Please Note: These FAQs are no longer being updated (except that out-of-date web sites, contact info, and so forth are removed when I am notified of them - for notification address, see below).

FAQ about Clothing for Big Folks in Canada

This document contains information about clothing for fat people in Canada. If you don't find what you're looking for here, try one of the related FAQs (see question B1 for a complete list).
Updated May 01


Contents

SECTION A: FAQ about clothing for big folks in Canada

SECTION B: Information about this FAQ



SECTION A: FAQ about clothing for big folks in Canada

A1) Where can I find clothing for women?

A1) Part 1) Clothing catalogs /retail stores for women


Above Average Lingerie Ltd. 
	115 E. 1st Street
	North Vancouver, BC
	V7L 1B2
	Phone:  (604) 988-0445
	URL: http://www.bc-biz.com/aboveaverage/
	Contact: Debbie Dickie or Dawn Neubauer 
	Bras, lingerie, etc.

Addition-Elle
	Found in malls across Canada. Dressy and casual clothes, some
	lingerie. Reported reasonably priced, but one person wrote,
	"they are far too costly for the quality and almost never stock
	dresses in cotton, rayon, silk or tencel." 

A.E. & Co. Sport
	Affiliated with Addition-Elle (above). Can be found in most
	large malls. Casual, young clothing, like jeans, T-shirts,
	sweats, etc. in wonderful colors.

...And Everything Nice: Fashions for the Fully Figured Woman
	567 Main St., Mahone Bay
	Nova Scotia, Canada  B0J 2E0
	Phone: (902) 624-8463
	FAX: (902) 624-9089 (Canada), (508) 867-8861 (U.S.)
	Contact: Dell Lombardelli. 
	The store is open from March to December

The Bay
	Chain.

Better Half Fashions
	312 - 2nd Avenue North
	Saskatoon, Sask., Canada  S7K 2B9
	Phone: (306) 382-5908
	Fax: (306) 382-6069
	Web site: http://www.betterhalf.com
	Owner: Ellen Skorski
	Carries sizes 18 - 40w. "The clothing is attractive and the
	prices seem very reasonable.  They use real plus size ladies."

Big and Beautiful Fashions Ltd.
	13034 NW 82nd St.
	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada  T5E 2T5
	Phone: (403) 475-6429  
	Fax: (403) 473-9464
	Coordinates, day and evening dresses, jackets and coats. Sizes
	18-24 and 46-52. Lingerie and undergarments. Bras 38D to 46H.

Bodacious Consignment (14+)
	Lorna Ketler & Barb Wilkins
	225 East Broadway
	Vancouver, BC  V5T 1W4
	Phone:  (604) 874-2811
	Web: www.bodacious.ca
	Casual and career wear, lingerie & accessories. Fun, funky and
	sexy clothing in sizes 14-28 featuring local Vancouver designers
	(LAVA and Good & Plenty designs). Low to medium priced "We
	provide a warm, friendly, one-on-one shopping experience in a
	boutique-like atmosphere."

Coldwater Creek
        Phone: 800-510-2808 (Canada) 800-510-2808 (US) 
        Web site:http://www.coldwater-creek.com>
        Casual, elegant, comfortable clothing. Most clothing to 3X. Also
	jewelry, shoes (neither in large sizes), housewares. They do not
	use large models.

Cotton Ginny Plus
	40 Samor Rd.
	Toronto, Ontario, M6A 9Z9
	Found in malls across Canada. All cotton clothes, casual:
	everything from shorts and T-shirts to dresses, jeans and
	jackets. Good tights that last a long time and are opaque
	enough. Reasonably priced. They do not manufacture all of their
	items in all sizes (sometimes they will stop the sizing at plus
	large, instead of plus extra-large, which is the equivalent of
	about a 26 or 28). Use the address to get on their mailing list. 

Country Originals
	111 Brantford St.
	Spruce Grove
	Alberta, Canada T7X 1B5
	Phone: (403)962.1844
	Fax :(403)962.6662
	Email: cowgirls@telusplanet.net
	Web site: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/cowgirls/
	Western wedding gowns from a Canadian manufacturer in all sizes.

Enell Inc.
        P.O. Box 808
        317 Second St.
        Havre, Montana, USA  59501
        Phone from Canada: (800) 633-2443
        Email: 7enell@3rivers.net
        Web site: www.gomontana.com/sportsbra.html
        Sports bras to 50DDD/52DD. $49. They look very sturdy and
        supportive. Front closure, back support, wide straps.

Full Figure Fashions
	2105 NE Edmonton Tr.
	Calgary, Alberta, Canada  T2E 3M4
	Phone: (403) 203-1343

Imogene's
	426 Dundas St.
 	Woodstock, ON
 	Phone: 519-537-6244
	Sizes to 8x.

