sundresses

3 Affordable Sundresses for Plus-Size Women

3 Affordable Sundresses for Plus-Size Women | Writing Between Pauses

Good dresses are hard to find, especially if you’re on the plus-size end of the sizing spectrum. I’m sort of right in the middle: at the end of straight sizes and the start of plus-sizes. Sometimes, it’s really hard to tell what size I wear and how I look; there are some stores were the largest sizes simply are never going to fit me and some stores where I wear Mediums and size 10s. It’s hard to know and gauge!

However, I’ve gotten pretty good at hunting down the best items out there for people who are like me and in need of expanded sizes. Target is getting a lot better at this—in fact, one of their labels, Wild Fable, has some incredible sizing. They carry XS to 4X in nearly everything, and up to 2X in stores. That’s pretty incredible, although I wish they went past 2X in stores! Finding good clothes shouldn’t be such a challenge, but here we are.

When I find a good piece, I usually buy multiple of it: different colors, of course, but if I know I like it, it’s hard to not want it in every color possible! Right now, the weather is so warm nearly everywhere, we’re all thinking of sundresses and staying as cool as possible. And hey, just because you wear a larger size doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be cool and comfortable. It’s really stinkin’ hot here in Oregon right now (it’s been 90+ every single day up until yesterday, when it dipped into the 80s—the 80s!) so I’m in sundresses basically 24/7.

Alright, let’s jump into it! Here are my 3 favorite sundresses you can find at Target!

Affordable sundresses in XS-4XL

Dress 1: Sleeveless Smocked Dress from Wild Fable, $28.00

I impulse bought this dress in yellow at Target while on a weekend trip to Bend. It was hotter than I expected it to be, I had packed leggings and sweatshirts to wear, and I just needed something I wouldn’t sweat profusely in. Enter, this dress. I bought it in yellow to start with, wore it nonstop for a week, then bought a second in the pink color. They have been staples in my closet ever since then: they’re so easy to throw on and wear a sweatshirt or t-shirt over, or wear with a swimsuit, or lounge around the house in. So many ways to wear them! The only downside is they are kind of see-through; if I wear them out, I wear a slip underneath or similarly colored underwear.

I wear a size Large in this dress. For reference, I usually wear a Large t-shirt and 12-14 size in most jeans. The top is fitted, but very stretchy, and pretty accommodating for all bust sizes.

This dress comes in sizes XS to 4X and in 4 colors (black, pink, yellow, and orange). At my local Target, they’ve had plenty of all the colors except black, which is pretty consistently picked over. However, it looks like all colors are available from the website!

Dress 2: Short Sleeve Knit Babydoll Dress from Wild Fable, $17.00

I bought this dress—a short sleeve t-shirt dress—at the same time as I bought the pink version of the first dress. It was an impulse, sort of; I spotted it, liked it, and decided to try it, telling myself I would return it if I hated it. I didn’t hate it! It fit great. This is one of those dresses that I think will wear well into Fall and Winter too; a pair of tights and a cardigan and it won’t be out of place.

I wear a size Large in this dress as well. One thing to note is that the top is definitely a bit more fitted, but the fabric is stretchy, so again, I think there is some leeway with sizing here. This dress also comes in sizes XS to 4X, but only one color—black with small white stripes.

Dress 3: Women’s Sleeveless Bib Knit Babydoll Dress from Wild Fable, $16.00

This is my most recent Target purchase—and yes, it’s another Wild Fable dress. This one is a nice, soft spaghetti strap dress that fits like a dream. Again, I wear a size Large in this dress and it’s definitely roomy. Wild Fable runs kind of bigger than I would typically expect. I like this dress because the top fits really well and the fabric is so soft and comfy. This is another dress that I think will carry well into Fall and Winter; I have this idea already of layering it over a turtleneck.

For right now, the mustard yellow version is perfect for wearing while listening to Taylor Swift’s folklore and pretend it’s fall. Add a beret or beanie and you’re basically Taylor Swift.

This dress comes in sizes XS to 4X and 5 colors (black, blue, mustard yellow, pink, and striped). I own the striped one (it’s black with white and sort of rust orange stripes—very 90s!) and the mustard yellow. Both are super cute!