Rhissy
Where could I find some pretty dresses? I'm kind of on the large side. I have a feeling SOMEONE is going to make fat comments, but eh, whatever. Help?
I've not gotten any fat comments myself. But everyone I've met in my local community is really accepting. It's sometimes the people online that you have to worry about. People are afraid to say anything face to face, but behind a username or Anonymous, they can say whatever. Generally, as long as you put an effort toward dressing well, keeping well groomed, and are pleasant to be around, you shouldn't have any problems. I was paranoid for years because of what I heard the Lolita community was like and avoided the fashion until this year. But I've yet to encounter any issues because of my weight.
Someone mentioned earlier that you can fit into a lot of things depending on size. I'm roughly about 14/16 US myself and there are a great deal of things that will fit me. But it's a challenge finding things that fit and are flattering. Jsks and Ops with full or at least full back shirring usually fit or are very close to fitting. But I avoid babydolls like the plauge. It's hard to find anything that fits at your natural waist because usually at a larger size, you have larger boobs, and that pulls your waistband area up a lot. I tend to counter this with cardigans and boleros that are a little longer.
To be honest, I don't like full shirring because it looks really gross. I really prefer full back shirring, because then, it's not making your boobies look lumpy. I have a fully-shirred blouse that I can only wear with JSKs. It looks that bad on me.
Minimizer bras help minimize boob loaf (when your boobs are squished by having little room to move in your top). I also make use of corsets and supportive undergarments/shapers etc to get rid of lumps. Be aware that corsets don't actually take away in the measurements, the mass has to go somewhere, and that's usually up. But it can help give your boobs a little lift when your waistline reaches too close to the underbust. But it will also add a little to your measurements depending how thick the corset is. (Avoid cheap plastic boned corsets and go for steel boned only, plastic ones don't do a thing for you and are uncomfortable).
If you're on a budget, Bodyline offers a lot of items, but be aware that not many are actually plus-sized. A few items offer full shirring. I like to buy a JSK and matching skirt, butcher the skirt for extra fabric to make bigger shirring panels (or in some cases, completely redo straps because of the way they're attached). I've done this with two JSKs sofar. If you look, you can usually find the skirts second-hand for a bit cheaper. But they are a good source for shoes and cheap cute socks.