I have a big butt and I cannot lie.

February 4, 2009 9:09 PM

What does a size 18 American girl wear to Milan, fashion capital of Italy?

In March, I'll be staying with my cousin in Milan for a week. She's rooming with three other Italian girls, all of whom attend university for fashion at Politecnico Di Milano Facolta Del Design. Eep! What can I add to my pathetic wardrobe between now and late March to make me look non-touristy? I'm a size 18, and that usually limits me to Old Navy, Gap, and Target occasionally. What do you suggest so those girls don't lump me into the country-bumpkin-from-America box?

Also, secondary and cheating-ish question: Will I be able to find any clothing in Italy anywhere in Milan?

posted by santojulieta to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 comments total)

I would follow one of two paths:

1. Wear black - lots of it. And then get yourself some wonderful, very bold and eye-catching accessories to add a confident I-know-what-I'm-doing postscript to the look. A big pair of sunglasses, such as, and colourful bits - a great bag, such as, and beads, such as,... or wear a bright red or orange lipstick.

2. If I was feeling particularly sassy, I would go the Beth Ditto route and find some great vintage dresses, and go wildly colourful.

Hoist yourself onto the scene - don't go there cringing as though you owe Milan an apology. Just make a plan, then say to yourself "I know exactly what I'm doing" and slay 'em.
posted by lottie at 9:54 PM on February 4 [3 favorites has favorites]

I forgot to say... with look number 1, spend the money on the accessories. You can't really go wrong with black, and it measn you don't have to think too hard when pulling things out of a bag to dress in the morning. I wear black on black on black when I can't think of anything better because I don't have to think so hard. The secret is to have on point accessories to add a kick to it.
posted by lottie at 9:56 PM on February 4

I'm a size 18, and that usually limits me to Old Navy, Gap, and Target occasionally.

Actually, it doesn't if you're able to spend more cash. Try IGIGI, b&lu, Jones New York, and the Semantiks line at Nordstrom's. Also, try heading over to Nordstrom's in person to see the cuts/styles that flatter you most. Get a few solid pieces that truly flatter you and that you love (a black pencil skirt, well cut trousers, a fitted jacket) that you can mix with a range of other pieces. If you're on a tight budget, look for local consignments that cater to plus sizes; the good ones tightly edit their inventories and offer significant discounts on high-quality clothing. (Also check out Manolo for the Big Girl and their blogroll for more ideas/discounts.) You can be beautifully dressed at your size, guaranteed. I'll be interested to see the answers to your Milan question. Have a beautiful trip!
posted by melissa may at 10:00 PM on February 4 [4 favorites has favorites]

Whoops, I forgot to mention that as far as options local to you go, Vive la Femme looks particularly promising. Tell the staff about your trip -- I'm sure they'll love giving you some advice.
posted by melissa may at 10:15 PM on February 4

Seconding black, black and more black. Then you won't look like you're trying.
posted by rokusan at 10:20 PM on February 4

Target has some super cute and bright trenches right now. A bit of flash over an all-black outfit would be perfect. Get a scarf or two as well - skinny and long, or really thin and wide (like cotton mesh, almost), maybe in an ombre or fashionable grey.

And shoes. What kind of shoes do you have? They need to be comfortable for long walks in the city, but even an okay black outfit can be seriously kicked up (groan) a notch with some killer shoes or boots.
posted by barnone at 10:23 PM on February 4

I'd keep it as simple as possible:

On the Bottom
dark jeans tucked into boots, dark straight leg jeans with flats or heels, wide-leg jeans with heels, right-above-the-knee-length skirt or dress with dark tights and boots/flats/heels

On the Top
flattering black/navy sweater/knit shirt or trendy button down (plaid is back), scarf (whatever weight is appropriate for the weather, it will probably still be a bit chilly), well-fitting jacket (probably a bomber-style leather jacket could work), big sunglasses, over the shoulder purse

Neutral, dark colors for most things, if you want to add some visual interest do it to the scarf, purse or shoes. This is as much for ease of travel packing as it is for blending in fashion-wise.

