How did you choose the size range you feature on the site?
The focus of our shopping guide is women who wear between a straight size 12 and a plus size 24. We find that these women have unique concerns in the clothing market, and that a straight size 12 shopper may have similar difficulties to a plus size 18 customer.

Research has shown that 10.9 percent of women in this country wear a size 14, 10.8 percent wear a 12, and 9.2 percent wear a size 16. This means that more than 30 percent of the US female population wears a size 12-16.

We call this group "limbo shoppers" - women who sometimes struggle to fit into straight sizes but aren't quite plus size. They often have as hard of a time finding clothing as true plus size women do - but they are generally overlooked as a group in need of information. Overall, more than 48 percent of women wear a 12 or larger.

Lisa Alpern, this site's founder, is a plus size woman and former limbo sized woman. Her personal struggles have helped to define the target customer for this website.

What does "plus size" mean?
Plus size is a term that seems hard to define. In clothing terms, it generally refers to merchandise that starts at a size 14W. The W stands for women, as plus sizes are also called "women's sizes" which is as confusing as it sounds.

Traditionally, plus size garments have a much looser silhouette than straight size clothes and are less form fitting. Often even the smallest sizes in a plus size store will have an allowance for a large chest. Plus size fashion is evolving, and many brands are becoming more stylish and body conscious, but most of the mass merchandise plus clothing is still a little bit on the loose side.

Plus size clothing is generally not sold alongside straight size clothing. Generally brands sell only one or the other (ex: Bebe, a straight size store, only goes up to a size 12, and Lane Bryant, a plus size store, only starts at 14.) Some brands do make some of the exact same items available in both plus and straight sizes (INC is an example) but they are found on different floors of department stores. Certain brands, such as Fashion Bug carry both plus and straight size clothing in one store, but they separate it into different sections.

What does "straight size" mean?
Straight sizes, also called "missy" sizes, are those that are commonly carried in standard women's clothing stores. Generally, this size range runs from a 0 or 2 to a 14 in even sizes (2,4,6,8….). Many people refer to this size range as "normal" or "regular" sizes, but when 40 percent of women in this country wear a 12/14 or above, how is a 2 or even a 6 normal? So on our site, you will see this size range referred to as straight sizes.

Then what are "extended straight sizes"? Aren't those just plus sizes?
Extended straight sizes are NOT the same as plus sizes in clothing. Standard missy sizing generally goes up to a 14, sometimes a 16. The GAP carries up to a size 18 or 20 - but it's a 20 "missy" not a 20 "women's" or plus size.

There is a 2 size difference between a missy garment and a plus size garment. If you are size 20 in The GAP, you are most likely a size 16 in Lane Bryant or other plus size store. Therefore we call a store like GAP "extended straight size" because even though it does not carrying plus size merchandise, it will fit some plus size people.

Why do plus size clothes fit so different from straight size clothes of the same (or similar) size?
A fit model for a store like Old Navy wears a size 4 or 6 and the clothing is graded up based on her proportions. A plus size store, like Lane Bryant, uses a size 16 or 18 fit model and grades on her proportions. The bust-waist-hip ratio of a 4 and a size 16 are not going to be the same because as people get larger, their bodies tend to expand more at one point (like bust or hips) than at all 3 points. Also, a lot of plus size stores still cut their clothing very boxy and not body skimming, because they think that is what their customer wants. As a result, your clothing might fit differently in straight size and plus size stores, even when both garments come in your "size".

Is there a difference between an XL and 1X?
First, see the question above (plus sizes vs. straight sizes). In general, an XL is a straight size, and 1X is a plus size. However, different stores have different ideas about this.

XL is one of the loosest terms seen in clothing. At Bebe, an XL might fit a 10/12. At Banana Republic an XL might fit a 14/16. At another store, it might fit an 18/20. In some plus brands, they make XL the equivalent to a 0X. Always try things on if you aren't familiar with how the brand fits. If you are shopping online, make sure to check the size charts to see if they have the measurements (bust, waist, hips) for each of those sizes.

