Finding plus size clothing in New Zealand has come a long way, but finding clothes you genuinely love wearing can still be harder than it should be.
At Friday Flamingo, we believe getting dressed should be the fun part. Your wardrobe should work for your life, your style and the things you actually want to wear, whether that’s a great dress, an oversized shirt, easy denim or something a little more special.
So if you’re building a wardrobe from scratch, refreshing what you already own, or simply trying to work out what’s missing, here’s where we’d start.
Start with the pieces you actually wear
Forget the idea that everyone needs the same list of “wardrobe essentials”.
If you never wear blazers, you don't need three of them because somebody on the internet told you they're essential. If you practically live in dresses, build your wardrobe around dresses.
Look at what you reach for again and again. Those pieces tell you far more about your personal style than any checklist ever will.
For some women, that might be easy dresses and sneakers. For others, it’s wide-leg pants, a tee and an oversized jacket. Your wardrobe should make sense for you.
Find a great dress
A good dress can do a lot of heavy lifting in your wardrobe.
An easy midi or maxi can work with sneakers during the day, sandals in summer, boots and a jacket when it cools down, or dressed up when you need something a little more special.
When you're shopping for plus size dresses in NZ, look beyond just the number on the tag. Think about fabric, stretch, length, pockets, how the bust sits and whether the shape actually works for the way you like to dress.
Build around tops you can wear more than one way
This is where you can get a lot more wear out of your wardrobe.
A great shirt can be worn buttoned, open over a tee or dress, tucked into a skirt, paired with jeans or thrown over swimwear in summer.
The same goes for tees and easy tops. Rather than buying something for one particular outfit, think about what you already own that you could wear it with.
[SHOP PLUS SIZE TOPS →]
Add denim that works with everything
Denim is one of those pieces that can completely change the way the rest of your wardrobe works.
A pair of jeans you genuinely enjoy wearing gives you an easy base for shirts, tees, knits and jackets. An oversized denim jacket can be thrown over dresses, skirts or pants and worn across seasons.
And yes, plus size denim should be designed with plus size bodies in mind from the beginning, not simply graded up from a much smaller size.
Don't save your favourite clothes for “later”
This one matters to us.
Don't build a wardrobe for the body you might have one day. Don't leave the dress you love hanging in the wardrobe waiting for the “right” occasion.
Wear the clothes now.
Buy for the body you have today and choose pieces that make you excited to get dressed.
Your size isn't something you need to earn your way out of before you're allowed to enjoy fashion.
Use layers to make your wardrobe work harder
New Zealand weather makes layering particularly useful.
A jacket, cardigan, shirt or blazer can completely change an outfit and help pieces work across more of the year.
Instead of thinking about every purchase as one outfit, ask yourself: How many ways could I wear this with what I already own?
That doesn't mean everything needs to be basic or neutral either. A bright jacket, printed shirt or statement layer can be the piece that makes everything else in your wardrobe more interesting.
[SHOP PLUS SIZE JACKETS & LAYERS →]
Don't be scared of colour, print or trends
Plus size women have spent far too long being told what we're supposed to wear.
Wear the print.
Wear the bright colour.
Wear the oversized jacket.
Wear the fitted dress.
Wear the wide-leg pants.
Wear whatever makes you happy.
Fashion is supposed to be fun, and being plus size shouldn't mean being offered a smaller, safer version of everybody else's wardrobe.
Fit matters more than the size on the label
Sizing between brands can vary enormously, which is why measurements and fit information are so important when you're shopping online.
Check the garment measurements, read the fit notes and look at the item on different bodies whenever that information is available.
At Friday Flamingo, we show our clothing across different plus size bodies because seeing how something actually sits can be much more useful than simply being told what size a model is wearing.
Plus Size Fashion in New Zealand
Friday Flamingo is a New Zealand plus size clothing brand created for women who want more choice in their wardrobes.
We design clothing across dresses, tops, pants, denim, jackets, skirts and more, with new pieces arriving throughout the year.
Our goal isn't to tell plus size women how they should dress.
It's to give you more to choose from.
Because plus size fashion should be fashion. Not an afterthought.