Definitely avoid: medium or light wash jeans, especially flared/bell bottom leg, north face-style jackets, most sneakers (Italians do love their fashion sneakers, but I think it's hard to pull off), clunky shoes, backpacks or messenger bags, regular t-shirts

As for shopping, Benetton/Sisley is the big Italian chain. Plus you'll find Zara and H&M and other big European chains. I don't know what they have for larger sizes, though -- I know I've seen some of the big city H&Ms with plus-size clothes. But you'll definitely find lots of cool accessories -- shoes, scarves, sunglasses, purses, jewelry, etc! Maybe cute undergarments as well -- there are lots of underwear and hosiery stores (Intimissi, Tezemis).
posted by wsquared at 10:26 PM on February 4

Black with a scarf like this. What's your jewelry style?
posted by barnone at 10:26 PM on February 4

Macy's Plus Size has a lot of nice stuff. As does Bloomingdale's Plus Sizes though those are somewhat pricier (though Macy's can be great with sales). New York and Company is very nice, they go up to size 18 and are usually decently cheap (sales all the time and sign up for their mailing list or whatever it is and they send coupons all the time). As for finding clothing there, I can't speak about Milan, but in Rome and Florence I was unable to find much at all in larger sizes. As for the lingerie shops, I would read up on their sizing system so you may have more luck than I did.
posted by miscbuff at 11:29 PM on February 4

Black is a great minimiser, if you're worried about your size, but fashion is about, well, fashion. I think that you'll find that being unfashionable is a greater sin than being a big girl. Wear what's fashionable and flattering, and is a style that flows naturally from you and your personality... not what's black.

The all black look is kinda past it. You'll look slim, but a bit past it from a fashion standpoint.

Here's a site with spring 09 trends from Milan, to give you an idea of what you might be seeing: (sorry for the link but I'm too undercaffeinated to html it and my autolink thing isn't working in mefi) http://girldir.com/fashion-trends/milan-fashion-week-spring-2009-trends

Purple, dark grey, bright red seem to be the trend colours - teal is still in, depending on teh fabric, but it seems to be edging its way out the colour spectrum. Tartan prints, steampunk/corsets, poofy bows at necklines, 40's touches. Yellow, if it suits your colouring.

But not all black. Unless that's already your style!
posted by Grrlscout at 12:01 AM on February 5

Big sunglasses and lipgloss, with well-cut pants in black (or chocolate or charcoal if you never wear black), great boots with a low heel, and a cheap and cheerful flowy top in whatever style/colour is most fashionable this season - that's the formula I use for an outfit that's appropriate for nearly anywhere except the beach or the opera. If you're going someplace casual, dark-coloured jeans will do, if you're a denim kind of girl. No t-shirts if you're hanging around fashionistas or going anyplace really nice.

Then you just get a bunch of the cheap tops to play with. Spend your money on the pants and boots and a great handbag that goes with (not match, exactly, but they should look right together) your boots.

The *big sunnies* are key: they give you that sort of incognito, "I'm just too fabulous but I don't want attention right now, darling" look that justifies your lack of to-the-minute, super-expensive clothes. Have your hair done just before you go too. Then when you get there, ask your cousin and her friends where the best places to go are, I bet they'll love giving you advice on the best shops, etc.

I've found the website You Look Fab to be really helpful for learning how to look 'together' even when you're too busy to pay too much attention to your appearance, which I hope you will be on your holiday! Once you're confident that you look ok, you can forget about it and have an awesome time with your cousin.
posted by harriet vane at 1:57 AM on February 5

To keep from looking like the clueless American cousin, avoid jeans until you get a feel for how they wear jeans there. Dress essentially casual Friday-- not too dressy (until you get the lay of the land,) and absolutely no tshirts, no running shoes, for pity's sake no fanny pack. Also, for some reason,in my experience, Europeans seem to assume that if you're in a skirt you're not an American. I think the early suggestion upthread is great-- black (or really any single color you look good in) with killer accessories. Buy shoes and bag there.

