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On-line Vendors

Tera writes,

On the topic of Too Much Fabric. I’m 5’2″, pear shaped, on the smaller side. I ordered a few dresses from eShakti (love!). Two of them have full skirts – and I feel like I’m being swallowed up in all that fabric. Is there anything I can do about that? Can the fabric be taken in somehow?

Dear Tera,
I have been experimenting with various vendors this past year as I transition away from occasionally trying to desperately find something that fits and flatters me in the retail stores to NEVER, EVER shopping in stores.

I have tried Eloqui, eShakti, and Modcloth, all of which have great choices for plus size gals, and the latter two of which allow you to customize your garments. All of them accept returns.

I love Eloqui. Their clothes run a bit snug but they have very sophisticated options and good sales.

I am a fan of ModCloth. Good quality, good customer service.

I am not having good luck with eShakti. They have great customer service but their garments take a long time to arrive since they’re coming from India. The clothing is really lovely and well-made but always seems to have one very ill-fitting feature; say, super tight armholes or an overabundance of fabric in the bust. I, too, have ordered a skirt and a dress which arrived with a far fuller skirt than I could ever make use of (perhaps pillow cases out of the excess fabric?). I have determined that even though the customer can specify her height in the order, the fullness of the garment is the same for a 6′ and a 5’2″ gal. Since many of the cutest eShakti styles are that retro flavor full-skirt look, we short gals are winding up with too much bulk. Yes, by all means get to a tailor and have them take it in.

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Color, Fun Shoe, Snappy Pastor

Yours Truly received this photo from a devoted pigeon, with this explanation,

This is Callie Plunket-Brewton, mother of three, PhD in Old Testament, and campus chaplain for the University if North Alabama, among other things. She is maybe 4’1″ tall. Note the great heels. The jacket was much more flattering in person–polished cotton. The hair cut is growing out. It wasn’t meant to be that short.

I know I can speak for all of us when I say we love and appreciate these photos of clergy in action. To me, this priest looks like she has a touch of whimsy about her, and that’s great. However, she isn’t going overboard with the cute. She’s dressed professionally and appropriately. Her clericals look great with her jacket. She is letting the color and fantastic cut of the jacket do a lot of the talking for her and not over-doing the vibrancy factor by piling on lots of other eye-pulling details until you get to her feet, where you see those adorable shoes. And the reason you see them is that Callie actually HAD HER PANTS HEMMED TO THE CORRECT LENGTH. One more half inch of length or width and she’d be in trouble.

The lines of her clothes are classic, the fit is good (she’s a petite gal, so she has to keep her eye on volume so she doesn’t seem to be drowning in fabric), she looks like an adult, but she’s not staid or generic. This is harder to pull of than it looks.

I want to say something about the generous cut of the slacks. I LOVE them. They are so much more sophisticated than the slimmer cut slacks that I see a lot of clergy wearing out there (and worlds more flattering than the dreaded capri). I’m particularly excited to see a very petite woman wearing these so well.

Blessings on you, Callie! Thanks for sharing and allowing us to shine up a Halo of Praise and place it on your busy minister’s head.

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Petite Religion Prof

Here’s a DI-lemmer, chickadees!

I do not serve in an ordained capacity – I teach undergrad religion courses at a denominational liberal arts college while I am completing my dissertation at [Big Name Div School] – but I do consider the vocation of such teaching to be an important reflection of both the church which as called me and the God whom we serve. So, I really appreciate the advice on your blog.

I have a question about finding age-approriate, professional-looking clothing in small (but NOT petite) sizes on a grad-student/adjunct professor salary. I am not tall, but I guess taller than average at 5’6″, and I can sometimes hold up a size 4. But sometimes not. Clothing manufacturers seem to assume that to be my size means to be either pre-pubescent or geriatric. I rarely have the liberty of being particular about the style of clothes – I struggle to just find something that will stay on.

I have learned that skirts work better than pants. But I’d love suggestions on places that sell nice clothes in small sizes at regular lengths.

Thanks for all you do. You are not only helpful but an absolute delight to read.

Grace and Peace,
D.

Hi D,
Hey, first of all, did you check the petite section archives? I know you’re not a petite gal in height, but there might be some good conversations there that address your fitting challenges.

