MISSING: High-end, plus-sized fashion for suburban women

Lizzie Pugliani, 27, loves shopping for fashionable clothes.

Like many women her age, the olive-skinned, fashion-savvy brunette scours the fashion magazines reading up on the latest designer duds and runway trends.

But there is, literally, one marked difference between Pugliani shopping for designer clothing and other young women shopping for designer clothing. The Park Ridge native is a size 14.

And in the world of high-end fashion, that size is virtually nonexistent.

“It is extremely frustrating because you are limited,” said Pugliani. “All the stuff you see in magazine, you just know it’s damn near impossible to get really fashionable items in my size.”

What also has been damn near impossible is locating a suburban boutique that carries high-end, plus-sized clothing. If such a shop is out there, there are plus-sized fashionistas looking for you!

And while stores such as Lane Bryant, Nordstrom and Torrid offer high-quality, plus-sized clothing at reasonable prices, where are all the hipster, one-of-a-kind boutiques for plus-sized women who want to drop some serious cash on clothes?

“I have never seen anything catered to that,” said Courtney Newby, a size 14 manager who works at the Lane Bryant store in Woodfield Mall. “You never, ever see it.”¼br> Newby said she avoids walking by high-end “small-girl stores” because she knows the outfit in the window won’t come in her size.

Over 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Resources. So why does the upscale fashion world zip out consumers who want to spend money?

Western Springs resident and business owner Adele Knight doesn’t understand. 

“I really struggle because I love to shop and I love nice clothes,” said Knight who is a size 16 or 18.

“But even if you go into the nicer department stores with all of the high-end designers like St. John, you are never going to find more than a 10 or 12.”

Knight shops for expensive clothing by individual designer line such as Ralph Lauren rather than by specific store. Knight said a lot of upscale boutiques say they cater to plus-size women by carrying nice accessories.

“Because all we need to wear is a hat and some shoes,” said Knight, with just a touch of sarcasm.

One employee at the upscale Hinsdale boutique Shop Ten, who declined to reveal her name, blamed designers for not making expensive, plus-sized clothing.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” she said. “I don’t know where, but there is a definite need for it, that’s for sure.”

Stephanie Sacks, owner of Bucktown’s Vive La Femme, possibly the only upscale, plus-sized boutique in the Chicago area, said a customer revolution is needed if women of size want to find more boutiques like hers.

Sacks said suburban consumers make up a significant economic force in Chicago.  When these women decide to instigate a change in the industry, then there will be more upscale clothing options.

“Women of plus sizes are used to being ignored in fashion,” said Sacks.”When you are ignored, you accept what is handed to you. That becomes reality.”

by Patrice Poltzer

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