Fashion Bug has changed!

Honestly, Fashion Bug has never been a fave. But last night I stopped in there looking for a cheap dress for a party Saturday (hoping for a clearance special).

I was astonished! They have changed their practices some. They used to be two connected store fronts, regular women's stuff on one side, fat ladies on the other. I would always see some cute things over on the regular side that I would have just loved to buy, but natch they were S, M, L sizes.

Anywhoo, everything is now together. Meaning you look at a rack and the sizes range from XS to 4X. Same item, same pattern, color, etc.

Although I couldn't find anything that I was dying to buy for my party, it was refreshing that they are finally treating fat ladies more like normal women.

I'm probably going back to buy myself some 1X pajamas to shrink into before the cute Valentine's stuff goes away.

Some may think this isn't a good thing because it is a NSV to finally be able to shop in a regular store, but I think it's pretty cool anyway.

I think finally being able to shop in a regular store is WAY SUPER COOL!!! 

Ive never been a FB fan either... sometimes the styles are too young for me... but every now and then they have cute stuff... and great clearance racks!  I haven't been in awhile though.. so will be fun to see the changes.  I like their swimsuits!  I am really loving Macy's .. the large sizes go OS-1x-2x-3x and I like that they have a smaller than a 1x size since I think I will be lost in a regular women's dept.  I won't know how to act!!! Already Im going through a bit of Avenue-withdrawal as many of the women's sizes are too big!!! and that's an amazing and daunting feeling at the same time! 

How fun that you are going to a party!!! I love getting dressed up.. and its getting more and more fun as the journey progresses.  Enjoy yourself!!!

Love & Hugs,

Great information. I'll have to give it a try again. I've found some stuff there that lasted forever and some stuff that lasted 10 min and I can't always tell the difference when I'm buying it.

Are you wearing heels to the party???? That's the height of fashion to me.

I've had the same experience with their quality.

To be honest, the two reasons I went in were: 1) it was 15 minutes before 8 and I wasn't going to make it to Catherine's and 2)it's a casino night party and I've seen some pretty ghastly sparkly stuff in the Bug that would have been perfect. My 76-y-old Mom loves the place.

Their clearance racks are pretty nice. Getting something for $10 that I'm really only going to wear once is preferable to paying $40+ for something I'll be taking to the Salvation Army in a month.

And, unfortunately no, I just don't think I can do heels yet. Someday!

LB clothes fit me better and hold up longer, but FB clothes are more affordable.  Sometimes I find some nice work dressy tops and sweaters, but unfortunately the seams unravel, buttons fall off, etc.  I've had lots of problems with the quality.  I'll continue shopping there as a lose, but I won't shop there when I'm "regular size" I don't think.  I want pieces that can last me longer. 

I'm glad you had a good experience though!  I didn't mind the split sizing, but the blended is fine too.  

I had it with LB a couple of years back when I couldn't find anything with sleeves in the place. It was spring and they had all the summer stuff out. I already had batwings several years ago. My LB was casual all the time, I never did find anything even halfway professional in there.

Except for the prices, I do okay with Catherine's. But some of their career stuff is so Grandma. And the quality is just so-so.

Like I said above, my mom likes FB. But she always gets t-shirts and casual stuff. Never anything with buttons.

Eventually, I'd love to be able to hit the clearance racks at my local Dillards or drive to a Macys. My style is pretty classic.

My only problem with the split store from before was that I'd see some cute thing over in the s-m-l side that they wouldn't have over on the fat ladie's side.

I've really been trying to stay within my own closet for my trip down in weight. However, I am getting to the end of what I have. My 26 pants are getting loose. The 28s are falling off. I think I have two pairs of 24s. I have a dear friend (with excellent taste in clothes) who gave me a bunch of her blouses and skirts a couple years ago. They are all 18-20. I can wear a lot of the blouses right now.

I've learned about Fashion Bug on my search for clothes for my 11yo daughter who weighs 200 lbs (due to side effect of her meds, plus the home/family/environment stuff). I've noticed that they have some nice "career" fashions in plus sizes for me. They have one label called "1928" or something like that, which to my eye seems to reference vintage '40s styles (which I LOVE).

At any rate, my main source for clothes now, as a 5'9" woman wearing 3X, is Avenue and the catalog Silhouette (& Lane Bryant for bras & sometimes the catalog Junonia for sportswear). I've become very content with being limited to these few sources. In fact, I have begun to think that it's unlikely I'll ever shop anywhere else much because even if I get down to my healthy weight (155), I'd still be size 14 (+ extra skin) or maybe even 16.

In fact, as I approach 50, I pretty much want a very simple wardrobe of well-made clothes built around black trousers and white shirts (at the risk of always looking like the waiter!).

I love-love-love old style clothes.

I bought my 3-year-old a couple of "flour-sack" dresses from an Oshkosh store a couple years ago. They look straight out of the 1930s. She's growing out of them now.

I'll have to see if they carry the 1928 clothes at my FB. 

I liked LB for bras until my last bra buying expereince. (We actually have a Cacique "store" attached to our LB.) I asked the girl to do a sizing. It fits great around my rib cage, but the cups are all wrong.(but they seemed right in the store -- GRRRR)

I found an old Bali bra in my box of smaller clothes. I just love it, but the elastic is starting to go from age. I gotta find a source for those. 

I am in the Bay Area in California.. and the OH ladies in our area have a monthly luncheon and clothing exchange - usually in Concord, CA 94520. 

We pass down our sizes and as new ladies come into the group the sizes get all used up which is wonderful.  Ive been passing along clothes shoes and gently used always washed bras and shapewear as I move into different sizes.. I can't see these things going to waste since they are so expensive!  I found bras I really like with lots of support through the Roaman's catalog and they are just right for my body type.. I have been going down a size a month and buying the same bra each time since I know about the fit.. the downside is that they are $30 each so can't not pass them along.. especially since I'm only wearing them for a month or so.  

We've got a cycle now.. and its funny because we know who's going to take what from whom :) which makes for lots of laughs!

Maybe you can have a local clothing exchange for ladies in your area.. or come to ours if its not too far!  Everyone's welcome.  Love & Hugs!

Rachelynka, Oh how I wish we had a clothing exchange here!  (I live in such a small town)  My choice in clothing is only at Walmart... Not much of a variety.  :( I have just a few shirts that I wear over and over again.. it really sux.. I have a few things to go into.. but, I need to drop quite a few more pounds.