There is only thing more frustrating than shopping for plus size active wear and that’s shopping for plus size business clothes for women.

The lack of plus size active wear upsets me because it implies that if you’re larger than a size 6 then you OBVIOUSLY don’t work out so you don’t need active wear. I’m offended, but I get the logic. However, I’m still trying to understand the logic behind the lack of plus size business clothes for women.

For some reason, MEN are “allowed” to be plus size in business. Being male and large is somehow acceptable. On that note, I will admit that short or small men (under 5′ 8″) are probably the only other group that suffers from the wide spread discrimination that the plus size woman does.

Finding Plus Size Business Clothes for Women Online

If you’re a full figured woman searching for business clothes, you’re going to find yourself searching online.

One great place to go is Curvety.com

Curvety.com is an online retailer dedicated exclusively for full figured women.   The site offers an amazing selection of plus size women’s clothing in sizes 16 to 36.

This site is a MUST VISIT if you wear a size 28-36!

Another great place to shop online is Alight.com which offers a great selection of clothing in sizes 14-30.
Their clothes are kicky and fun.  In other words, this is NOT the site to visit to find your plus size power suit, but it is a great place to find your day to day business clothes.

If you’re part of the majority and wear a size 14 or larger, you’d better get used to shopping online to find plus size business clothes for women.

This is from the “been there, done that, bought the T-shirt factory” files. If you’re like me, your biggest goal in life is to lose weight. You hate your girlish curves and your fondest fantasy is to go to bed fat and wake up thin. Morning, noon and night, your obsession and desire is to lose weight.

As a result, you postpone buying your power business suit because you’re going to have to buy it in a plus size. You’re going to WAIT to buy your plus size business power suit once you get to your goal weight.

Until then, you’re committed to shopping the discount store clearance rack to build your business wardrobe, buying clearance pants, skirts, jackets and shirts that have been banished to the clearance rack for a reason.

You know that shopping like that means you’re a likely candidate for the television show What Not to Wear, but you don’t want to make an investment in your clothes until you’ve achieved your ideal weight.

Here’s the end of the excuses!!!

Give yourself 6 weeks to make a significant change in your body. Today, right now, stand up walk over to your calendar and mark the date that is 6 weeks from today. Next, take your measurements as they are TODAY. In six weeks, you’ll take those same measurements again.

Now, promise yourself that if those measurements are not SIGNIFICANTLY different, that you are going to make a significant investment in your professional wardrobe.

You have the next six weeks to make a significant change in your body. Whether you decide to diet, exercise or get gastric bypass surgery or even plastic surgery… the clock is ticking.

If you find yourself postponing buying your plus size business power suit because you’re “going” to lose weight, make a commitment to begin making investments in your professional image six weeks from today.

This six weeks gives you time to find that fabulously talented tailor you need to make your business suit fit like an expensive personalized glove no matter WHAT size you’re wearing six weeks from today!

The jacket is an essential element of the plus size business suit. Full figured women need to be extremely careful in choosing the right fit and style in a plus size business suit jacket.

Because everyone’s body is different, the jacket that flatters on woman’s body will have the exact opposite effect on another. Your body type must be taken into consideration when choosing a plus size business suit.

If you’re shopping in person, don’t leave the house without your carefully chosen foundation garments. The wrong support can make the right business suit look wrong!!!

In addition to the proper foundation garments, you should also bring shoes that you will wear with the suit. No business suit (full figured or otherwise) looks sharp when paired with running shoes.

As you shop for a business suit, pay careful attention to the cut of the jacket. Short, boxy jackets that hit at the waist aren’t flattering on anyone larger than a size 1. Instead look for a longer line in your jacket. One that skims the hips will be more flatter for most women, especially full figured women. A jacket with slight padding in the shoulder will balance the figure of a woman who carries her “junk in the trunk” but can create the look of a football lineman for the woman whose shape is described as a crisp apple as opposed to a luscious pear.

I know it sounds counter intuitive, but look for a jacket that follows your curves. It’s common for full figured women to shop for plus size business suits that fall from the shoulders and don’t touch the body. Instead, try a jacket with a cinched or tapered waist rather than a jacket that is cut straight up and down. By choosing a jacket that fits well, you’ll accentuate your curves.

For years, plus size women have been forced by designers to hide their sexy curves under shapeless tents. Fortunately, today’s designers offer more form fitting options.

Finally, be sure the jacket FITS your body. If it pulls across the bust, then get a larger size! Cut the tags off when you get home if you hate the number on the tag! It’s easier for a tailor to cinch the waist of a jacket than to let out the bust.

Remember that a jacket that fits you perfectly will present you in the most professional light!

The big debate when it comes to professional business suits for women is Slacks vs Skirts!

For some women, there is no debate. There are those who don’t consider it a business suit if it doesn’t have a skirt and there are others who don’t consider it a business suit if it doesn’t come with pants.

Each choice has its pros and cons.

FULL FIGURED BUSINESS SUITS WITH SLACKS

Many full figured women prefer pants as part of their business uniform.

Slacks can be very comfortable PLUS one doesn’t have to worry about exposing oneself when one is sitting or climbing in and out of cars. Pant styles come in and out of fashion, but as a rule the full figure woman should avoid the slim or pencil legged pants.

The visual line you want to create is a straight perpendicular line from your hip to the floor. Proper fit is crucial so when you can find a pant that creates that for you and fits perfectly, be sure to stock up and have several different pairs of pants in several colors.

FULL FIGURED BUSINESS SUITS WITH SKIRTS

The rule for skirt length for a professional women is that the hem of her skirt MUST NOT be above the knee. The ideal hem line is mid-calf because at that length, when you sit down the skirt will “ride” up to just below your knee.

