How to pick a plus size formal dress?

Picture yourself look fabulous in a plus size formal dress. Achieving that perfect look has not come easy though. Picking the right plus size dress is an important step in making yourself look beautiful. Just like regular size dresses, not all plus size dresses are designed to be equal.

Why would a plus size formal dress look great on your friend but less astounding on you? The reason is simple. You need to match your body type to the type of plus size dress that would be suitable for you.

If you are heavier at the bottom than your torso then you are likely to be pear shaped. This just means that you need to draw attention to your upper body. Plus size formal dresses with A-line cuts that gradually increase in width from your waist downwards helps to hide your larger lower body. At the top, go for empire cut plus size dresses that help to widen the width of your shoulders and thus balance out your lower body. You may even put on a belt to accentuate your waist.

Things to avoid in plus size formal dressing are bottoms are skirts that are tight at the hips. If you are putting on a jacket, don’t let it go too long until your hips. This will only make your hips look larger. Also, avoid oversized dresses or you may end up looking even larger.

Conversely, apple-shaped women have a heavier upper body, with heavier breasts and broader shoulders. With slimmer hips and legs, shorter A-line skirts would work well to show off those legs.

On the upper body, V-neck plus size dresses to show off some of that cleavage. Avoid plus size formal dresses with wide collars. Dresses that are flat at the front help to camouflage the larger torso. Also, if you have a rounder middle, it’s best that you select plus size formal dresses with folds in the middle to hide that section.

In addition, avoid picking a dress that maybe too tight at the top. The right mix of colors is also important. For plus size formal dressing, get one with monochromatic colors or pick darker colors for the upper body.

Finally, if you are equally heavy at both lower and upper body that you have a straight body type. You’d want to pick plus size formal dresses that will elongate your height. To do this, pick long flowing dresses. For the upper body, choose wide collars that show off your collarbone as this will make your neck look longer.

Shopping for Cheap Plus Size Dresses

Buying plus size women’s clothing doesn’t mean that you have to spend top dollar. In fact, you can purchase cheap plus size clothing right from the Internet.

The first site anyone would visit when looking for bargains would of course be ebay.com. In one of my previous posts, I explored cheap plus size designer dresses you can find online. However, if you are buying clothing that’s being auctioned, you’d have to compete with others on your bid price. In the end, you may be paying more that you normally would for cheap plus size clothing.

In this case, your next option is to scour through shopping sites such as www.smartbargains.com, www.shopping.com or www.nextag.com. You can find cheap plus size tops, bottoms and dresses all at clearance prices. A clear picture of the product can be viewed from these sites, along with a description of each. In addition, a returns policy gives you ample time for returns should the product fail to meet expectations.

At Smartbargains.com, you’ll also find that many cheap plus size women’s apparel are designer brands with a huge discount. At times, discounts for quality apparel could go as high as 70%. For example, this red Anne Klein suit is only going for $99 at Smartbargains.com, while the Nine West floral top (shown at the top) is going for only $49.99.

Overstock.com is another great site for cheap plus size clothing. Here you can find brands such as Nine West, Calvin Klein and DKNY selling at clearance discounts of 50 – 60%.

Specialty stores such as Catherine’s, Just for Curves, Just My Size and Fashion Bug offer great bargains at marked down prices especially during the end of a season. For instance, this floral retro plus size dress is selling only at $31.95 at Just for Curves.


Essentially, if you are seeking for plus size designer labels at a bargain, then shopping sites are the way to go. On the other hand, specialty stores gives you value for money when it comes to cheap plus size dressing. Also, with their focus on plus sizes, you have a great inventory pool to choose your cheap plus size apparel from.