Ahh New England in October, the leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder and the college students are pulling out their coziest cardigans and lacing up their bean boots.
As a New Englander, fall fashions can be some of the most beautiful and visually interesting outfits as they involve many layers, patterns and deep beautiful colors. However, as a plus-sized woman it can be difficult to find pieces that fit both the season and your body in the way you’d like, due to plus-sized underrepresentation in many stores.
So here’s a list of fall trends, cute, cozy pieces and retailers that will keep you looking your best as you sip your hot chocolate, carve pumpkins and gear up for yet another Storrs winter…
1. Pumpkin Spice
This beautiful burnt orange along with deep gold are the currently the hottest colors on the market. Reminiscent of your favorite seasonal latte, this color looks amazing on every skin tone and is so ‘in’ right now that you can find it just about anywhere. A great piece that I found was a pair of plus-sized suede shorts, which would look fantastic with either of these colors, and work well to transition your outfits into fall. If you’re looking for something on the cheaper side, try finding a tank top, scarf or blouse in this color; it will pack the same pumpkin-y punch without requiring you to drop the extra cash.
2. Shearling
Shearling is soft, cozy and most importantly, warm, a.k.a. everything your fall wardrobe should be. Mostly, shearling comes in the form of jackets, which is a great way to add some style to absolutely any outfit. The great thing about shearling is that it comes in many different styles, so you can modify it to fit your personal preference: there’s suede for the flower children among us, plaid for the prepsters and leather for the edgier crowd.
3. Fall Florals
Although lots of people think that florals scream “spring”, these patterns actually work year round. Depending on the base color of the pattern, you can easily transition florals from summer to fall, particularly if the base color in the pattern is a dark one. Forget what anyone has ever told you about only wearing solid colors if you’re plus sized (actually, just forget all fashion “rules” in general that restrict plus sized bodies). Florals look fantastic on every body and they make outfits a little more exciting and visually interesting. I included my absolute favorite piece in this section, which is the gorgeous “Autumn Leaf Festival Floral Dress” from Modcloth. It’s definitely pricey, but a well-made, beautiful dress is a quality investment, and this one can be ordered up to size 4X.
4. Plaid
Plaid isn’t just for grade school uniforms anymore – a soft flannel shirt, a swing dress, or a great bag can truly elevate your outfit. Plaid is such a versatile fabric that you’ll be able to find a piece that works for your personal style. Flannels are probably the most dependable and popular items in my closet during the fall; they keep you warm while taking a basic leggings and tee (every college girl’s staple) outfit to the next level. Finally, a recent trend that came about last year that’s bound to be back this fall is oversized plaid scarves and plaid capes. Obviously both are great for warmth and style and capes are usually ‘one size fits all’ so there’s a great chance you’ll be able to find one that fits you, even if the store doesn’t carry plus sizes.
5. Leather (Faux)
Even if you’re as far from being a bad-ass as humanly possible, I am a firm believer in the fact that every woman needs a great leather jacket. Leather is a huge trend right now (lucky for us) so it shouldn’t be at all difficult to find a jacket or other item that you like. I recommend faux leather as it’s much less expensive and cruelty free. Leather jackets come in a variety of great colors. They can be unique in shades of pink and blue, classy in deep browns, and, of course, classic in black. So embrace your inner rocker chick, or don’t, either way, you’ll be able to rock a leather jacket.
6. Lace-Up
There’s probably not a more visible trend right now than lace-up tops and bodysuits. They are here in a huge way, and hopefully here to stay because they’re so cute! Lace-Up tops are flattering on everyone, no matter your bra size, and they can easily be dressed up with heels and dark skinny jeans for a night out or dressed down with a flannel and some sneakers for class. Bodysuits are another great option here as they hug your curves perfectly and are extremely easy to wear. Wet Seal Plus has some great bodysuit options (I own this really fierce one and am in love) but there are many more out there, just start looking!
7. Accessories: Chokers, Matte Lipsticks & Lace-Up Boots
If one trend is going to rival lace-up tops and bodysuits for trend supremacy, it’s most definitely the choker – the 90s are back baby! Chokers are cheap, fun, they spice up any outfit, and they actually elongate your neck making your face look instantly slimmer. I found that Wet Seal Plus carries fantastic chokers, that don’t actually, ya know, choke you, but are just the right size.
Matte Lipstick is the perfect finishing touch to any fall look. The lack of shine and (usually) deeper color is elegant, classic, and completely gorgeous. I recommend La Matte Color Drenched Matte Lipsticks by Too Faced, if you’re willing to spend a bit more (for a quality product). However, there are fantastic brands of liquid matte lipstick, like Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks from NYX that are really cheap and available at most drug stores (their color “Sandstorm” is to die for).
As a plus sized girl with #WideCalfProbs it can be really hard to find cute, lace up boots that actually fit. However, plus sized retailers are finally starting to catch onto this trend and are coming out with more and more options. Torrid makes great boots though they are slightly more expensive while Wet Seal Plus and Target make a bunch of cute, cheaper options. If you’re looking for slightly higher quality, try Lane Bryant as they carry tons of wide-calf boots that are definitely worth the money.
I hope that you’ve been able to take some inspiration from this article, or at least a few new additions to your online shopping cart! Remember: don’t follow “rules” to define what you should and should not put on your body, if you love it – wear it.