I told them about my frustration, they said I should have told them sooner and helped me find a dress that made me look and feel like Jessica Rabbit.

Also… Lovefifi.com has a pretty good selection of sexy large size bras (lots of DD and DDD stuff, some styles up to G), panties (up to 3X) and trashy lingerie at good prices, and their customer service is excellent.

You’d think stores like these would catch on to the idea that people larger than a 14 also have money. If the intent of a retail establishment is to, y’know, sell stuff, you’d think they’d want to have as many things as possible that as many people as possible could purchase.

It’s like they think that as soon as your waist passes a certain circumference, you are instantly rendered penniless and immediately relocate to a cardboard box somewhere, where you must then weave your garments from discarded newspapers, plastic bags, and twist ties, and barter your creations to the other over-14s in exchange for sammiches and shampoo.

wtf, stores?

Frederick’s of Hollywood, ladies. Yes, they may be a source of jokes, and of somewhat tawdry catalogues back in the 50s and 60s, but they have some beautiful bras and some decent panties. I bought a rack of panties in 2XL, and some really beautiful, supportive, embroidered lace bras. Red lace with silver flowers, black lace with lavendar flowers … pretty! And under $30, for heaven’s sake!

I don’t think they go all the way up to some of the really larger sizes – I don’t know if they carry Js, because I wasn’t looking. But they certainly seem to expect and welcome larger-than-12s to come and shop. And I’d like to add that my $24/$26 Frederick’s bras were cut just like, and made just as well, as the La Mystere bra I plunked down $70 for. Give them a look!

As for Vicky’s Seekrit, it seems to depend. I was in one, where I’d taken a friend to look for bras (yes, I have some that I’ve gotten there myself), and I was explaining sizing and fit to her, and the manager, who had been listening, offered me a job on the spot. On the other hand, in another store, the barely-nubile girl there was utterly indifferent to the fact that I had money to spend; apparently anyone over a C was not worth her time. Fortunately, her co-worker felt entirely different.

I did have the usual Bridal Store Horror Story: at a size 10, I was looking for a non-bridal gown, and was told, with a sneer, that they didn’t have anything that would fit me. Oh. Well.

So, I guess that, often: It Depends.

Frederick’s of Hollywood, ladies. Yes, they may be a source of jokes, and of somewhat tawdry catalogues back in the 50s and 60s, but they have some beautiful bras and some decent panties. I bought a rack of panties in 2XL, and some really beautiful, supportive, embroidered lace bras. Red lace with silver flowers, black lace with lavendar flowers … pretty! And under $30, for heaven’s sake!

I don’t think they go all the way up to some of the really larger sizes – I don’t know if they carry Js, because I wasn’t looking. But they certainly seem to expect and welcome larger-than-12s to come and shop. And I’d like to add that my $24/$26 Frederick’s bras were cut just like, and made just as well, as the La Mystere bra I plunked down $70 for. Give them a look!

As for Vicky’s Seekrit, it seems to depend. I was in one, where I’d taken a friend to look for bras (yes, I have some that I’ve gotten there myself), and I was explaining sizing and fit to her, and the manager, who had been listening, offered me a job on the spot. On the other hand, in another store, the barely-nubile girl there was utterly indifferent to the fact that I had money to spend; apparently anyone over a C was not worth her time. Fortunately, her co-worker felt entirely different.

So, I guess that often: It Depends.

I wonder this about nearly every store I walk past while shopping for clothes. What percent of the population is overweight? A lot; yet there are so few stores that have clothing to fit those people. They could make a killing!
Argh!!!

It is also not uncommon for me to experience what I consider to be OUTSTNANDING service there. Even looking my grungiest, I’ve had super helpful salespeople (men and women) go out of their way to find sizes for me, help me compare styles, entertain me in the dressing room, and suggest items to go with whatever I’m trying on (usually their jeans, which I highly recommend if you have larger/athletic/whatever thighs, and a good set of hips). At one point I had a salesman bring me two shirts to try on with a pair of my favorite jeans, and he said, direct quote, “Now I brought you a couple of shirts that I LOVE with those jeans. They’re both darling…but I think this one is a better shirt for the money.”

If you’re up to a 14/16 (the 16 only comes online, which I think is a bit silly), I recommend the outlets. Their jeans are usually nicely on sale, and some are great on a fuller figure. Plus the staff is almost always great!