left: Shaina Mote Mandela dress | $334 at Mei Smith
right: Hackwith Design House jacket| on sale for $200 at Mei Smith
I started this journey, looking for plus-size made in the US, hopefully also relatively eco-friendly (organic cotton, etc.) NOT only Eileen Fisher, for a friend who left a comment on a post that she
would seriously give my right pinky finger for a nice, simple plus size t-shirt dress that was made in America and was a neutral color. I swear it is the unicorn of my sartorial life
Never one to leave such a challenge un-answered, I set out to see what I could find. I narrowed my search to items that are contemporary, somewhat minimalist in aesthetic (simple, architectural, interesting, not too colorful…) and tried to find things that were made of organic cotton or other eco-friendlier materials.
Well, I nearly gave up. I honestly don’t understand it, but it’s nearly impossible to find “contemporary” plus-size clothing that is made in the US, and even more difficult to find plus-size organic cotton pieces, that aren’t Eileen Fisher, that is. Of course, Eileen Fisher has both of those bases covered, but only if you’re willing to pay for it. If you can afford it, then, absolutely Eileen Fisher is worth investing in. And seriously, if you care about made in the US and/or organic cotton, it might be one of your only options.
There’s also Mei Smith. I’ve been following Mei Smith on Instagram for a while and LOVE that founder Ayanna Wu Celestin saw a desperate need for plus-size minimal fashion and sought to fill it:
She wanted to provide something different in terms of merchandise and presentation. With exclusive collaborations with straight sized brands, Mei Smith speaks to the woman who wears a 12+, wants to build her wardrobe with minimal, quality pieces, and wishes ultimately to wear the same designer pieces her friends of “standard sizes” wear.
Mei Smith works with two of my favorite independent US-produced designers, Shaina Mote & Hackwith Design house, to produce garments specifically for the plus-size community. They’re the same pieces, just extended sizes, in the same fabrics and high-quality attention to detail. And of course, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the aesthetic. Neither of those brands are “cheap” however, but I can absolutely vouch for the quality of Shaina Mote, and hopefully I’ll receive my Hackwith design house order today and be able to comment on her quality. She also carries US-made Benjamin Jay and Danish-brand Carmakoma which is cool, but not made in the US, or particularly eco-friendly. Ayanna also told me that she is looking forward to working with more contemporary designers that produce in the US soon to expand her offerings. (she has a lot of great items on sale right now…please take a look and support her if you can!)
In the meantime, here are some of the things I found that suit the aesthetic I was looking for, and are made in the US, some using organic cotton:
JUNAROSE tank dress | $49 at Nordstrom, organic cotton blend, NOT MADE IN THE US
Karen Kane t-shirt dress | $130 at Karen Kane (really really like this)
Rachel Pally long caftan dress | $260 at Rachel Pally
Eileen Fisher Bluesign certified (sustainable) black tank dress | on sale for $209
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Some Etsy options (honestly, you have to look very hard to find aesthetically minimalist pieces on easy, but here are some I liked) – and anyway Etsy is good because you can usually find a designer who will do custom pieces for you:
Plus size eco-friendly sundress in lots of colors | $95 from Shopkobieta
organic cotton/spandex blend hooded cloak | $118 from phantomlovely
Striped organic cotton dress | $90 from VioletStar creations
bamboo/organic cotton Corina long tank dress | $135 by Yanadee
bamboo leggings | $95 by Sewmoe
More plus-size made in the US resources – not all are very “modern” or contemporary, some are more “trendy” than I like, but if you weed through those optionsp, there are some good basics available:
Eileen Fisher plus-size eco collection
Mei Smith
Rachel Pally white label
Fresh Produce (some okay stuff…)
Making it Big (love this dress)
ModCloth has some plus-size items that are made in the US
IGIGI
Kiyonna
Karen Kane
Monif C
NYDJ produces some items in the US (jeans mostly)
Now, your turn…what are your favorite plus-size made in the US and/or eco-friendly clothing designers? resources? Please share!!
Well, my previous message didn’t go so well! THANK YOU for your post on plus size. I almost cried when reading it, because NO ONE acknowledges that plus size women also deserve nice clothing. I never can find anything. ANYTHING. Finding good-looking clothes at ANY price point has almost been impossible. Forget about good fabrics. Some of the clothing I like best lists a large as 8-10. Talk about demoralizing! I’m 5’5″ and so many plus lines have things only made for tall women. I guess the thinking is that if you’re over a size 14, then you must have long arms and legs?
My joke (which really isn’t that funny, but how I’m able to laugh with my thinner girlfriends) is that plus size clothing comes only in three colors:
1 – Black polyester
2 – Applique’
3 – African Queen
It’s unfortunately true and not funny.
