Women't Plus Sizes

You're not gonna like the one's you get. I'll go ahead and +1 them right now, though.

Exercise?

I'll be gentle.

You won't have any success shopping for her. Whatever you buy won't fit her because she's already lying to you about her real size. Buy her a gift certificate to Lane Bryant and wish her well.

The fact of the matter is that she probably doesn't derive much pleasure from clothes shopping not because she has a hard time finding things, but because they don't achieve the desired end, and the numbers are a constant reminder that she's not what she wants to be. I used to be a pretty chubby kid and hated shopping for clothes because I'd drop cash and still looked just as fat as I was. She doesn't need to be a 2, but she'll have a much better time shopping for clothes if she drops down a few sizes. I'm sure that you don't need the whole "she'll be healthier too" spiel, but that's true as well. Long story short, don't worry about clothes right now, don't pressure her about clothes, and see if you can't find a way to encourage her to pursue a healthier lifestyle. She'll be much happier for it in the end if you do find a way. Just make sure not to be obvious or a dick about it. If you aren't rocking a six pack or aren't doing some sort of exercise either, start working out and invite her along in a pleasant manner. Hope this helps.

As a plus-sized woman I might be able to offer some assistance. I personally have a difficult time shopping for things other than underwear because the majority of their clothes are made with a high polyester blench which makes people sweat.

I recommend Saks and Nordstrom and shopping at sale time. For work and evening wear St Johns has some wonderful pieces and if you live near an outlet, go often. Saks and Nordstrom also both have plus size sections (although some locations are larger than others). I also recommend Ralph Lauren and Neiman's online, again, catching them at sale time is great because I can order a large range of clothes, try them on in the comfort of my home, and return what doesn't suit or fit me right.

The reality is finding anything really fashionable in a plus size is a rarity, but it is possible to find some nicely made clothes.

Good luck!

First of all I think woman are totally welcome here, especially in the SW&D area. We even have a couple woman that occasionally post fit pics, so it's definitely not a 100% men's forum. If she's a size 14, then she's not far away from being able to wear XL (size 12) in some US designer labels. If she can drop even a modest amount of weight, a lot of great options will start to become available to her. Once she sees how much better she looks in better clothing, odds are good she'll feel motivated to loose more weight so she can look even better. Most women will go for this-- once they get a taste of what could be, there will be no going back! And as someone else pointed out, you should take the lead by loosing weight and exercising yourself. Often people feel comfortable being overweight if everyone else around them is in the same boat. Taking the lead yourself is a great way to apply some gentle pressure. Another idea is to try frequenting places in town where the average person is skinner and dresses more fashionable than what you're used to. If you're not sure where to look, try locating some trendy restaurants that draw in a broad mix of ages. And changing jobs to one where your fellow employees are thinner will have an even greater impact. Changing your environment can be one of the most effortless ways to loose weight and improve your style. I'm surprised the subject is rarely brought up, because it works better than anything else in my experience. It's akin to the stories I've read of people who move from the US to Japan or Paris and suddenly start loosing weight and eventually end up wearing more fashionable clothing without even expending much effort.

Lane bryant
Torrid
Macy's
Nordstrom's
Neiman Marcus
Sak's

Bespoke shirt maker.

I swear by it these days. I even got my gf interested.

Size 12 seems to be the upper end of most of the posh and chic designers, so she only has a teeny weensy bit to go before she can go to a normal store and not worry about things fitting her. Get her to start running and the dividends will come manifold.