Why do I wear different sizes from different stores/brands?
First, make sure you have read about straight sizes vs plus sizes and about extended straight sizes vs. plus sizes. If you already know all that, here is what you might not know.

There is no standardization in women's clothing sizes. It is up to each store, brand, designer and patternmaker how they want to size and label their clothing. You could be a size 12 in one store, a 14 in another, and a 16 in another. It also depends on the way the garment is cut. Some brands may cut generous in the hips but with a tighter bust. Others may do just the opposite. More traditional brands like Lane Bryant cut their clothing much wider than a younger, more fashion forward brand like Torrid does. Depending on your build, A 1X top at Lane Bryant could be too long or too baggy on you, especially if you have a small bust. Go the next day to Torrid and you might have to buy a 2X top, and it still fits kind of tight.

Fabrics also play a role in the way clothing fits. Anything with even a pinch of lycra/spandex is going to be more clingy and fitted to the body, but might stretch out to accommodate a larger person. A material like linen may often be used in looser fit silhouettes, but it doesn't "give" (have stretch to it) so you can't squeeze yourself into it. These aren't the only fabrics that can affect fit. If you want to learn more about different fabrics, take a look at our fabric guide.

What's the deal with juniors and juniors plus?
Juniors clothing is generally designed with teens in mind. To differentiate it from missy clothing, juniors sizing runs on odd sizes (1,3,5) and the largest size you will generally find is a 13. You will often find that a juniors garment and a missy garment of similar size (11 vs 12) will fit differently, with juniors running smaller and cut narrower in the hips.

Many companies have recognized that teens are getting bigger, and have started making "Juniors Plus" or extended size juniors merchandise. Extended junior sizes can run up to a 17, 19, or larger. Plus size juniors merchandise can get as big as 4X, but it will not fit like a 4X in a woman's store. It will have a tighter fit and a more body conscious silhouette. Keep that in mind if you are shopping in the juniors department.

How come you carry large size shoes? Do plus size people have plus size feet?
This is a question that gets asked a lot. There are plus size girls with size 7 narrow feet. There are girls that are a size 6 in clothes and wear a size 10 wide shoe. Being plus size is not always an indicator of what will happen to your feet.

Some people put weight on differently. They used to wear regular widths, and now need wide widths. Some women's feet get larger after pregnancy. Others swell from the pressure that their body weight is putting on their feet. Still others are just tall or big boned and happen to have big or wide feet. Whatever the reason, we figured we'd include shoes for those of you out there with special shoe needs.

If you don't have large feet, you can still find some great items in our shoe section like wide calf boots. Many women struggle to find great boots that will stretch over their calves. We also list a lot of sites like Anywears and Uggs that make shoes that are really comfortable and supportive, as well as stylish, for those of you with foot pain.

Why don't you have information about super sizes?
Let's start by defining super sizes, which are extended plus sizes - generally clothing that starts at a 26/28 or larger. Beauty Plus Power has chosen to focus on women who wear from a straight size 12 to a plus size 24. Many of the sites featured have clothing in a broader range than that. There are sites listed here that carry clothing for size 2s, and those that carry clothes for size 32. But generally speaking, standard plus size lines only go up to a size 24 or 26. We decided to focus on the range that is generally available in standard plus merchandise.

Why doesn't "X" company make plus size clothes?
We don't know! We wish everyone made clothes for our sizes, but many don't, for various reasons. Here at Beauty Plus Power, we love lines Dolce & Gabbana, Betsey Johnson and Marc Jacobs. But sadly they don't make merchandise in our size!

If you have a clothing line that you love, we encourage you to find their address or e-mail them and ask why they don't carry larger sizes. Let them know that they are missing out on some big money! If you want some statistics to include in your letter, check them out here.

Are clothing sizes the same in other countries?
Nope! Each country has their own numbering system for clothing sizes. Below is a size chart that should help you understand how to shop for clothes in the countries featured on this site. It is important to keep in mind that these are basic guidelines, and that they may differ slightly by clothing line. But basically, UK clothing is marked about 1 size larger than US clothes (a US 4 is a UK 6) and Australia is about 2 sizes larger (a US 4 is an AU 8).