London shops for plus-size clothes
 

My husband & I are going to London at the endof the summer. Any stores that have plus-size clothes for women? Also, how are sizes determined?

Try Beige, they have great service and specialise in plus sizes!

I don't know if they are in London but C&A is located in several countries and they have some very nice inexpensive but stylish things in plus.
I usually try to shop them when I am on a trip.

What are you looking for? Inexpensive/mass market - or - nice/upscale shops/department stores - or - Designer?

Sizes are completely different from the US - so you need to search to find out what will fit you. Check the guide books for an approximate equivalence - but still may vary a lot. Usually regular misses largest size is 12.

However, prices in London are likely to be much higher than in the US for the same thing - so I wouldn't plan on shopping there unless there is some reason that you really must.

There's no C&A in Britain.

Larger sizes, in practice, are now heavily (but unpredictably) influenced by "vanity sizing", so it's essential to budget time for rejecting the first couple you try on. Alteration services are not routinely offered, or take a very long time when they are, so you're unlikely - unless you're a size 14 in every dimension (which virtually no-one is) - to walk out of a shop with a properly fitting dress.

Apart from the theoretical "US size 10=UK size 14" fantasies of tourist guides (about as useful in reality as a pre-Mussolini Italian train timetable), guides like http://help.next.co.uk/Section.aspx?ItemId=17350 give an honest account of what sizes really mean. Most chain have a similar guide on the web: note the differences between them.

The availability of larger sizes in mainstream physical shops has been hit heavily by the web and chains' inventory reductions as the economy's softened. The main Oxford St branches of the larger chains like M&S, Topshop and H&M do still stock sizes, though, that most of their other branches now sell only online. Evans is really the only specialist larger size chain of any substance.

For womenswear, my direct experience of this comes from friends who, being British, are in the top worldwide 1% for complaining. But it's still worth warning you they unanimously agree that shopping for larger sizes in London stores is an exercise in intensely uncomfortable frustration, best carried out from one's desktop.

Larger blokes, on the other hand, just go into M&S, find what we want and go about our lives without grumbling. Britain's garment industry is deeply divided about what lessons to draw from this.

Try Evans

http://www.evans.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st...atalogId=33054

Evans is the main national chain for plus sized ladies. Depending on how plus sized you need then most other shops carry a certain amount, I'm a size 18/20 and don't have any problems. Just don't bother looking in Top Shop!

Anne Harvey is another plus size chain, I think they mainly have concessions in department stores rather than their own shops (although there might be one in Brighton I think, so maybe other places).

The sizes are just one 'larger' in UK compared to US, so a US size 20 is a UK size 22.

Ann Harvey and Evans both go up to size 32. Marks and Spencer seem to go up to 30, but I don't know what choice you would have
As somebody else has said, it depends how large you are.
Flanner knows about these things.

Marina Rinaldi, 39 Old Bond St. and a concession at Harrod's has beautiful clothes but I would say their largest size is about US 22.

Can I suggest Bon Marche, they sell cheaper clothes in plus sizes. You might struggle to find one in central London but check the website to see what they have and store locations. http://www.bonmarche.co.uk/

I had a quick look and noticed one in Uxbridge which is on the tube line, in the outer west.

By the way, this is nothing to do with the Bon Marche store in Paris (that I know of).

Kay

Great advice all around but as I am a big fan of charity (used clothing) shops I would;t way you to miss out on these. Oxfam and other organizations gain good resources from these shops and people donate some amazingly nice clothes. I prefer to buy what others don't want and avoid the incredible markup. Charity shops are very well run, organized (often by color but always by size) and the prices are reasonable.

Great advice all around but as I am a big fan of charity (used clothing) shops I wouldn't want you to miss out on these. Oxfam and other organizations gain good resources from these shops and people donate some amazingly nice clothes. I prefer to buy what others don't want and avoid the incredible markup. Charity shops are very well run, organized (often by color but always by size) and the prices are more than reasonable. Great advice all around but as I am a big fan of charity (used clothing) shops I wouldn't want you to miss out on these. Oxfam and other organizations gain good resources from these shops and people donate some amazingly nice clothes. I prefer to buy what others don't want and avoid the incredible markup. Charity shops are very well run, organized (often by color but always by size) and the prices are more than reasonable.

Marina Rinaldi also has plus size clothes in the US - I go a gorgeous sweater for a friend. But the sizes go to a smallish 20/22 and the prices are moderate - not modest. I know Lord & Taylor carries them in the US - not sure what other places.

I like Dorothy Perkins, several outlets in London.

Thank you all for your responses - I have lots of options - Great
!