Everyday Baby Steps

This is the third installment in my series on plus size fashion for fall. I've covered stylish pants and beautiful tops. Now let's talk about dresses. I love wearing dresses, if they're comfortable and flattering. As we know, that's a combination that can be hard to find, especially for us curvy women. I hate when dresses ride up or won't stay in place. Drives me crazy, so I often just find it easier to wear pants. But the right dress can make a woman feel so beautiful and really make a statement. Here are some dresses I've come across that I think will meet the needs of plus size women.

XCVI

XCVI is a clothing company based in Los Angeles that specializes in eclectic, cotton looks that are perfect for moms on the go. The company was founded in 1996, hence the name XCVI, the Roman numerals for the year. XCVI was very gracious and sent me a dress to try out and wear to the Type-A Mom Conference. Take a look.

Isn't it nice? The dress is simple, but it has some very nice details. It has a bit of a balloon hem, nothing over the top, just a beautiful detail that makes a big statement. The sleeves are also nicely detailed as well. They're capped with slight elastic around the bottom that makes the sleeves rouche a bit. You know what I really love about this dress? It's so comfortable. I plan to add a cardigan and wear it into the cool, fall weather for as long as I can. I'm very impressed with the quality of XCVI. Other items from XCVI can be found at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, and Zappos. Take a look at Nordstrom's plus size selection to get an idea of the kinds of pieces available from XCVI.

Shabby Apple

Have you heard of Shabby Apple? This company is all the rage in the blogosphere. I had seen some dresses by Shabby Apple worn by bloggers to conferences and featured on their sites, but I didn't realize Shabby Apple carried a plus size line until their publicist got in touch with me to let me know. So I had to go check out the site. Just look at the gorgeous plus size dresses they offer. This one's my favorite.

I love the retro feel of their dresses. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try Shabby Apple personally, but I've spoken to friends who have and who truly love the apparel this line carries. I will definitely check them out for my next special event or blogging conference.

Igigi

I don't even know where I first read about this brand. I think it may have been on a fashion blog. What I do know is that after seeing their gorgeous clothing, especially the dresses, I couldn't forget them! I keep finding myself going back to their website and browsing. Okay, not browsing, drooling. What I love about Igigi is that they offer exclusively plus size clothes for women sizes 12 - 32. (Though I don't consider size 12 to be plus size) The designers strive to provide fashion that accentuates a woman's natural, beautiful shape. And did I mention that the designs are gorgeous? See for yourself.

I will own a piece of Igigi clothing eventually. I'm just holding out until after the holidays when I'm sure the kids have their Christmas. You can make purchases directly from the website, and they even offer a ShapeStylist calculator to help you determine your body shape for the best fit. Love that!

Let me know if you decide to try any of these plus size lines for your upcoming holiday parties. I'd love to see pictures! What other brands do you like for plus size dresses?