When we had the retail store, we got to see first hand what happens when a plus size woman comes in and shops. They hesitate, they admire and they leave. Even with a full rack of plus size aprons devoted to them, they touch, they linger, look and leave.
We learned that it had nothing to do with our choice of designs, it had everything to do with their own experience. They have long since learned that Plus Size doesn’t guarantee it will fit them and the very act of trying it on to see if it fits, may only leave them feeling embarassed. Commercial Plus size is often size 16 or even 14 and rarely actually fits someone who is large. And as far as standard commercial pattern grading, all I can say is that rarely does a large size woman look comparatively the same as a smaller size woman in an enlarged version of the same garment.
To me, grading doesn’t work for large size women. A large size woman is not a bigger version of a thin person. A woman may have a larger abdomen and hip, but her neck is not the size of her head. Her arm hole doesn’t need to go to her waist. Shoulder seams do not belong halfway down to the elbow. And what ever happened to darts?
I love making Aprons for large women. We make patterns that fit comfortably up to size 4x. The bib width is wider, the skirts have fewer gathers and the ties really reach around. Gathered bodices work great for covering all sorts of shapes. No Tie Aprons fall flat from the shoulder and I find it our most comfortable style. I have always been large and I want to be comfortable in what I wear. I hope other women will be as well.
The dress form in the photo has a 58″ hip and chest. I am proud of how this apron fits, it drapes a large form very nicely and is so comfortable to wear.