I think Americans get this reputation for not being stylish because the unstylish ones stick out. The stylish ones, or even just the ordinary ones, are just blending in.
posted by nax at 2:22 AM on February 5

Will I be able to find any clothing in Italy anywhere in Milan?
Yes. Marina Rinaldi, a plus-size designer range (which is part of the Max Mara group), has 3 branches. (I can't find a working link right now, but the anti-fur lobby has a store locator here.) To my mind these clothes are outrageously expensive and fugly but YMMV. Elena Miro, another plus-size Italian designer, is more affordable and also has 3 branches. Even if you can't afford the clothes in either shop, you can ask other customers where else to try. You might also try H&M: in theory the sizing goes up to a US16 but it seems to me the sizing is abitrary. They also have a plus-size range BiB (Big is Beautiful), but according to the site none of the Milan stores carry it - it's available in some other Italian cities but not worth the detour I don't think.

American tourists are very visible in Europe. I would avoid tracksuits/leisurewear, sneakers and too much white/light-coloured casual clothing. I think that part of the issue is that the sunlight is different and US clothing tends to look rather brash in the softer Northen European sunlight. Also US tastes in clothes seem to me to be less formal than in Europe.
posted by boudicca at 3:20 AM on February 5

I think that part of the issue is that the sunlight is different and US clothing tends to look rather brash in the softer Northen European sunlight.

what

My wife is plus-sized, and when we went to Milan recently there was just nothing there for her in terms of clothes. Could she have found something that fit in one of the chains boudicca mentions? Maybe, but struggling to fit into unfamiliar-sized clothes is not her idea of a vacation. Instead she focused her shopping energy on jewelry and accessories.

As far as the fashion advice goes, people are right with the suggestions of black and other dark colors, big sunglasses, and jeans tucked into boots. One thing I will add is SCARVES. Everyone wears a scarf when it is even slightly chilly out, and we felt practically naked without them (especially Ms. Steady). Try not to stress out too much about "fitting in" style wise. People will probably be able to tell you are not a native no matter what you do, so just wear stuff that you are comfortable in, but would not be embarrassed to wear over to a boyfriend's house to meet his family or something.

Oh, almost forgot -- COMFORTABLE SHOES. There are lots of cobblestones.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:35 AM on February 5 [2 favorites has favorites]

The population of Milan is about 2 million people, including the metro area that probably becomes around 8 million, and in my experience not all of them are vapid, judgmental, stick-like fashion models!

Anyway, as far as local shopping goes, boudicca has excellent advice, your size should be an european 52 (which you should be able to find in most larger stores anyway) and here and here are two lists of stores that sell almost exclusively "taglie forti" ("big size", that's what you should look into). As you can see, there's quite a few.
posted by _dario at 4:44 AM on February 5

Yes, comfortable shoes is a must, but do try to find stylish ones... flat soled shoes that fit your feet well, but still look chic. I especially like the ones that kind of look like the fancy toe of a high heel but are actually flat. Very dressy, looks great with your pants -- even jeans are dressed up. Your sneakers you should leave at home.

Scarves, jewelry and shoes fit everyone! Purses too! The shoe selection will be amazing, you could find yourself a gorgeous pair. If you're wearing classic looking clothes, a few accessories can dress you up instantly and effortlessly. It's so nice the MeFites know some places for you to shop for bigger clothes, but I don't know how hard you want to look for those stores -- odds are low that they're in downtown Milan. Keep your spirits up and enjoy shopping for accessories wherever you want!
posted by lizbunny at 6:16 AM on February 5

I'm late to the party, but I'm a US size 16-18 and I travel to Italy frequently (but haven't been to Milan yet). I have spent a lot of time in Florence, though, which is also a fashionable city, and they do have some stores such as the aforementioned Marina Rinaldi that carry plus sizes. (I too find most MR clothes to be kind of... matronly, but they do have some knee-high boots with an extended calf size that are gorgeous). I have, to date, only purchased accessories when shopping in Italy because I assumed that I would not find anything in my size, so I packed accordingly and brought enough clothing for each trip.

I'll nth the suggestions not to wear light-colored jeans, big sneakers, or t-shirts. The level of casual dressing there is a little more formal. Nice dark casual pants with a straight leg, flattering tops, a great trench coat, comfortable yet stylish shoes (I wouldn't wear pointy heels on the cobblestones, but a small wedge heel would work), and a great bag and scarf. The point about scarves is a good one - everyone wears them and it's an easy way to add color and interest to your look.
posted by bedhead at 6:28 AM on February 5