With no guests, no more parties and nothing else to do, I made a trip a few blocks over to Karen Ward (Curvy Canadian)’s new plus size boutique Your Big Sister’s Closet.

Quelle suprise! It’s adorable! I’ve been there before when they were under construction, so when I was headed there today I almost missed it due to the lovely and professional-looking window display out front. I was so used to the papered windows…

Anyway, the store looks great. The space is light and bright and really lets you focus on the clothing racks around you. Karen has organized things logically by colour and then size, and has a good variety of pieces to browse through.

I felt comfortable browsing in the store. The layout was neither to sparse nor too oppressive; a difficult balance to strike in a start up boutique. There was a good, relaxed vibe in the store and Karen herself was totally pleasant to interact with. I also liked that she was wearing her own products, I found her pink dress on the rack! I just love seeing the clothes on a real body!

I’m really in love with the design selections Karen has made. As a fellow fashion blogger and avid shopper (who just spent 2 weeks clothes shopping like mad) I’ve seen just about everything. Your Big Sister’s Closet has a refreshing design and colour palette and I got that warm, fuzzy feeling while browsing. You know, the one where you feel like you really found something great?

I think the prices are reasonable for what you are getting. Most of the dresses I looked at were between $60-$75 which is par for the course these days. Almost all of the fabrics are synthetic which is a bit of a downer, but then again every retailer seems to be going that route, and these labels are no exception. However the construction was good and the designs flattering. As with all imported boutique lines, watch out for the sizing! Many of the lines run small, so you may find yourself fitting in a 3x when you normally wear only a 1x. Karen has a pretty good idea how each of the pieces fit, so just ask her if you want some advice.

I wasn’t looking for anything in particular (having spent all my money over the holidays) but nonetheless I felt compelled to try on a couple of dresses that caught my eye. I had to limit myself to two because I knew that if I started, I wouldn’t stop! I just can’t get over how fresh and different the clothes there are. So much better than Addition-Elle or Pennington’s.

In the end I walked away with a stunner of a dark red peplum body-con dress with black contrast piping. It didn’t look like much on the rack, but once I put it on I was sold!

Taking self-portraits is waaay hard for me, but here’s a dork shot of the new dress. I like it because it looks nice, and mainly because it is comfortable! The dress is currently available in-store only for $75.

I definitely encourage all my plus size sisters to check out this new boutique. Karen’s got the right mix going with great clothing selection & quality, the price is right and the atmosphere is genial. I think you’ll really enjoy shopping there, as will I!

Here’s how you can find out more about the shop:

www.yourbigsisterscloset.com

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3126 Dundas Street West, Toronto
(647) 351-7587