There are no exceptions to this rule in a professional setting.

A-line shapes can be flattering for a full figured woman. However, the professional plus size woman should avoid skirts with pleats of ANY kind. Your best bet is a skirt that falls in a straight line from the hip (just as with pants).

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Matching hosiery color to the shoes will help to create a longer, more slimming visual effect as well.

In the end, there is no universal “right” or “wrong” option when it comes to the slacks vs skirt debate. What’s most important is that you choose the plus size business suit option which makes you feel most comfortable.

A professional plus size business suit will consist of a jacket or blazer paired with a skirt or slacks. While the form remains the same, the color of the business suit plays a huge role in defining when and where to wear the suit.

The traditional “conservative” colors for women’s business suits (plus size or otherwise) will be the tried and true:

• navy blue
• black
• gray

These colors are considered “power suit” colors and are a “safe” bet if you’re interviewing for a position. Even once you have the job, having a suit in one of the above colors is essential for every career woman’s wardrobe.

If you’re making a hug presentation, no matter what industry you are employed, stick to solid versions of the three colors above paired with a white or ivory shirt.

The blazer should be of “traditional “structure and the suit MUST fit perfectly. Gapping, puckering or pulling is NOT allowed. If you can’t get a traditional blazer style jacket to fit properly, then go with a wrap or swing jacket. However, even if you go with an “alternative” jacket, make sure the sleeves are long and the color is uniformly dark.

For day to day business wear, don’t feel you have to be confined to those hues. You can go a little brighter and more colorful on days where your presentation won’t make or break your career, assuming that is “allowed” in your particular organization.

For example, if you’re employed in any industry that has to do with finances… such as financial planning, banking or even insurance, then it will be a rare occasion indeed when you can wear something colorful or flowery to work. On the other hand, if you’re employed in a traditionally “creative” field such as graphic arts or an advertising agency, then you can and SHOULD experiment with color in your business suit wardrobe.

Even if you’re lucky enough to have “permission” in your field to wear cute and kicky business suits, be sure to keep a “power suit” ready for those presentations to banking officials who will expect you to appear at your “power professional” best!

Choosing the right women’s plus size business suit is an essential element to your career success.

When the temperature rises, the fabrics lighten and sometimes the mood in plus size clothes and business suits can take a dramatic shift from professional to clothes that are better suited to the beach than the office.

Just because the fabrics are lighter, doesn’t mean you can’t make a great impression. Fabric choice is critical when choosing plus size business suits for the warm summer months. Linen is a popular warm weather fabric choice but go for a linen BLEND so you won’t be a wrinkled mess before you walk through the front door.

For days when you won’t be making a presentation, check out some of the shorter sleeved suiting options. However, if you want to appear professional, long sleeved jackets are still the optimal choice when choosing plus size business suits.

The rules of choosing professional business attire still apply, even when the temperatures do break into the triple digits. If you find yourself wondering whether it’s too warm to wear a jacket, watch what the CEO of your company is wearing. If he’s sporting a business suit, then you should be as well!

Most American women wear a size 12 or larger. If you’re one of the 68% of American women who wears a size 12 or larger… then this experience is not uncommon for you.

You walk into a department store and you see incredible business suits displayed as you walk into the store. You walk up to the display and check to see the size displayed on the tags. Yep, it’s a size 6 and there are plenty of single digit clothes on the racks. Unfortunately, you’re a size 16 so you keep walking to the ‘plus size’ department.

While almost 7 out of 10 of us are “plus size” you wouldn’t know it by the typical department store layout. The plus size department is usually devoted to an incredibly small area within the typical department store. Only sunglasses get less floor space in a typical department store.

There, in the isolated area for womens plus size clothes, you’ll find an odd assortment of sweat shirts and evening gowns within inches of each other. The options for plus size clothes are limited to say the least.

If you’re lucky, you may happen to find a professional looking plus size business suit crammed amongst the knit pants with elastic waists and the gawd-awful huge floral prints. If you stumble upon such a find, grab it immediately and mark the day of the week and the time, because you’ve obviously discovered the day when the merchandise arrives and is put on the floor.

Otherwise, you’re going to have to take your search for womens plus size clothes to the internet.

Here are a few places to start your search:

• J. Jill: San Francisco Centre; www.jjill.com
• Land’s End: www.landsend.com or (800) 963-4816.
• L.L. Bean: www.llbean.com
• Old Navy: www.oldnavy.com
• Ulla Popken: www.ullapopken.com

Creating a strong first impression is essential in business, whether you’re a man or a woman. However, full figured professional business women find themselves frustrated by the lack of selection when it comes to finding a business suit. Whether you’re returning to work or getting a promotion, every career woman should have at least one “power suit” in her wardrobe.

While the days of unflattering polyester pant suits being the full figured woman’s only business suit option are thankfully over, its still a challenge for many full figured women to find the perfect “power suit”.

Basics for Finding Plus Size Womens Business Suits

Finding well made business suits is probably going to be your biggest challenge if if you’re a full figured businesswoman. However, shopping online provides a convenient way to maximize your business suit choices. By taking your search online, you can often find designer names that offer a selection of beautiful suits for the full figured woman.

It’s especially important that plus size womens business suits fit perfectly. That means not only should the suit itself be structured, but it will probably have to be altered to achieve optimal fit.

Because you won’t be able to try on a suit, pay special attention to the size charts of each online store you visit. One store’s size 1X is another store’s 3X, so check the size charts BEFORE you order. Also check out the store’s return policy in case you need to return your purchase.

Also, because you’ll be shopping online, you won’t have access to an in store tailor. If you do find a business suit that fits perfectly… thank your lucky stars. Again, a professional tailor is your best friend when it comes to finding the perfect plus size womens business suit.