Many, many, MANY women are challenged to find quality, stylish clothing that fits their marvelously unique forms. Many are petite or plus-sized or tall, or have feet that are small or large, or calves that are wide or narrow. And many of those women hit the mall over and over again, only to come up empty-handed and disappointed. So I've rounded up a few online resources for those who require specialty sized clothing and shoes, and thrown in a few local gems, too!
SPECIALTY SHOE RESOURCES
- Schuler Shoes - This local chain offers free foot screenings by an in-house pedorthist, and is just generally dedicated to finding comfortable, stylish shoes for all manner of fussy feet.
- Barefoot Tess
- - A truly spectacular array of large-size shoes
- Pretty Small Shoes - Great selection at this UK retailer, and they do ship worldwide
- Zappos Wide Shoe Section
- - Several online shoe retailers have wide width sections, but Zappos has great variety and is easy to search.
- Zappos Narrow Shoe Section
- - Ditto above
- Fitzwell, Naturalizer, and Ros Hommerson - Of all the wide calf boots available out there, these three brands consistently design my favorite styles. Sleek, simple, and classic.
- DUO - A great resource for both narrow- and wide-calf boots
- Endless for narrow calf boots - the biggest selection I've seen, though be sure to check site measurements against your own. Their definition of "narrow" is broad, no pun intended.
PLUS SIZE RESOURCES
- Bombshell Boutique - This St. Paul gem stocks dozens of the most fashion-forward plus-sized brands in colors, fabrics, and styles that will make you swoon.
- Igigi - My absolute favorite source for plus size workwear with personality. A relatively small selection and not cheap, but worth it.
- Kiyonna - Runner up for plus size workwear. Not quite as awesome as Igigi and a similarly small selection, but definitely good duds.
- Talbots Woman - Plus size conservative workwear, including suits. It's great quality stuff, my friends.
- Bare Necessities
- - Bras from 36C to 54 H. (Considerably less impressive selection for panties and hosiery, though.)
PETITE RESOURCES
- I had a reeeeeally tough time locating petite-specific shops that pleased me. However, retailers Ann Taylor and LOFT, Gap, Banana Republic
- , Old Navy, Talbots, MetroStyle, Nordstrom, Macy's, J.Jill, Land's End, and Kohl's all have petites sections.
- The Little Bra Company - Small bras and panties for the petite woman
- Alterations Needed Forum - This lively forum has user reviews of dozens of products and shops. A great resource!
TALL RESOURCES
- Long Tall Sally at the MOA - Reasonably priced basics and on-trend pieces are sold side by side at this shop. Certain styles go up to a 38" inseam.
- Many mall stores offer pants and skirts in tall lengths, but fail to provide tops or dresses. Check Ann Taylor and LOFT, Gap, Banana Republic
- , and Old Navy, as well as most department stores.
- MetroStyle - Covers the gamut, including handful of darling tops.
- Tall Couture - Although their selection of tops doesn't look particularly fab for the long-of-torso, and a few dresses look decidedly short, this shop has a great selection of ADORABLE blouses, and lots of great designer names
- Long Elegant Legs - Many styles are a little staid, but this seems like a good source for basics.
TALL PLUS RESOURCES
- I have sent my plus-sized style consult clients to both One Stop Plus and Woman Within for basics, and both sell tall plus merchandise, which I've linked to here. But I'll tell you upfront that neither makes me as exited as Igigi and Kiyonna do. These options are fine, but not great. I'd LOVE suggestions on tall plus resources, if anyone's got 'em!
PETITE PLUS RESOURCES
- Talbots - REALLY great selection of office-appropriate and casual pieces.
- Land's End - Tiny selection, but the only place I've ever seen that offers petite plus swimwear.
I make no claims that I've been completely comprehensive and encourage everyone to contribute: What are your resources? What have your experiences been with the vendors listed here? Any other local shops you'd love to plug? Tell all in the comments! And if you're looking for blogs that discuss specialty sizes, here's a little roundup of my faves:
