Where can I get decent mid to plus size clothes from, that don’t break the bank?

[TwinTantrums]

over the last year I’ve lost seven stone, I’ve gone from a size 28 to a size 16-18 (depending on the brand and the style of clothes!). I’m off on holiday to Italy at the end of August and would like some nice, floaty dresses (preferably with covered shoulders, because I’m pale and I don’t like my upper arms), and some nice bottoms (linen trousers, maybe some skirts), for both day time outings and evening wear. I’m looking to spend max £500, with the idea being I can use some bits again through winter and potentially next summer. I’m 5 foot 5, quite belly and thigh heavy. Any ideas would be welcome!!

New Look

Has their quality improved? I used to shop there a while ago and it wasn’t amazing!

Yours clothing is not too expensive.

Simply Be and they have lots of brands too. My go-to for summer is Monsoon.

Well done on the weight loss!

I don’t particularly want to shop there, I was confined to those sorts of shops when I was a size 28, and part of my joy in no longer being that size is being able to shop on the high street

I get pretty much everything from Whatnot. Are you finished with you weight loss journey? If so I would be looking to shop in person and see what fits my new shape. I'm not finished yet having gone from 26 to an 8-10 over the past three years so I am not ready to invest in full price yet. Paying a couple of quid an item means I can try lots of different brands and styles and if I don't like it or shrink out if it I can resell it. I bought 40 items last night for under £100

Next gave a sale on at the moment so you may pick up bits there.

M and S have greatly improved their offering in recent years and is now worth considering.

Sainsbury Tu range is surprisingly good and usually on trend.

Mango is worth considering also. Their shops are the best laid out stores - beautifully displayed.

For 16-18 you should be able to get stuff from regular stores, rather than the plus size stores.

Over the last couple of years I've been on a bit of a dress spending spree...am a size 18-20. I use M & S, Next (which also hosts lots of other brands now), Sainsbury's and recently Roman. The main problem is having to order online as so many options / sizes are not in the shops!

Another vote for Tu. Clothes are cheapish, surprisingly well cut, and in a wide sizing range.

Hi OP. Floaty dresses with sleeves - Aspiga. All the way.

I walked past their shop yesterday and the window was full of them.

Think Susannah Constantine in her current style.

Also if you can try something on in aspiga to check your size, they have LOADS on vinted.

I love Mango but their largest size is L, which is a 12.

That’s a shame. Worth walking around for style inspiration though.

Do you have a big sainsburys nearby? Their clothing is decent and not too expensive if it's something you're not likely to wear much again.

I also recommended Sainsbury’s Tu, although very annoyingly they closed their fitting rooms again after reopening post COVID.
I also like M&S. Worth getting their app and Sparks card. I’ve just had 20% of womenswear last week on it.
And Roman. Better to buy online from there and Google for a discount code. I can always find one for 10-20% off.

No, I don't think so.

https://shop.mango.com/gb/en/size-guide

In the shop last week, that’s what I was told, and indeed everything I bought as a small 12 was size L.

Cotton Traders online?

Tu is a good shout - we have a decently large one next to an M&S!

Am I misunderstanding? You have £500 to spend on items to wear on your holiday and then over the coming year. Including winter? Which surely means you’re not planning to change size, and you want reasonably good quality.

Why are most people suggesting extremely cheap clothes?

My immediate thought was

Community Clothing

They don’t do floaty dresses - but frankly, now you’re a 16/18 you don’t need to wear those. A linen sundress with a shirt over it would be far more chic. CC do make pretty much everything you might need (apart from swimwear) for both summer and winter loungewear and smart casual dressing.

I think it’s amazing to have lost so much weight - but from what I’ve seen on innumerable S&B threads, it takes a while to adjust to new style options.

OP, I’m a different size but have got some great summer skirts in New Look this year - midi length, cotton poplin, really nice. I wear them with crew neck t-shirts from Uniqlo or Cos but they would work well with strappy tops in hot weather. I also got some very nice wide leg stripy linen trousers from Cotton On which came in loads of colours.

@BeetledBrow not the OP but I tend not to spend a lot on summer clothes because I live in NE Scotland and they tend not to get worn much! Year round I’m in Cos and Arket type stuff, but the lovely Cos dress I bought at the beginning of this summer has been worn precisely once 😬

@BeetledBrow I’m a size 16-18 ands I’m love a floaty maxi dress (which suits my shape).

I’m a 14/16 and always get summer things from New Look. I’ve found the quality of some things this year atrocious and some as good as normal. Unfinished seams on midi skirts seems to be the new quality issue. It’s really hit and miss at the moment unfortunately. I’ve found a lot of decent linen trousers on ASOS. Stradivarius and Bershka are usually quite good on there. If you’re feeling a bit spenny then Abercrombie have some nice summer dresses and linen wear as well.

Weird comment about floaty dresses from a PP. A floaty sundress is wearable by everyone, of any size, not just over size 16.

Vinted all the way!

I’m hoping to lose more weight, but I think it’ll slow down now. I’ve got about 4 stone left to go, but I can see it taking another year. So I want to start dressing nicely