A Few Style Choices for Heavy Teens
Dear Fashion Police: I am interested in a catalog for teenage girls who are hard to fit, since my granddaughters (ages 8 and 13) are both a bit overweight. It’s difficult to find clothing in sizes they can wear comfortably and still have some kind of style. I would appreciate any information you could give me.
--CONCERNED GRANDMOTHER
Dear Grandma: Unfortunately, we didn’t find a single catalog that fits your needs. Fortunately, we did find some other resources.
For your teenage granddaughter, there is the Venezia Jeans Clothing Co. from Lane Bryant, the women’s plus-size clothing chain. The company has recently updated its whole collection, making it more stylish and fun. While Venezia is not technically a junior line, it starts at size 14 and includes a number of items that teens should love, including cargo pants, Capri pants and nautical striped tops. Lane Bryant has a Web site: https://www.lanebryant.com; to find a store near you, call (888) FINDREAL.
Other lines to look for are Odds & Evens and Over and Under, which both top out at size 24 and are available at J.C. Penney and Sears. Edwin jeans go up to a length of 36 inches and waist size of 36; they’re available at Bloomingdale’s.
But that’s not enough, says Cara Kagan, editor of Girl magazine, a new quarterly for teens that touts “Fashion for every body, beauty for every face.” It features models in all shapes, sizes and colors, not just unattainably reed-thin blonds. We recommend your older granddaughter take a look at it.
“Look at the world, look at your friends,” Kagan says. “Your friends don’t all look like you. We should show the way the world is, which is mixed. We didn’t want anyone to feel singled out, and we wanted [to tell our readers] that you’re great the way you are. There was a huge stigma about being anything other than the one standard of beauty that has been established in the latter part of the 20th century. If you look at the population, it’s not like that anymore.”
What do teens do these days when they can’t fit clothes that suit them? According to Kagan, they raid the boys’ department, occasionally peruse the women’s racks, and check out Army-Navy stores and athletic shops, and piece outfits together.
“It’s frankly very hard to fill this need,” she said. “There aren’t that many companies out there yet. Our hope is that there will be.”
As for your 8-year-old granddaughter, we came up with zip. Anyone with any resources is encouraged to send them our way.
Dear Fashion Police: I grew up back East, where the preppy look pretty much covered every fashion need I had. A trip to L.L. Bean would set me up for years. Alas, now I live in L.A., have become a father and a man, and I sense the expectation of dressing my age. Given the fact that I suffer from shopping trauma, what could I buy in, say, a couple of hours at Macy’s that would cover all my bases and make me look good but not pretentious (or even “too L.A.”)?
On one hand, I disdain “fashion” and all that comes with it, but on the other, I fear reprimand now that the “boyish charm” is giving way to “manly something-or-other.”
I realize I’m asking you to do the job of a wife or girlfriend, but I do need your help.
--A GUY IN NEED
Dear Guy: So you’re asking us to choose a wardrobe for you and we haven’t even had a first date yet? This is way too ‘90s for us.
But OK, let’s go on our virtual shopping trip. Your post-preppy style could probably use some updating, but we promise we won’t push the edge of the envelope. However, we’re not going to get too specific to leave room for personal taste on things like color.
Let’s start with sportswear. This isn’t stuff to wear to the gym, but casual clothes for weekends, etc. You’ll need some pants; we’d suggest some chinos or pleated khakis, one pair in a light shade like khaki or stone, and another in navy, olive or black.
As for shirts, skip the polos since they are quintessentially preppy. Henleys are nice if you want something very casual; they can also be layered. And look for sport shirts in rich solids, subtle patterns and interesting textures (i.e. a herringbone weave) in cotton, washed silk or blends. How wild you want to go here is up to you. You’ll find shirts in everything from basic beige to tangerine and turquoise polka dots. But no flannel plaids. Got that?
We also like the look of a V-neck sweater with just a simple T-shirt underneath. While we’re on the subject of sweaters, they’re very big for men this season, in both wool and cotton. There are lots of interesting textures going on, and low-key colors such as gray, sand, chocolate and hunter. Don’t forget a plain black turtleneck.
You’ll need a sport coat too; something very basic but not too country clubbish. A navy blazer will take you anywhere, but if that’s too conservative, go with a black single-breasted jacket in a seasonless wool.
For evenings out, you should have some dressier pants. We suggest lightweight wool pleated trousers, cuffed, in a neutral shade such as black, dark brown or charcoal. You can pair those with the sport shirts (nicer ones) or sweaters.
Get a suit, even if you’re not required to wear one every day for work. A man needs a good suit. Go with a seasonless wool in a dark navy, charcoal or black, and choose one that’s pretty basic, but well made. If it has a trendy cut, you’ll get sick of it quickly, it’ll go out of style soon, and people will notice you only have one suit.
Ties we’ll leave up to you--but don’t revert to your preppy past and choose some boring rep tie. There are beautiful patterns that aren’t loud or obnoxious. Just make sure they’re silk.
If you have some money left over and want to splurge on a couple of extras, here are two items to consider: a vest, which should be a wool or wool knit, and worn close to the body; and a leather bomber jacket. You can never go wrong in a good-quality leather bomber jacket.
Now, after all that, the least you could do is take us to lunch.
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When reporting or preventing a fashion crime, write to Fashion Police, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or fax to (213) 237-0732. Submissions cannot be returned. No telephone inquiries, please.
