I know what I’m talking about when it comes to plus size clothes for teenagers. How? Well, I’ve been over 5’10” since I was 12. To say that I was a plus-size teen is an understatement. I was tall, large and in varying stages of puppy fat and angst-driven disordered eating between an Australian size 12 to 18 the entire time. I was thinking about that the other weekend when my nieces visited. Tall, slim girls have the issue of length when it comes to buying clothes. They had other issues with fit, but that got me thinking about teenage girls shopping for clothing right now.
The girls, just like me, the plus girls.
When I was a teenager there wasn’t a lot of options shopping wise. I remember losing a bit of weight in my senior years and finding that I could fit back into the mainstream stores who by this stage were regularly stocking a 14/16. What a relief! Bye-bye peasant skirts and men’s board shorts. I do remember once though, in a change-room, when my Mum handed me clothing in a size 14/16 that she mentioned it was as far it as it went, sizing wise. That stuck with me and not because I was upset she pointed this out to me. But because I was not that big of a person. HOW could this be the largest sizes available to women. Why was that even a thing?
Luckily teens have way more options today.
LOTS AND LOTS of options. And while I think you should get your staple items from the excellent Australian online retailers that were in this post or from the brands I listed in my post about minimalist plus size clothing, a teenage girl wants to be fashionable, to wear what her friends are wearing, to be cool. In this post, we’re going to give you some options for where to buy plus size clothes for teenagers; some local and overseas options for the young adult market. Clothes that are more on-trend than wardrobe staples. The sort of clothing that helps a teenage girl fit in with her friends instead of having to wear styles older than she is. Let’s get started, shall we?
Where to buy plus size clothes for teenagers
Torrid
With stores throughout the USA, this brand is established and can be counted on to deliver on-trend basics for reasonable prices. The shopping to Australia can be a killer so subscribe to the newsletter for discounted shipping days or split an order with a friend. A shopping tip: I wear my standard Australian size in their denim and the majority of the range. Check out online reviews for more information. There are plenty!
Shop the range at Torrid online.
Forever 21
I love Forever 21+ for modern, on-trend pieces. The pricing of the range puts it on par with the likes of Supre and such in Australia. Postage is reasonably fast and affordable. As a size 22/24, I find I’m at the very top of the size chart and would recommend this store for sizes 20 and below. Recently Australian stores have opened but the pricing isn’t on par with the online store and the range is better online. Shop by the look is another great online feature for those developing their own style. Grab your teenager, sit them down with the page open and let them shop.
Shop the Forever 21 Plus range here.
17 Sundays
A great Australian brand featuring great lifestyle pieces for everyday wear. A personal favourite of mine, but don’t tell the kids. When you want to mix quality denim and easy to wear lifestyle pieces, this is the place I recommend you start. Especially denim, the team specialises in great on-trend fits as well as classic shapes. I’ve found any number of styles make their way into my everyday wardrobe. And the best part? Because they’re made of quality fabrics, they’re going to last better than anything you get at cheap competitors stores.
Shop the 17 Sundays range here.
Cotton On Curve
A new addition to the Cotton On (Typo, rubi, Supre) family is the range of Cotton On clothing in Curve. Stocking sizes 16 – 24 in a range of on-trend items that are both seasonal and affordable, but wearable long after the season is done. You’ll get everything here from Jeans to Swimwear, graphic tees to basic loungewear. If your teen is sick of not being able to wear the same cool, causal clothes as their friends, this is a range you want to check out. Not so bad for us oldies either, I featured a number of these items in my casual capsule wardrobe post.
Shop the Cotton On range here.
Rebdolls
Don’t be afraid fo the slinky fits or sexy shapes on their Instagram account; I assure you this is a teen-friendly brand. Haha. Find anything from casual dresses, t-shirt, light denim and more at this cheap and cheerful online store. It’s a USA based store, but just switch the currency over to AUD when you arrive and you’ll know where you stand price-wise. I love this shop for casual tees and fun items you just can’t find anywhere else.
Shop the Rebdolls range online here.
Misguided
My fashion-forward friends in blog world turned me on to Misguided Plus and they were so right. By all accounts, the sizing is generous, especially in the styles designed to be oversized. Check out the charts and online reviews because you may find that you need to size down here on some items and upon others. I like to compare this range to the festival chic styling of Sportsgirl with the added punk you just can’t buy here. Loads of cool items that will raise your fashion game no matter your size.
Shop the Misguided Plus range on their site here.