Kaliyana Artwear  
	4107 St-Denis Street 
	Montréal (Quebec) 
	phone: (514) 844.0633    
	and
	Sussex Drive 
	Ottawa (Ontario) 
	phone: (613) 562.3676
	fax: (613) 236.8683
	"Very chic and somewhat unconventional, boho clothing shop ...
	Lovely batik garments, the type you would see media and arty
	women wearing. It isn't cheap but a reasonable price for the
	quality.  They say they run from 8-22, but many garments would
	fit larger or smaller women." Oct 99

Laura II (or Laura Plus)
	Found in malls across Canada.
	Sizes 14-24

Love Your Peaches Clothing Co.
	See the U.S. Clothing FAQ Part 2

Lingerie Elegance 
	Web site: http://www.pluslingerie.com
	Design and manufacture tasteful lingerie in sizes Large through
	5X. Located in Canada, but do business mainly in the US. Sell
	via mail order catalogue, online catalogue and some wholesale.

Mark's Work Warehouse
	Chain.
	Mixed reviews. Apparently different stores have different
	selections of large-size clothing. Women's clothing seems to go
	up to about size 20. Some stores have pants up to size 60, and
	others stop at 48. Some of their men's pants seem to be cut
	weird for men, and weirder for women. Some of their clothing may
	run small. They also have belts, T-shirts, cotton casual shirts.
	They may be able to order things in larger sizes for you.

Mahvish Design 
	Vancouver
	Nargus Khabazha and Margurite E. Lam 
	Phone 604-986-3807 
	Fax 604-980-4437
	Plus sized fashion design, pattern, grading and alteration. The
	prices are quite good. Good fabrics and quality work. Call for
	current address.

Nadia Plus
	101A-1124 Lonsdale Ave N
	Vancouver, BC, Canada V7L 3J5
	Catalogue $2

Nova Scotia Quilts (Halls Harbour Handcrafts and Quilt Studio)
	janet@novascotiaquilts.com
	http://www.novascotiaquilts.com
	One of a kind quilts and hand knitted sweaters, originally
	designed to any size. (Web site under construction.) Jan 00

Peaches Plus
	152 St. Andrew St. W
	Fergus, Ontario, Canada N1M 1N5
	Phone: 519-787-0101
	Sizes 16 to 52. Business clothes, dressy stuff, and smart casual
	clothes. Reasonable prices.

Penningtons Wearhouse (Formerly Penningtons Plus-Size Superstore)
	Vancouver, Richmond BC, Victoria, Toronto
	Found in malls across Canada.
	Dressy, business, and casual clothing; lingerie, bathing suits,
	etc. Somewhat expensive. Pennington's have been reported as
	opening more stores lately. Their sales people are reported to
	be friendly and their clothes have become trendier. They also
	have a selection of lingerie and accessories. "We could not
	believe the change!!! They had *great* stuff...in every style,
	up to size 32 and reasonably priced!!!" (Jun 00)

Plus Figure Models
	1263 Bay St.
	Toronto, Ontario, Canada MDR 2C1
	Phone: (416) 961-9464, (416) 961-6709

Pretty Plus
        Nicole St Jacques (Owner/Designer)
        Phone/fax: (705) 692-0688
        Email: info@prettyplus.net
        Web: http://www.prettyplus.net
	Carries Bromani line of jeans and casual pants, sizes 18-34
	(38-54). Plus size models on web site. No secure online
	ordering.

PSS Plus Sizes, Plus Savings
	Found in malls in BC. Subsidiary of Field's department stores.
	Inexpensive casual clothes.

Reitmans 
	Some of its mall locations carry sizes 14-24. The clothing is
	reasonably priced.

Ritsi Plus 
	Westmount (Montreal), Quebec
	Upmarket store. Beautiful clothes and sometimes you can get some
	good deals. They usually have the clothes that are featured in
	MODE magazine.  

Rubenesque
	1751 Avenue Road 
	Toronto
	Phone: 416-787-8893
	Women's clothing, mostly consignment, from the basic t-shirt to
	formal wear. All consignment clothes must be freshly laundered,
	less then 3 years old and in fantastic condition!! We also carry
	purses, shoes, scarves and fashion accessories.

SAAN
	Web site: http://www.SAAN.CA
	Chain store. Carries Cherie brand pantyhose sizes 1x to 5x in a
	range of colours. Also carry Ladies Plus size clothing. 

Sears
	Department and catalog store. They sell some large-size clothes.

