Choosing the Perfect Dress as a Plus-Size Woman

Stylish, well-fitting clothes can be incredibly empowering. A great outfit boosts your mood, improves your confidence, and encourages other people to treat you with more respect. However, it can be all too difficult to find clothes that flatter every curve. Clothes are made according to standardized measurements, but each woman’s body is wildly different. Although they look sleek and stylish, well-fitting dresses can be the hardest to find since they must flatter the bust, stomach, hips, waist, and thighs.

Unfortunately, it can be even more difficult for plus-size women to find well-fitting dresses. Fewer options exist, sizing can vary from store to store, and it can be harder to predict fit. Fortunately, with a little bit of know-how, it is easy to find stylish, flattering plus-size dresses.

Picking your Silhouette

Different dress styles can drastically alter your silhouette. Since each style highlights or downplays certain features, strategically choosing a dress style can result in a stunning silhouette that emphasizes all of your best features! To help you out, we’ll be breaking down the best styles for plus-size women.

A-line Dresses

A-line dresses are fitted in the upper half but flare out at the waist to create an A shape. This style creates an hourglass silhouette that is very flattering, particularly on curvier women. Since the waist is naturally the skinniest part of the torso, A-line dresses can help to contour your figure. They also de-emphasize attention from the legs.

When purchasing an A-line dress, it is best to avoid lightweight, flowy materials such as silk or thin linen—these materials look gorgeous, but are not sturdy enough to preserve the structure of an A-line dress. You may be left with awkward, clingy bunches of fabric around your legs rather than a gorgeous full skirt. Instead, opt for thicker materials such as cotton, polyester, or rayon.

Empire Dresses

Empire dresses are extremely elegant silhouettes. Although they have a fitted bodice, the rest of the dress is extremely loose and flowy. Since the dress cinches just below the bust rather than at the waist, it deemphasizes most of the torso and makes the wearer appear taller. Traditionally, empire dresses are floor-length, though shorter versions are also emerging.

Although empire dresses can provide a polished silhouette, they have also gained a negative reputation for causing wearers to appear pregnant. To avoid accidentally creating this illusion, it is best to look for an empire dress made out of lightweight, flowy fabrics such as silk, jersey, or satin. Belts can also help to gather extra fabric below the bust and preserve the empire style's sleek silhouette.

Peplum Dresses

If you love retro clothing, you may want to check out peplum dresses! With this style, strips of ruffled fabric are attached to the dress, usually at the hip or hem. Unlike the other styles, peplum dresses can come in a variety of silhouettes, though most are relatively fitted. Since the ruffled fabric catches people's attention, it deemphasizes other parts of the body. Peplum dresses with ruffles at the hip make the waist seem smaller and are particularly flattering on women with hourglass figures, while dresses with ruffles at the hem look great on straighter bodies.

Straight Dresses

Straight dresses have the ultimate sleek silhouette. They lack waistline seams and usually do not have built-in belts, so the dress is allowed to flow uninterrupted from top to bottom. These dresses typically look best on women with relatively narrow hips.

Since straight dresses are so versatile, there are quite a few sub-categories. Wedge dresses are loose and flowy. They usually taper down and can emphasize the legs, but hide most of the torso. Sack dresses, also called pencil dresses or chemise dresses, are loose but usually made out of structured material and emphasize curves. Shift dresses are loose but slightly flare out, resulting in a very casual appearance.

Corset Dresses

Corset dresses hug the torso, lightly gathering the skin. Although most corset dresses today do not include whale bone for structure and only provide modest waist reduction, lace-up detailing along the back is still quite common. Even without a traditional corset attached to the garment, the corset dress style still enhances hourglass figures.

Thanks to the recent resurgence in corsets as blouses, it is becoming increasingly common for corset style dresses to include some form of a boned corset. Although these dresses can look stunning, it can be dangerous to wear them too tightly, too frequently, or to attempt strenuous physical labour while wearing them. If you opt to wear a dress with an attached corset, always ensure that you give yourself enough breathing room and do not wear them too frequently.

Off-the-shoulder Dresses

Off-the-shoulder dresses feature wide necklines that, as the name suggests, drop off the wearer’s shoulders. Since this style is relatively uncommon, it draws attention to your upper torso and deemphasizes the lower half of the body. The neckline can also be combined with a variety of dress styles depending on your ideal silhouette.

Colors that Flatter

Although the hardest part of finding a dress is choosing the silhouette, color can still play a big role in how the dress looks! Darker colors such as black, navy, or mauve can be slimming, as can smaller prints and vertical stripes. Horizontal lines and large prints can have the opposite effect, though that shouldn’t stop you from purchasing a dress that you love!

Bright colors can also be a great way to inject personality into an outfit! If you pay attention to your skin’s undertones—the color underneath your skin—it will be much easier to find a shade that looks stunning. Those with warm undertones look best in warm colored clothes with gold detailing, while those with cool undertones look best in cool colored clothes with silver detailing. If you have neutral undertones, you’ll look great in any color!

Dress for the Occasion

When selecting a dress, it’s important to keep in mind where you will wear it. Even if you look great in a silk empire gown, it’s probably best to choose something else for a business meeting. Loose, flowy dresses are perfect for casual events, running errands, or meeting friends. On the other hand, structured dresses are perfect for work, fine dining, or networking events.

Express Yourself

Although these tips can help you to choose a particularly flattering dress that’s perfect for any given occasion, it’s important to remember that there are no rules to fashion. Above all else, you should wear what you love! Confidence is the key to looking great, no matter what you are wearing.

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