City Chic
A larger store with a range of clothing, underwear, sports and activewear, City Chic offers a few ‘in-house’ brands that cater to different styles and they’re always incorporating on-trend pieces that are made of higher-quality materials compared to a lot of the big brands. They have a great range of denim and boots too. All the good stuff.
Shop the new-season City Chic range here.
ASOS Curve
A great one-stop-shop for a range of styles, brands and sizes. Plus, if your teen identifies as a boy, there’s an entire section for plus-size men too! Easily one of my favourite places to shop. When I found ASOS Curve at the beginning of my style journey, it was like the world had changed. I’d never been able to find the clothing that suited my style; in fact, I had no idea what my style really was until I could start to explore it with clothing that fits me. Your teen might just find themselves there too.
Shop the ASOS Curve range online here.
Happy shopping!
A little note about your plus size teen if you’re a parent, guardian or concerned adult-type person. Leave them alone. That’s my hot tip. Live well, be an example and leave them alone. I don’t know if you’ve ever been the fat kid, but when you remind them they’re different, you aren’t telling them anything they didn’t know. I speak from experience. We KNOW we don’t fit in and sometimes that hurts. So be cool, love us and let your ideas about what we ‘should be’ go. And finally, if they’re not that into clothes, that’s okay too. It’s hard to care when you feel like you are constantly being excluded from a conversation.
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Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.
Well written blog. Thanks for sharing list .
Thanks, team.
Swakdesigns.com has super cute clothes for teens and juniors as well as adults!
Thanks Morgan! Much appreciated.
Hey Shoog, how long, generally, do orders from Missguided take to get to you?
The girls all agree, 3 to 5 days.
Awesome post and very resourceful!
So true about just leaving plus size teens alone. There’s enough going on in their highly emotionally volatile lives. The last thing they need is to have their bodies up for scrutiny.
Thank you Grace! I had hoped so. And I know I’m right, I was that teenager, that much focus on my body when it felt out of place for even me was never going to be a good thing.
Hi!
So Torrid sizes are Aus sizes, not US?
And re: leaving them alone – I couldn’t have said it any better. I was a plus-size teenager (160-190lbs, 5’6″, in the Philippines where everyone was 110lbs and 5’2″!) and mostly I just rebelled because everyone was telling me I was fat and I should lose weight.
I wish I had an Aunty Suger back then!
My experience has been that I wear an AU 22/24 I wear the same size at Torrid. That includes shoes, AU11, Torrid 11. Some items have more give than others, like the jeggings style jeans, some I have in a 20 based on reviews. Read the reviews, check online for blogger reviews and then make your best guess, as usual, online shopping can be tricky.
I hear you, I wish I could’ve been there, but there’s freedom in rebelling against these ideas from a young age, you break the chains and get to be yourself. That’s the upside to never fitting in, freedom from fitting in. 😉
I wrote more about that here and on the linked guest post if you’re interested. http://sugercoatit.com/talking-about-appearance-diversity/
I was a tall teenager, which was mortifyingly embarrassing for me at the time. I wasnt allowed to wear short skirts (Daddy said so!) and the only skirts that didnt look super short on me were dowdy mid calf length ones… A teenagers nightmare. Then by the time I grew into my height about 6th form, my ass expanded. Another reason to be embarrassed by my body. I couldnt find jeans that fit in the length, waist AND ass department simultaneously. And being older and more rebellious, I decided that short skirts were the go, to my fathers disdain.
I am so glad there are more options out there these days for different body types, and for all different types of teenage bodies too. The fun of being a teenager is experimenting and learning about what fits you as the person you are becoming. I was definitely a ‘different’ teenager, in more ways than just my long legs and larger than average ass! And if it werent for my mother fighting for my right to experiment with my clothes, hair, music (she did give me a few solid boundaries!) I would still be trying to figure out who I am.
It’s such an awkward time, confidence or not, there’s bits growing and shifting, stretching and widening. I mean, the least you can do is be able to buy clothes that fit. And thank goodness for more options. WAY MORE. Thanks for sharing your story hun, your Mum was certainly on to something.
Brilliant advice at the end there – and very handy post in general. I have a tallish girl who is bigger than some (though by no means huge) and it can be really hard to find tshirts that are long enough and shorts that don’t ‘ride up’ etc. Will definitely be checking out these sites. Thanks!
You’re so welcome Lara. And it’s true right? I think some people find it hard not to let kids and teens just be. Good luck shopping team.