The trick, which I assume you have figured out already, is to know which manufacturers cut clothes really slim. Top Shop in the UK is one store but you’re in the U.S. so that’s not very helpful. Have you tried H&M? They seem to cut clothes for slim figures. Let me post this on the blog and see what the readers come up with. What you want is body-conscious designers at a good retail rate that you can find at TJ Maxx or Filene’s (or whatever discount stores you have in xxx) so you can go in and not waste time trying on garments that are cut more generously. You can zip through the racks and go, “Ah, yes, Calvin Klein cuts things really close to the bod, let me yank this sucker and try it on.”
Fabrics and material are super important for you, too. Look for a bit of spandex in everything you wear so that garments don’t go all floppy. Belts are also great for super slim gals; look into a kind of heavy cowboy-ish belt to wear with pants and skirts, they look amazing on really lanky bods.

Work toward a long, lean look. The lean, you already got. The long means that you don’t chop your body up with heavy tweedy blazers or chunky sweaters. Go for long, lean and elegant but not boring. Make sure you’ve got some volume in your hair. Wear it up and messy if that’s possible. And girl, send me a photo!!

Skirts are indeed a good idea, and I would think you could totally rock out the maxi skirt look. The trick is to find simple clothes that fit well on your willowy frame and ground them with heftier pieces like belts, boots and bold jewelry.

Let me know if this helps. Smooches, PB

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Lean Gal

We got ourselves a lanky professor here! Read on, pardners!

I do not serve in an ordained capacity – I teach undergrad religion courses at a denominational liberal arts college while I am completing my dissertation at [X] Divinity – but I do consider the vocation of such teaching to be an important reflection of both the church which as called me and the God whom we serve. So, I really appreciate the advice on your blog.

I have a question about finding
age-approriate, professional-looking clothing in small (but NOT petite) sizes on a grad-student/adjunct professor salary. I am not tall, but I guess taller than average at 5’6″, and I can sometimes hold up a size 4. But sometimes not. Clothing manufacturers seem to assume that to be my size means to be either pre-pubescent or geriatric. I rarely have the liberty of being particular about the style of clothes – I struggle to just find something that will stay on.

I have learned that skirts work better than pants. But I’d love suggestions on places that sell nice clothes in small sizes at regular lengths.

Thanks for all you do. You are not only helpful but an absolute delight to read.

Well, thanks, doll. You’re a delight to write for.

Here’s what I said to her,

Hi D,
Hey, first of all, did you check the petite section archives on the blog? I know you’re not a petite gal in height, but there might be some good conversations there that address your fitting challenges.

The trick, which I assume you have figured out already, is to know which manufacturers cut clothes really slim. Top Shop in the UK is one store but you’re in the U.S. so that’s not very helpful. Have you tried H&M? They seem to cut clothes for slim figures. Let me post this on the blog and see what the readers come up with. What you want is body-conscious designers at a good retail rate that you can find at TJ Maxx or Filene’s (or whatever discount stores you have in XcityX) so you can go in and not waste time trying on garments that are cut more generously. You can zip through the racks and go, “Ah, yes, Calvin Klein cuts things really close to the bod, let me yank this sucker and try it on.”

Fabrics and material are super important for you, too. Look for a bit of spandex in everything you wear so that garments don’t go all floppy. Belts are also great for super slim gals; look into a kind of heavy cowboy-ish belt to wear with pants and skirts, they look amazing on really lanky bods.

Work toward a long, lean look. The lean, you already got. The long means that you don’t chop your body up with heavy tweedy blazers or chunky sweaters. Go for long, lean and elegant but not boring. Make sure you’ve got some volume in your hair. Wear it up and messy if that’s possible. And girl, send me a photo!!

Skirts are indeed a good idea, and I would think you could totally rock out the maxi skirt look. The trick is to find simple clothes that fit well on your willowy frame and ground them with heftier pieces like belts, boots and bold jewelry.

Let me know if this helps. Smooches, Vicki

So what do you say, extra slimmy pigeons? Who makes the best clothes for your figure?

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Be Careful of Sweetsy-Cutesy

I like a little edgy with floral. Aside from the frumpiness issue, I see some clergy women in great clothes who look like they’re dressed up like little dolls. It’s something that petite, pretty women have to consider. You don’t want to get too Emma Pillsbury:

She has FANTASTIC clothes and is adorable, but she’s a cliche character on a wacky TV show. Real life women need to be careful not to get too sweetsy-cutesy:

Watch for things that are all buttoned up and princess-lined. Go with the classics. See how much more adult this tailored look is?


Even in black and white, this is too girlish. Young clergywomen, don’t do this! I don’t care if you still want to “look young.” If you’re a minister, wear this on vacation.

Black with a touch of bold color. Fabulous. Chic. Professional.