Suzanne Bell's Fashions, sizes 16-60.  
	5794 Victoria Drive
	Vancouver, BC, Canada  V5P 3W7
	Phone: (604) 324-7394, (800) 668-1887 (inside Canada only)
	Fax: (604) 325-7772
	Web: http://www.suzannebellsfashions.com
	Contact: Suzanne Bell
	Active wear and casual clothing in large and super sizes. Sizes
	16-60; specialize in supersizes. Manufactures extensive line
	called Suzanne Bell Collection up to size 60. Carry many large
	size lines from the USA and Canada. Oct 99

Toni Plus 
	Mall store in Toronto area, possibly other areas as well.
	Wonderful store that carries designer career and casual wear,
	sizes 14-24. A lot of clothing that they carry is by an
	excellent Canadian designer, Brian Bailey. 

Trenchco
	28 Oxford Cresent
	Mount Pearl, NF Canada  A1N 2X7
	Phone: 877-747-0911   
	Email: trenchco@inet.ca
	Web: http://www.inet.ca/trenchco/
	These people sell custom trenchcoats, made to the measurements
	you send them.  They've developed some really cool-looking
	patterns based on the movie "The Matrix" for ankle-length
	trenchcoats, and the prices are quite reasonable for custom
	stuff. Looks like they've got patterns from "The Raven" and
	"Blade Runner" too. -- 1/01

Under and Above Inc
	2nd Floor, 779 Bank Street
	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 3V5
	Phone: (613) 230-3611
	Fax: (613) 230-8848
	Contact: Lucie Goyette, Proprietor
	Undergarments, lingerie, nightwear, and hosiery. Very nice. They
	do alterations.

Undyworld  
	Winnipeg 
	Phone: 888-303-UNDY
	Web site: http://www.undyworld.mb.ca
	Mail order, Telephone orders, and on-line sales. Line of
	underwear called E2U (Ergonimically Engineered Underwear) in a
	variety of styles and colours to fit men up to waist size 56,
	also custom sizes. Unique design helps prevent binding, wedging
	and chafing. Low price guarantee.

Walmart 
	Has recently come to Halifax, BC, and perhaps elsewhere. Plus-size
	jeans at Walmart are reported to come in larger sizes, and each
	size is sized larger, than at Kmart or Zellers. "They do have a
	few nice things in their plus section but a lot of the stuff is
	ugly."

Weekend Edition Plus 
	Mall store in Ontario and BC.
	Sports clothes -- pants, tops.

Winners 
	Chain of 'designer discount' places. Their stock turns over
	really quickly so it can be a bit "iffy" as to finding a
	particular piece, but their prices are great!

YOU*NIQUE
As of Dec 1997:
	RR#3, Emily Township
	Lot 2 Concession 14
	Lindsay, ON, K9V 4R3 Canada
	Phone: (705) 793-3566, (800) 663-9102 
	Fax: (705) 793 3565 
	khenley@ptbo.igs.net
	One person reported they do not sell clothing.

Zellers
	Plus-size lingerie section. Somewhat tacky.


A1) Part 2) Wedding dresses

You can probably buy a wedding dress in a regular bridal store. Many stores carry large sizes, and almost all stores can order them. But stores may have only a limited selection of sizes in stock for you to try on, so you may have to use your imagination to figure out how the dress would look on you. Sometimes putting your arms through the dress and holding it in front of you will give you an idea.

It's common for women of all sizes to need the dress tailored once it arrives. If the dress is too small, they can split the side seam of the bodice and sew in a few inches of extra fabric. This is hardly noticeable, even when you are looking for it. They may be able to use lace trim that matches the rest of the dress to make it even less obvious.

Almost all bridesmaids' dresses go to at least size 24, and some go larger. Many bridesmaids' dresses are formal and can be ordered in white or off-white, so they may work as a wedding dress.

Many advertisers in bridal magazines list the sizes they make. The bridal book _Bridal Bargains_ by Denise and Alan Fields also lists the sizes that various manufacturers make.

The U.S. Clothing FAQ includes a list of some manufacturers who make large-size wedding dresses. I'm not sure how much of it applies to Canada, but you may want to check it out.


A2) Where can I find clothing for men?


George Richards
	Chain.

Gilbert's Big & Tall
	King Street
	Hamilton, Ontario
	Phone: 800-563-5265 
	Web: http://www.bigtallx-tall.com
	"Stock moves quickly. Clothing is generally hip, staff is
	helpful. Not especially cheap." Family business for 47 years.
	Clothes manufactured in North America. Provides tailoring.  Work
	wear, lounge wear, casual, formal. To sizes 78'' inch waist and
	chest, Shirts to 24'' Neck and 40'' sleeve lengths. 01/01

Kornblum's
	Downtown, Owen Sound, Ontario
	All sizes of shoes, accessories, and clothing, tuxedos, work
	pants, and western wear. Free same-day alterations on purchases.
	Mail order. Reasonable prices. Custom orders/custom work.

