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Big Girl in a Skinny World: Tips for Finding the Perfect Little Black Dress

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Big Girl in a Skinny World: Tips for Finding the Perfect Little Black Dress

Hi Ladies:

This week Alice from Cantu, Texas says:

Hi Ashley, I’m a 17, 5'6 size 18-20 plus size girl, and I was wondering if you have any tips for "the perfect little black dress" for big girls like us. What should I look for, and any ideas on where I could find it for an affordable price? And how should I glam it up for parties and formal occasions?

Alice, the little black dress is by far one of the most important items in any girls’ closet (plus-size or not). When shopping for your LBD, you want to keep a few things in mind.

1) Fit. You want the dress to fit perfectly. Too tight and it will look like it was painted on, and too loose will actually make you look bigger than you are.

2) Cut. Not everything black is slimming. The cut should compliment your curves.

3) Occasion. Invest in at least 2 LBD’s: A casual T-shirt dress and a dressier cocktail option.

A few options that I am currently loving are: Ann Taylor’s Ponte V-Back Sheath Dress, ASOS Cap Sleeve Ponte Dress, INC’s Sleeveless Fringe Plus Size Dress and Calvin Klein’s Cap-Sleeved Dress. To dress up a LBD add some killer heels and a statement piece of jewelry like JCREW’s Shadow Facet Necklace. To tone your LBD down a notch, throw on a cardigan and pair it with some ballet flats. Remember, if the fit is great and you love the dress, don’t be afraid to spend a little more money on it. This classic item will be sure to give you your moneys worth. Let me know how it goes!

-Ashley
Your BIG GIRL IN A SKINNY WORLD

Email Ashley here!
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Join the Marie Claire team as they jet set around the globe for New York, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks, where they'll dish on the latest fashion and beauty news, tips, trends, and dirt straight from the front row.

About the Authors

Elana

Elana Fishman is Marie Claire's credits editor and fashion news assistant. When she's not hunting down shopping info for bags and baubles, she's scouring flea markets for vintage designer goodies and catching up on the 25+ blogs she reads daily. She loves nothing more than tulip skirts, Arcade Fire, and Momofuku's cornflake-marshmallow cookies.

Full bio Find all posts by Elana Contact Elana

Ashley

Ashley Falcon is a fashion stylist and Marie Claire's plus-size columnist. She's proof that fashionistas come in all shapes and sizes as she blogs about her favorite fashion finds, giving advice on dressing for your shape, and answering reader questions.

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Kate

Kate Schweitzer is the senior web editor of Marie Claire. She loves traveling (even back to her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri), eating candy, cheating at Scrabble, and watching TV — so much so that she is a writer for Chaos Theory and Handsome Town, two web comedy series from Emmy-winning PhoebeTV.

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Koryn

Koryn Kennedy is Marie Claire's associate web editor. She believes in limited use of both personal pronouns and self-tanner, is a coffee snob and a Brooklyn boutique aficionado. Having grown up in Europe, she's never "from around here." Her writing has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sun Sentinel, Esquire.com, Premiere.com, and other movie and culture blogs.

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