Show Us Your Life: Shopping

So my body?  Isn't shaped normally.  I am chesty, hippy and, this just in, have a gut that just doesn't quit.  (See what I did there?)  That means that buying clothes--correction--MODEST clothes can be a bit of a challenge.

Over the years I've learned a couple of things about dressing this body of mine.  Part of that means spending a little extra money for pieces that I will wear continuously that are also high quality.

That means that one of my favorite places to look for clothes is L.L. Bean.  I generally wait until they are having a sale, but I have gotten the best 3/4 sleeve cardigans out there.  They are classic with bright colors and look nice with work pants or jeans.  Occasionally, I will purchase shirts there, too, but only if they are on sale.

Recently, I've become a pretty big fan of Kohl's.  Here's the deal:  I like a lot of plus size stores, and since I'm technically a plus size girl, I should be able to shop there.  The problem is the shirts.  The shoulders are almost always too big for the rest of my body so they are ill fitting.  Pants?  Not generally an issue.  So a place like Kohl's gives me the chance to get my plus size pants and a regular size shirt so my entire body looks like it's dressed decently.

I look for mix and match pieces at places like Macy's and Penney's.  I like to know that what I'm buying isn't necessarily an "outfit."  I'm never sure what's going to be clean or if I'm going to have time to do laundry so I need my closet to reflect those needs.  My pants are generally black or gray and I have a couple of dark gray pinstriped versions.

But jewelry can make or break you.  I've bought several pieces from Lia Sophia and a few others were gifts from my husband over the years.  Jewelry is the route to go to dress up an outfit or make it a little fun or funky.  You can make a tshirt from Target look awesome with the right accessories.

That said, I do buy tshirts, cardigans and other types of shirts at Target or Walmart.  I think if you find something cute, there's no reason to pass it up because it's in a discount store!

Mostly, I think it's about the fit and feel.  I'm very careful to cover my chest area and I make sure my clothing has enough give so it doesn't cling to the less than desirable parts of my body.

At the end of the day, I guess I wear what makes me comfortable--no matter the price point :)

Suggestions for an oddly shaped fat girl?  Leave them in the comments or shoot me an email:  cryshsmn@aol.com.