While there is a lot of Eileen Fisher that I have and life, I often find the sizing to be very strange. One thing that the company does that is most annoying is make their tops/jackets/sweaters very short and boxy. NOT what you need if you have any chest at all. Their trousers are also often odd, as they tend to be for taller people, so the crotch is very low and/or the legs are not large enough.
If it weren’t for J. Jill, I would have no clothes. They make most of their styles in plus sizes. Their quality is good, but sometimes I just want MORE. Another company that I LOVE is Alabama Chanin (www.alabamachanin.com). I’ve only been able to purchase scarves online, as I want to try on their clothing at their factory store sometime this fall. Their regular line is VERY expensive, but their A. Chanin line is affordable and they offer in XXL. They ALSO will do custom sizing!! I had a wonderful conversation with one of their employees about this. I cannot wait to go! Their scarves are almost adult blankies for me and took me through last winter (I particularly like the ones that are double length because you can wrap them several times). Natalie Chanin is currently my IDOL. I love everything about her products and also her story and purpose. She’s also growing organic cotton along with Billy Reid in Florence, AL!
Not sure if you are able to prevent my name/email address from being included, but it would be great if you could.
I have absolutely loved your blog and today was almost like someone sent me a present via email. I cannot wait to go look at these sites! Thank you thank you thank you!!
Warm regards,
Amy
amy, thank you so much for your comment, i’m so glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
when i was more cusp-sized (14-16) i had the EXACT same frustrations – everything plus-sized i tried was WAY too long on me, and not many “regular” lines fit my body. that’s when i found james perse and discovered that his size 4 fit me pretty well, especially the dresses/skirts, and the length was always perfect.
thank you for your other suggestions – i don’t know why i always leave alabama chanin out – maybe because a lot of her pieces never resonated with me (don’t always like that reverse applique), and WHOA. the prices on the main line! but thank you for your introduction to a. chanin – i can see a new obsession starting!! LOVE so many of the pieces, and the price point is much more manageable. please let me know when you get to go and try things out!
i agree on eileen fisher sizing – i ALWAYS have to try things on. and even so, it takes a few tries to find something that fits the way i want it to.
Wow, I agree with you on so much, but as a 5’10”, Eileen Fisher pants are most definitely not made for me–everything is short–the inseams for regular length pants in EF are often 31 or 30, instead of 32, and the nes that are supposed to be ankle length–pedal pushers on me. The drop crotch is just a quirk–I have a big butt and a bit of a belly, and the regular pants are often MC Hammer pants–and I won’t do harem pants. Her dresses and skirts are lovely, though, and there are plenty of longer cardigans and jackets—just avoid the ones that say “boxy” or “cropped.” “Shaped” is best.
I get a lot of EF on eBay–there’s a steady supply of new stuff for about $100 a piece, and since EF is timeless.
Ha – I almost called them MC Hammer pants too! Unfortunately some seasons she has only done boxy jackets and tops. It’s frustrating because I never know if something will fit. Depending on the style, I can sometimes wear an XL which broadens the range for me considerably. I’m too large for “regular” clothing and not always long enough for plus size. It really depends on the cut and fabrics.
Gretchen, I will definitely let you know about the A. Chanin line. I’m not a “frilly” girl, so don’t care for some of the flowery appliqués. Not that I could afford them anyway! I’m told that their XL may work for me, so we shall see. If not, I have high hopes for XXL! They will also add more length to garments if needed. (For example, I really want tops that cover my behind).
Thanks to you I ordered a James Perse skirt and a sweater off eBay in a size 4! I am so happy!! Thank you.
PS – I should have explained my African Queen comment above. This is what I call long flowy caftans in multiple animal prints – or with a whole leopard sprawled across the front of something. A tasteful leopard print in something could be great …. but who in h*ll thinks it’s stylish to wear a polyester muumuu-looking dress with stripes of zebra, leopard and giraffe? Yes, I saw that recently. This also goes for poor renditions of African cloth – use the real stuff and I might actually consider it!
wait…I love MC hammer pants LOL – i have her harem pants and LOVE THEM TO DEATH. you should try them 🙂
i got what you meant with the African Queen comment – seems all too common with plus-size pieces though, i mean…what are manufacturers thinking?
it’s funny, because my mom brought me back some african cloth from Africa and it looks nothing like what you described LOL – it’s very tasteful, but not large enough to make much out of, besides a tablecloth 😉
I’m kind of “on the cusp” sometimes. Lately, more of a 14, but we all know REAL fashion doesn’t include sizes 14-16, does it? I find it really frustrating when certain brands declare an 8-10 a Large and yet, there’s two situations that evolve from this: 1) either the garment is so tiny that I could never IMAGINE wearing a Large in their brand, or 2) It really DOES fit a 14-16, in which case I think, “WTF?”
