Throughout my fashion-loving years (I won't tell you how many), I've been a range of sizes, from size 2 to 28. And let me tell you: My plus-size years were the most expensive. In the early '00s, finding cute, plus-size clothing was a problem. Everything was drab; the "cute" styles were typically way out of my price range. It left a girl feeling pretty glum.
Fortunately, times have changed. The fashion industry has been stepping up their game lately by adding more size-inclusive options to their lines, and each new season brings with it even better styles to make us feel amazing without emptying our wallets. From Forever21 to H&M to Target, here are some of the best looks to get you through summer while not only looking awesome, but with enough dollars left over to splurge on that trip to the beach.
Rompers. Seriously.
We love a good romper. These never seem to go out of style, and if you're like us, you count down the days until it's warm enough outside to wear them. Forever21 has a great extended-size selection of rompers with fun necklines, like the ones above with fun prints (
left, $25) and flirty necklines (
right, $18).
For those walks on the beach
I used to be afraid of maxi dresses. I'd see them on the hangers in the store, flowing like waterfalls onto the ground. They were beautiful, but not for me, because I felt as though they were made for 7-foot-tall goddesses, and I'm 5-foot-4. But I was wrong. Maxi dresses look awesome on everyone,
no matter your height or size. They're flowy and flirty, and you're gonna want these in your rotation for those hot days. We love these from H&M (
$40), Old Navy (
$39) and Kohls (
$40).
Party dresses
Every now and then you might feel like showin' off those gams you got. These short dresses (Target,
$30; Torrid,
$41; Macy's,
$35) are great from day fun to night-time dinner dates. Pair with some strappy sandals like these (Macy's,
$40) and you're good to go, gorgeous.
Baller swimsuits
Need we say more? A good swimsuit is a necessity for pool parties, beach-bummin' and water park adventures. Sometimes finding a cute suit under $100 can be real tricky, but we found a few that won't break the bank, like this cute classic bikini from Target (
$22 top/
$19 bottom), pinup-inspired high waist bikini from H&M (
$30/
$22) and this adorable blue floral one piece from ASOS (
$63).
Denim
A good pair of denim shorts will never go out of style. Pair these classic shorts (Modcloth,
$34; Old Navy,
$18) with...anything! A cute band tee, a simple tank or your favorite bikini top - there's really no wrong way to rock this easy, casual look.
Night time
There's just something rad about opening your window to the nighttime summer breezes...and pretending you're a character from a trashy romance novel in your lacy, fabulous underthings while you read your favorite book in your comfy chair. Wait, that's just me? Well, you'll still enjoy feeling beautiful in something like the babydoll chemise from Lane Bryant (
$40), the lace-trim dress from Old Navy (
$23) or the fun little playsuit from Simply Be (
$40).