When it comes to fashion—summer, fall, winter, or spring—curvy women often get the short end of the stick, and that stick comes mostly in leopard print or beige. But we, Ariel and Hannah, are here to show plus sized women how to get those cute clothes just in time for fall.
We went to Maurice’s at the Auburn Mall and talked to stylists about plus size fashions in hopes of getting tips to share with all fashionably-challenged bigger women. At Maurice’s, we become “Livs” (a Maurice’s term for their customers) and worked extensively with Maurice’s stylist Ashley (picture below), who was able to help us on everything from blouse length to how to properly crop our skinny jeans.
“When I’m pulling for dressing rooms,” Ashley said, “the first question I like to ask is one, ‘Where do you work? Are you a student?’…’Cause I know if you’re a student, I’m not going to pull you, like, dress pants. I’m gonna pull you cute and comfy sweaters.”
Ashley went on to discuss how when getting help with outfits, knowing one’s own personal style is important. But plus sized women know the struggle of finding clothing for big boobs, big butts and big thighs. When talking with Ashley, we discussed questions surrounding how to accentuate one’s form based on bust, waist, and height.
“For me, style is not a number, it’s a mindset,” she said. “So basically you want to dress for the body you have, not the body you think you have. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in.”
At Maurice’s there were options from flannels to flowy blouses to loose neck sweaters; we wanted to focus on things we liked, as well as things we could wear, to show other plus sized women the variety of clothes we can wear. With so many options and so many styles, Ashley gave us this advice.
“When pairing tops and bottoms,” she said, “keep in mind the fit of it.”
Listening to Ashley, Ariel went more with earth tones, blouses, leggings, and cardigans, while Hannah focused on jeggings, blouses, and shoes. Ariel tried on three outfits and Hannah tried on two, and from our outfits we can show you other plus sized women how our own personal stylist created our looks.
1. Ariel Outfit One—Afternoon Shuffle
Ariel was looking for something that was good for looking cute at school and yet an outfit that could be worn right after in the “afternoon shuffle” of work, dinner, going out, etc. With Ashley’s help, Ariel picked out this cute combo of jeggings, a mustard cardigan, and a chest-tie peasant top. Ariel wears an 18 for bottoms and an extra large for tops.
“This is your day look with jeans and booties,” Ashley said about the outfit, “and then you take your cardigan off, and you’re about to take this to night.”
Jeans, a possible article of clothing to pair with this outfit, also become an important fall fashion piece. Ashley advised skinny jeans, a popular style with big sweaters as well as with those who pair calf or ankle boots with their fall outfits.
“It’s all about the way you want it to fit your own personal body,” she said.
Here Ariel is wearing Maurice’s brand of thicker leggings meant to be appropriate for work. Leggings, like skinny jeans, are in to stay—according to Ashley, the skinny leg and the pairing of blouses like that which Ariel is wearing are a classic and flattering fall combination.
The criss-cross neckline, she also told us, is currently a very popular design. “It’s a good option,” she added, “because a lot of the boutiques in town don’t carry plus sizes. And it’s smart because you still wanna be in fashion. You want to look your age. That’s where Maurice’s comes in.”
2. Hannah Outfit One—Comfy Casual With a Flair
Hannah, here, wanted an outfit that screamed casual and “I’m going to class and I’m gonna look cute going.” Ashley picked the green jeggings (Hannah is a size 20 and these pants are a 22) and the gray, calf-length zip up boots.
Ariel and Hannah are opposites: Ariel is tall and Hannah is short, so Ashley imparted some fashion advice regarding boots. For people Hannah’s height, around 5’4”, ankle and calf-length boots are work best. For people like Ariel, around 5’10”, a higher, knee-length boot is flattering and fashionable.
3. Ariel Outfit Two—Comfy Casual Earth Tones
Like we said before, Ariel is really getting into earth tones, and she wanted an outfit that would be comfortable to wear but still cute. Here she has the combination of leggings, a cute blouse, and a cardigan picked out by Ashley to embody casual yet kicky.
Blouses like this one, as Ashley told us, are great to pair with leggings and the cardigan look for a more informal, going to class look. The heathered blouse reads, “But First Coffee.” The bright colored leggings add a nice flare to the outfit. Because of size restrictions, both Ariel and Hannah testify to having closets full of dark and neutral tones. These kinds of leggings add a pop of color to an outfit—Ashley told us that this purple-red color is very in this season.
4. Hannah Outfit Two—Long and Lean Accessory City
Hannah wanted to look like she was going on a shopping spree, on the town or to a girl’s night out. Picking the long and lean blouse, Ashley grabbed size 20 blue jeggings, size 8 boots, the plaid scarf, and the large tote bag.
For accessories, Ashley promoted a scarf. Scarves, she said, are great for layering, especially the plaid one Hannah is wearing in this picture. Hannah’s jeggings are folded up, and Ashley explained how to do that.
“You take all the excess material and make it fit the length it’s supposed to be,” she said, “and you tuck the top part of the hem in, and roll [the folded material] in half again, and there you go. You’re taking away any excess material that doesn’t make it look like a skinny jean.”
This rolled up jegging style paired with ankle boots is a popular move right now, she also told us.
5. Ariel Outfit Three—Prima Donna on the Town
The inspiration for this outfit came from Ariel’s liking blouses, as well as a fashion tip from Ashley about high-low blouses. They are called perfect blouses at Maurice’s and are very popular.
“They are really flattering as well,” Ashley said. “With a longer hemline in the back, you cover any problem areas you have. That allows you to wear leggings or a tighter fitting pant. And it has it cutting higher in the front, it makes it more put together. Less of a slouchy look.”
Conclusion
Ariel and Hannah ended the night after the final outfit and photo-op. The experience of trying on cute clothes with Maruices and sharing tips with fellow Her Campus readers will be the first of hopefully more to come. We hope that you have taken some inspiration from these tips and outfits so you can go forth confidently into the Fall season.
Until then, happy shopping!
Special thanks to Ashley and Maurices. Check out their pages below!
Follow Ashley!
@borrrunda
@mauricesauburn