I have decided after a lot of ordering and returning, that I’m going to try to stick to ordering from brands that I know fit me well, such as Eileen Fisher (I’m 5’10”, but I like my pants to show my ankles, so I consider it a part of my look.), CP Shades, Wilt tees, J Crew cashmere sweaters, Paige jeans, Free People boho pieces…and more to be discovered, hopefully.
Oh, and my favorite, VINCE tops and sweaters!
Mamavalveeta03 – I have never heard of CP Shades until your post! How do the sizes run? Are the arms close fitting or loose? I’m really a strange size. Depending on cut and fabric, I can sometimes wear an XL (rare), an XXL, 1X or 2X! I have things that are 14-16 and 18-20. (I think I’m probably more toward size 18- 20 in all honesty).
Grechen – I’ve never tried a pair of harem pants. My legs aren’t long to begin with (or slim) and I’ve just never considered them. Is there a brand I should look at for them?
Grechen has featured items from CP Shades a number of times. My guess is she’s compiled a list of places that sell it. It’s made in the U.S. A home-run company, with a lot of natural cotton and linens, sometimes blends, plus they’ve added tees. Minimalist and chic, in my opinion, although it can be pricey, which is why I scout for the sales. I take an XL because I have broad shoulders. I think they equate that to a size 16. Sundance.com has a lot on-sale now, as does Evielou.com. Good luck, Amy!
eileen fisher harem pants !! 🙂 – my last outfit with them: http://grechenscloset.com/outfit-harem-pants-2/ – i’m wearing a size medium, because i wanted them to be long (my inseam is about 26.5 inches). also, they will shrink in length if you just wash them in cold water. although they’re not really supposed to…
and here’s a link to a post i did on cp shades with places to buy – it’s a year old though, but i concur with val, that evilou.com is a great place for cp shades
also, and this is a bit hippie-ish, but i love some tienda ho stuff – it’s readily available on eBay, also totokealo has some “classic” pieces that i tend to like best (and I like their styling) all pieces are one-size, but they seem to run oversized, so i think they fit a wide range of sizes…
Saks Off 5th has had some CP shades on sale the past couple months. I know Grechen had a post on how a lot of the “outlet’ clothing isn’t the same quality as the real store, or even made in the US (eg lots of the James Perse stuff at Off 5th was made in Vietnam vs Saks items made in US, if I’m remembering the post correctly) Anyhoo, might want to check there for specifics.
oh, interesting! i might have to go see if mine has any cp shades!! i don’t see any online…
i’m not sure CP Shades is “big” enough to have a separate outlet division, but you never know i guess.
thanks for the tip, kelly.
Well, now I fear I’m mis-remembering, since I can’t find the brand at regular Saks online either. Ah well. I’ve been known to mis-remember a time or two….
In my Googling, I did discover that the Rodale’s site sells that brand and also other brands in a category for “organic” (which might have been covered in the earlier post – sometimes it’s a hard search item because you get sucked into crunchy granola land) Anyway, they have some sale items including this dress I love. And I love that they give actual measurements on some of the pieces of clothing! http://www.rodales.com/tuki-striped-linen-dress/E002983.html?dwvar_E002983_color=E07&categoryid=apparel-featured-cpshades#srule=price-lo-hi&sz=60&start=1&cid=ppc_Google_Rodales_Vendors_cpshades_cpshades_Exact
Ah…forgot about Rodale’s! Yes Kelly, crunchy granola, but I love them! And they usually have a good size selection in stock.
I realized on my commute yesterday (after having been in NYC all weekend) that I have always been and likely will always be far more “hippy” than “hipster” and I need to just own that.
But I grew up in CT, so there’s a preppy in me that just won’t die 😉 Rodale’s also has cute Eileen Fisher stuff – like others have noted, sizing is just odd, so I do prefer to try on or at least be able to easily return (preferably locally, which can be a challenge – or at least a long drive). But lots of Eileen Fisher in thrift stores, which is nice.
in case you don’t get their emails…sale items at rodale’s are an extra 40% off orders over $150. there’s a GREAT cp shades linen top in there for $89. ugh. my shopping cart is FULL!!!!
I can’t believe I didn’t comment on this! I love you, I love this post, and I love that you give a crap about your plus size readers. You are basically a style blogger superhero, but with a way better wardrobe. xoxo
A belated comment to thank you for this post.-just found it as I’ve been busy with house guests. I am a pear: 14/16 on top and 18/20 bottom, 5’7″ and I go crazy looking for affordable minimalist clothing. Love EF but searching for clothing that fits at a sale price is time consuming.
Thanks agin for the info and for caring.
you are so welcome. please let me know if you get anything good – or discover any other resources!
I have found a website called eshakti.com – they have all sorts of dresses in all kinds of fabrics and styles (my favorites are the knits – good weight and don’t pill). They have a wide variety of sizes but best of all is that for $10 they will alter any of their items based on your measurements! I have been really pleased with what I have purchased there. There are some more expensive items but they have dresses on sale for around $30.