Shopping for Plus-Size Clothing in Scottsdale

Aymie Rondeau

Posted on January 06 2020

Hey Curvy Girls!  Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a lovely holiday season with your friends and families.  2019 was certainly a wild ride for The Curvy Shop, and we’re excited about everything 2020 has in store for us!

 

For the holiday season this year, I was fortunate to spend a month in Scottsdale, Arizona with my family.  I’ve been coming down to the Valley of the Sun for my entire life, and I’ve been known to shop ‘til I drop on more than one occasion!

 

Since moving into plus-sized clothing, shopping in the Phoenix area hasn’t been as much fun.  The department, outlet and consignment stores just don’t have the selection that’s available to straight-sized women.  I was inspired by Maxey Greene’s recent Instagram post about her shopping trip in New Jersey, and I wanted to see what I could find for myself at Scottsdale Fashion Square and Tempe Marketplace.

 

I visited Macy’s, Dillard’s and Nordstrom at Scottsdale Fashion Square.  Loft and Anthropologie both have stores in the mall, but sadly no plus sizes offered.  Then I went to Tempe Marketplace to check out Nordstrom Rack, Lane Bryant and Old Navy.  I was really happy to see a full range of sizes to 4X offered at Old Navy, but I honestly was too tired to try anything on at Lane Bryant or Old Navy at that point.  Photos and links are below for everything that I tried on and purchased.

 

I haven’t spent this much time shopping in a mall for clothing for quite a while.  There isn’t a lot to select from at stores in Calgary, so I end up shopping online for most of my clothing.  In the videos I posted, you’ll notice that there are small plus-size sections in the department stores.  I feel like all of the plus-sized clothing is shoved into a dark, dusty corner.  The clothes aren’t displayed nicely and are generally pretty dowdy.  I was exhausted at the end of the day digging through everything trying to find pieces to try on.

 

My advice for mall shopping:

  1. Plan Ahead – I would suggest breaking up your shopping trips into shorter amounts of time if you’re able to.
  2. Try It On – Be open and willing to try things on to see how they fit on your body.
  3. Size Ain't Nothin' But a Number – Every brand sizes a little differently. Some fit big, others small.  Focus on the fit and less on the number on the tag. 
  4. Buy It Because You Love It – Don't buy things just because they fit!  I was guilty of this as well when I moved into plus sizes and felt like I could love fashion again.  It’s fun to experiment with fashion again, but I was buying anything and everything just because they fit me and ended up with some pieces that weren’t long-term keepers.  Thank goodness for Poshmark!

 

Did you have a chance to check out my Instagram story about my shopping trip?  What did you think?  Comment below!  I’d love your feedback – would you like to see more stories like these in the future?  What’s your experience shopping in-store for plus-sized clothing? 

 

Here's everything that I tried on and purchased. This page contains affiliate links. Please read our full disclaimer here.

 

Macy’s:

My advice on Levi’s: I find that they fit one size small, so I recommend going up a size.  I find that City Chic fits true to size.

 

 Levi’s Graphic Logo Hoodie

Levi’s Camo Print Skinny Jeans
Levi's Graphic Logo Hoodie The Curvy Shop Levi's Camo Print Skinny Jeans The Curvy Shop
City Chic Studded Denim Jacket Levi's Reese Fringe Trim Sweatshirt
City Chic Studded Denim Jacket The Curvy Shop Levi's Reese Fringe Trim Sweatshirt

 

Dillard's:

I found that the brands noted below all fit true to size.

 

Nike Windrunner Jacket  Cece Ruffled Tie-Neck Blouse in Royal Blue
Nike Windrunner Jacket The Curvy Shop Cece Ruffled Tie-Neck Blouse The Curvy Shop
Cece Ruffled Floral Print Blouse Cece Polka Dot Jumpsuit
Cece Ruffled Floral Print Blouse Cece Polka Dot Jumpsuit The Curvy Shop
Vince Camuto Wrap Dress
Vince Camuto Wrap Dress The Curvy Shop

 

Nordstrom:

I found that the brands noted below all fit true to size. The Caslon Draped Collar Jacket and Sanctuary Tie Neck Floral Top came home with me.  The Sanctuary top was $89.00 US, which generally a little much for me to spend on a blouse, especially when you consider that us Canadians are adding another 25-30% in exchange.  But I’d been eyeing this top for a while and just couldn’t say no!

 

 Caslon Draped Collar Jacket in Navy Blue NYDJ Printed Blouse
Caslon Draped Jacket The Curvy Shop NYDJ Printed Blouse The Curvy Shop
Sanctuary Tie Neck Floral Top Caslon Cozy Sweatshirt
Sanctuary Tie Neck Floral Blouse The Curvy Shop Caslon Cozy Sweatshirt The Curvy Shop

 

 

Nordstrom Rack:

I found that the brands noted below all fit true to size.  The Rachel Roy dress was the Deal of the Day!  $112.00 dress for $12.00 - Heck Yes!

 

Rachel Roy Leopard Print Dress Eloquii Keanu Leaves Dress
Rachel Roy Leopard Print Dress Eloquii Keanu Leaves Dress The Curvy Shop

 

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As Always, Stay Fabulous!

 

Aymie xoxo 😊

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