Forget Abercrombie. For women in the world who are not a size 2, there are still many options to purchase clothing, and still look stylish in the modern day world. In the Sacramento area, three chain stores that cater directly to the &plus-size& crowd is Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Catherine&s.

Most of the stores carry sizes from 14-28, and some carry sizes above 28. There are also numerous styles of bras available, ranging from 38 D to 48 DDD, and above, not to mention lingerie sections for all body types and personal tastes. Best of all, said Lane Bryant store manager Anna Douglas, the clothes are stylish.

&We have a lot of feminine stuff,& Douglas said. &We&re up to date with the fashion and they can come in and find stylish clothes to fit into. It really fits good for all the plus size women out there.&

Douglas said that some of the most popular clothing include Capri&s and feminine tops. The newest trend that women are going for, she added, are the shrugs. Shrugs are smaller tops that tie at the front and are ideal for wearing over tank tops.

&The smaller size stores have a lot of these,& she said. &We tend to carry a lot of what they have.& These claothing stores are also popular with many students. The plus size clothing, Douglas said, is no longer looked at as being &old lady clothing& as it once was. &The company is gearing towards young adult age, and that&s why its becoming popular with the college age,& she said. &We have the trendy things.&

Student Crystal Bates said she enjoys finding clothes to wear in the casual section at Lane Bryant. Her favorite items to purchase include jeans, tank tops and T-shirts. She said she enjoys purchasing her jeans at Lane Bryant because they fit her better than other stores jeans and they tend to last longer. Bates said she is able to fit into jeans at smaller stores, but she&d rather buy from a store she is comfortable with.

&I hate having to get into a pair of jeans and I have to go up a size at another store,& Bates said. &I like knowing my size and they have that. It tends to be more consistent.&

Douglas said that situation often happens at smaller stores that claim to carry plus size clothing. She said that some stores that claim to carry plus sizes have the clothes made smaller than the actual size, causing customers to purchase the next size higher or more to fit into an item of clothing.

Student Donna Abbott said it is important to have stores that carry plus size clothing. &Stores like Fashion Bug carry juniors clothing and plus-size clothing,& Abbott said. &Women of a bigger size can still be in style and they don&t feel like they are limited on their clothes.&

Prior to the late 20th century, there were very few options available for women who were plus sized. Douglas said Lane Bryant has been around for over 100 years, but began as maternity clothing and became the Lane Bryant of today in the 1990s.

&Everyone can still be in style no matter what size they are,& said student Staci Rede. &They can be in the 21st century and not in the 1990s. You look younger instead of like an old lady.& Abbott echoed Rede&s sentiments. &With all the plus sized stores, you can still find clothes that are in style and still look young without too much of a struggle,& Abbott said.

Bates meanwhile, enjoys shopping at stores like Lane Bryant because she is guaranteed to spend money there – by purchasing clothing. &I&m guaranteed to come out of there with several outfits that fit me and in other stores I wouldn&t be able to,& Bates said. 8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;8211;Brianna Boyd can be reached at [email protected]