Stuff We Love: Kohl’s Women’s Plus Sizes
Somewhere between Sears and Torrid, Kohl's hits a plus-size sweet spot
Kohl’s plus-size swimsuit from Fatshionista
If you’re anything like me, you steer far clear of the traditionally frumpy fat-girl fare of most large department stores, but aren’t necessarily ready for the studded-leather or plunging-neckline, belly-hugging lines of progressive specialty retailers either. That leaves us middle-grounders with a big gap in our shopping repertoire, which, for me, has meant clinging tightly to the few stylish and comfortable pieces I do have in my closet but rarely having anything that was very much fun.
I had passed by dozens of big, boxy Kohl’s stores over the last few years, but they reminded me so much of Sears, JC Penney and other similar stores and so I never stopped until a friend gave me a gift card last year. Once I was in, this non-shopper spent almost two hours picking through the racks of plus-size clothing that hit my sweet spot between fun and funky, stylish and tasteful. Since then I do about 75% of my clothes shopping in Kohl’s women’s plus-size section. LOVE IT.
The store carries sizes up to a 3x / size 24, and I find most of their stuff to be a flattering fit. Their plus-size brands include Adidas, Bongo, Candies, Croft & Barrow, Daisy Fuentes, Danskin, Dockers, Sag Harbor, Sonoma and about a dozen more. If you don’t have a Kohl’s near you, you can still enjoy their plus size yummy goodness via online shopping at Kohls.com.
Readers, if you’ve got any experience with Kohl’s or other larger department stores that have surprised you, share it with us here!
I haven’t had much luck with Kohl’s in the past, but absolutely LOVE Macy’s plus size selection in some of their stores. Here, my local Macy’s has a few things, but while in Atlanta last week I felt like I hit the motherload of plus size goodies at a Macy’s there.
Nice, good to know – thanks Emily!
I do poorly at Macy’s but really like Nordstrom and Von Maur. Both have nice plus size departments and the service is great. I am phasing out of Lane Bryant and plus size discount stores because if I shop the sales at these two department stores, I can find things that will actually last. I sometimes wonder if the places that offer the cheaper stuff think that I won’t want to invest because I hope I will be a smaller size by the next year…however I try to take that wish out of the equation because I want good clothes NOW!
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Kohl’s is my FAVORITE because I can find work clothes there as well as t-shirts that don’t lose their shape after one wash like the ones at WalMart do. Kohl’s has become my favorite place to shop (and I LOATHE shopping) for myself and my kidlets!
I adore Kohls. Plus they’re always having a sale, it seems. A month ago I picked up about 4 tops that fit my criteria: the right color, v-neck or bigger scoop neck, sleeves longer than cap, and elastic-banded bottom. I could have bought more even but I left it at that. Their pants are great, too. The only thing I preferred to buy elsewhere was jeans, bc FashionBug had these awesome stretch jeans in various lengths and *shapes* but they were changing the line last time I was buying.
I gave up on Lane Bryant long ago bc their clothes were not only pricey, but literally fell apart at the seams after a couple washes.
I used to love Kohls, but there plus size section, at least at my local store, is constantly shrinking. Last time I was there, it was down to what I would consider “old lady” clothes… and the rest was being encroached upon with clearance items from the misses department. Very disappointing because I used to be able to find cute clothes there.
The last time I went to Kohl’s I could not find a single dress shirt that would fit me (this is, unfortunately, a very common problem across the board. I am small-busted with very broad shoulders) and I have not been able to bring myself to try again.
The only Kohl’s I’ve been to was a bust. Totally disappointing because I’ve heard so many people rave about it! Maybe five racks of old lady clothes total for the plus section.
I stick to careful, classic shopping at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Nieman’s Last Call, and mix in cheaper trend pieces from Torrid and Target. I’ve found that it’s worth paying for well-made staples that last for years and keep looking great.
Jeez you guys, sorry to hear so many of you have had bad luck at Kohl’s. My first time in I felt like I struck gold, and I keep spending way too much money in there now. It must differ widely from store to store. That stinks.
Thanks for the other recommendations, though!
Fat women don’t end at size 24. Nothing at Kohl’s will fit me since I need size 26/28. I agree that Lane Bryant is overpriced and the clothes are poor quality. I love Fashion bug but do wish I could find more tunic length (long) tops. Any suggestions for finding those (other than ordering online)?
I agree with Jenn, our local Kohls (at least 2 of them) plus size selection diminished greatly when they remodeled the stores. The section now has what I also consider old lady clothes. I used to find Daisy Fuentes stuff that was super cute, but I’m lucky if I can find a single piece of her brand here. None of our stores here have a misses plus section which I find strange. I found a few cute things under the misses plus section online but hate that I can’t try them on. I won’t go to Kohls anymore which is too bad, they used to be my go to place!
I agree with Kohls. Its hit or miss depending on the store. I have found several pieces in my daily collection. I do want to expand on the comment about Torrid. I randomly found this store in a mall a few years ago and it has trendy plus size clothing. My favorite pair of pants I wore for years was from there. Wish there were more Torrid stores in Ohio…
I love Gordmans, their selection varies because of the nature of the store. However, they have affordable trendy plus-sized fashionable clothes from several designers. The size of their plus-size department isn’t as large as the misses, however it’s decent.
Sometimes you will find a goldmine, sometimes you may only see a few things you like. This is because they buy overstock and sell it at a discount.
I’ve been to a Kohl’s once, and it wasn’t a very good experience. The store was very unorganized and I didn’t find a single plus sized item. Though, I think I will try again after reading this.
Gordmans sizes go up to size 24 as well, however I have seen up to 28 before.
Fashionbug sometimes has some nice pants, they got rid of their junior plus line and that was a disappointment. Sizes up to 32.
Walmart. Now now, I know. However, the last time I went there they had some awesome workout suits and tshirts. I love the new tshirts in several colors, with a tiny pocket and a v-neck, they are longer so they will not be too short and can be pulled up if you rather them be shorter. They also have some low-cost jeans for those days where you just need plain old jeans.
I’ve never shopped at Sears or Macy’s heck I never thought about looking for plus sized clothes there so thanks for the idea! Torrid is great for club wear, but some of their stuff is a bit too wild! I also like Old Navy! I miss in-store plus size items, and haven’t shopped there since they moved to online-only. Why did they do this? Anyone know?
In the mall we have a couple plus-sized shops I think one is called Debs? I was surprised to see them, first glance looked like a lot of club wear.
I checked out Oldnavy.com and they have A LOT of selection for plus size and go up to size 30! I was shocked. Shoe size is still small (I need a 13 w). Otherwise, I loved the stuff at Old Navy
Is that you in the picture? You look adorable in that suit!