Sorry Danni, perhaps I'm getting my shops muddled up, but there is definitely more choice now than ever before, without including the internet only retailers M&S, H&M, Next, Matalan, Mango (although only up to an 18), Peacocks, Laura Ashley, Monsoon, New Look, Asda, Tesco, Gap, Maxmara, Jaeger and even Giogio Armani all now say that they cater for 'plus sizes', although in this crazy world where it is assumed that plus size models are size 12 I don't really know what sort of sizes they are talking about. Then there are all the catalogues, Kays, Freemans etc all have plus sizes, then there's specialist catalogues like Ulla Popken, Simply Be and others. Evans and Ann Harvey too.
I'm not knocking them for selling plus sizes, God I'd be walking about naked if they didn't, but I can't help but wonder if it is really helping. I am sure that they are responding to demand; we've got bigger and they've responded (at least some have) and not vice versa but would it help us to think about our weight earlier and maybe do something earlier if we all had to make our own clothes once we got to a certain size because there was nothing to buy?
I know that as a size 20/22 myself, I can only buy clothes in certain places and that choice is limited; but there is a choice. Even Littlewoods have started to sell children's school uniforms with a 42" waist, my heart bleeds for any child that needs them. As a parent I would sooner try to help my child lose weight than buy 42" inch waistbands, but our kids are all increasing in size too.
Anyway, I am digressing. Point is, if you think that being fashionable at a larger size is difficult now, you should have seen what choice there was 15 years ago (and beyond) it was maternity wear, make your own or expensive specialist shops and as yet, my step daughter hasn't needed to resort to any thankfully, and manages to get the sizes she wants from Matalan although I have to agree with the others when I say that I have noticed that her size 16's are a great deal bigger than my old size 16's but I don't know why.
Anyway, we're all here because we are losing weight, so soon enough we won't care too much about finding fashionable clothes in size 20, and that will be a very happy day for me.