M. H. Grover
	4741 Wellington Street
	Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4G-1X2
	514-769-3771

Mansour's Mens Wear
	Catalogue and retail.
	27 Church St.
	Amherst, NS, Canada B4H 3A7
	Phone: (800) 929-3992, (902) 667-8577
	Email: nstn4704@fox.nstn.ca
	Web site: http://fox.nstn.ca/~nstn4704/store/index.html
	Men's dress, casual, and workwear. Sizes up to 70 waist, and
	sometime larger.

Mark's Work Warehouse
	Chain.
	Mixed reviews. Apparently different stores have different
	selections of large-size clothing. Women's clothing seems to go
	up to about size 20. Some stores have pants up to size 60, and
	others stop at 48. Some of their men's pants seem to be cut
	weird for men, and weirder for women. Some of their clothing may
	run small. They also have belts, T-shirts, cotton casual shirts.
	They may be able to order things in larger sizes for you.

Moore's Mens Clothing Stores
	Chain.
	Good service, reasonable prices, alterations.

Mr. Big & Tall
	Chain.


A3) Where can I find shoes?


Lori-Alexander
	7999 Boul. Les Galeries D'Anjou
	Anjou, Quebec, Canada H1M 1W9
	Phone: (800) 648-4735 
	Fax: (514) 355-5407
	Catalog $2.
	Boots up to size 13W with calves up to 24". Prices start at $125
	for full-length leather boots. Nov 99: mail to above address
	returned. Does anyone know if this company is still in business?


Payless
	This U.S. company has expanded into Canada and has opened a
	number of locations, including stores in Toronto and Victoria. 


A4) Where can I find sewing/knitting patterns?


Big Knits
	ISBN: 0-7126-5097-0  
	Trafalgar Square Publishing 
	North Pomfret, VT 05053.
	This book by Dawn French and Sylvie Soudan, and the companion
	volume _Great Big Knits_ contains knitting patterns for
	large-size women. Patterns range from very simple, classic
	designs, to very complex intarsias. They use large-size models.  

bras
	The rec.crafts.textiles.sewing newsgroup has a fantastic FAQ
	about underwire and regular bras. If you're interested in making
	your own bras and lingerie, check it out: 
	http://www.funhouse.com/babs/FAQ.html

The Busy Woman's Fitting Book
	Nancy Zieman and Robbie Fanning
	ISBN: 0-932086-10-1, $9.95
	Nancy's Notions/Open Chain Publishing 
	Provides instructions on how to alter patterns to fit you.

dressmaker's dummies
	Dressmaker's dummies are available in plus sizes. Your local
	fabric shop may carry them or can order them.

Excellence in sewing: Lingerie Secrets
	Jan Bones, designer/owner
	PH: 204-453-2462       
	Fax 204-237-0544
	Email: jbones3@home.com
	Lingerie patterns (panties, camisole/nightie, night shirt, slip,
	boxers, wrap/robe). Lingerie sewing videos (panties,
	camisole/nightie). Each pattern includes a range of sizes,
	fitting bust sizes 32"-53" and hip sizes 35"-55". Patterns are
	$9 and videos are $18. Email for free catalogue with
	illustrations of the designs. Ship anywhere.



SECTION B: Information about this FAQ

B1) Are there other related FAQs?

There is some overlap in the topics covered by the FAQs. If you don't find what you're looking for here, try the other FAQs.

The latest version of the following FAQs can be found at: http://cat-and-dragon.com/stef/fatfaqs/

The following FAQs can be found at: http://www.sover.net/~astarte/fa/faqs.html The latest versions of following FAQs can be found at the following locations:

You can also find (sometimes slightly older versions of) the above FAQs (except the plus-size pregnancy FAQs) at the following locations:

(Note: The big-folks FAQ is listed separately at these locations.)

You can also get FAQs from rtfm.mit.edu via anonymous FTP or via the mail archive server. For information about the mail server, send email to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the word "help" (without the quotes) in the body of the message.



B2) Posting information

This document is posted bi-weekly to alt.support.big-folks, soc.support.fat-acceptance, and soc.support.fat-acceptance.moderated.

Stef Maruch (ff@cat-and-dragon.com) maintains this FAQ.


B3) Contributors

These are the people who contributed significant chunks to the FAQ:

Sasha Wood (Sasha.Wood@cs.cmu.edu)
Largesse (75773.717@compuserve.com)
Bernadette Bosky (blb@panix.com)

Suggestions for additions/improvements are always welcome.
Send suggestions to Stef Maruch (ff@cat-and-dragon.com)


Copyright 1995-1999 by Stef Maruch (ff@cat-and-dragon.com)
Permission is granted to copy and redistribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial, educational use only, provided that this copyright notice is not removed or altered. No portion of this work may be sold, either by itself or as part of a larger work, without the express written permission of the author. This restriction covers all publication media, including electronic media.