You'll sometimes see an Apples and Pears clothing stall at UK plus size fashion events. I went to Plus North in 2014 where they had a stall, and it was a chance to see their clothes up close and personal, as it's sometimes hard to tell quality from a website. I was pleasantly surprised, as I wrote briefly here in my Plus North roundup. Like many independent sellers, their ability to use models to wear the clothes is limited, but that means the prices are affordable. Of course sometimes it's hard to envisage clothes on a plus size body rather than on a hanger or a mannequin, and this is where plus size bloggers like me come in! :) Apples and Pears also do a totally free returns service so you can try on at home, and they deliver worldwide.
I was sent 3 items - a lightweight green space-dyed dress, a versatile hot pink cover up, and a lightweight kimono top. As I was in or around the pool as often as possible, most of these photos are of me wearing my Apples and Pears items over a swimsuit or swimdress.
Apples and Pears green marl jersey dress
I wore this over swimwear a couple of times before and after going in the pool. It's very low cut at the front which looks lovely with swimwear or a vest top underneath. It's a lightweight polyester/elastane mix which makes it perfect for warm weather. The green and black space dye is a great colour scheme regardless of season, and the gathering under the bust gives it form. I'm 5ft 5 and it comes just above my knees. I'm wearing a size 26/28. I look forward to wearing this again soon - it is quite thin because it's a summer dress so I would wear it over leggings. I'm wearing it over a swimdress here so you can just see the ruffles on the hem of the swimdress underneath.
Apples and Pears handmade pink butterfly kimono
The next item is my favourite out of the three and is the handmade pink butterfly kimono cover up. These are selling out fast but as they're hand made you can order if your size isn't in stock - and you can also have them made to your specific measurements (the latter will take 2 weeks). I love the contrast between the hot pink of the kimono and the lime green pom poms. I used to make pom poms as a child with my mum, so I love seeing them on clothes and accessories. I wore it out in the evening but as we left so late to go out to eat it was already getting dark. The photo below isn't the best quality because of the darkness- and as to the expression on my face, hah! I also wore it over swimwear a couple of times too. I've had lots of nice comments about it on social media. I'm wearing the size 24/26.
The last item didn't quite work on me as it was a little too tight around my boobs - the Apples and Pears leaf print black and white kaftan. It bunched up in my upper chest area (level with my armpits) as there wasn't the room to go over the fullness of my boobs. When I tried it on at home I didn't have a bra on so my boobs were lower and flatter than usual. I just didn't think that when I had a bra on and my boobs were hoisted aloft it'd be too small. Totally my fault! It's a shame because again it's a really lightweight material which is great for warmer weather, and the monochrome pattern is great. I love the bell sleeves, but I'm less keen on the hanky hem as it kind of juts out because of the width of my hips. I'm wearing a size 26-28. The only way to make it sit right was to hold the hem down, but of course that's not practical. I'll pass it along to a less booby friend.
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| You can see the bunching up in the upper chest here |
Apples and Pears have all the things you'd expect from an independent retailer - personal service, quick postage and friendly customer service - some things which can be lost in the realm of the huge plus size clothing seller. Mookie also reviewed some items from Apples and Pears on holiday, so look out for those posts too. Have you bought anything from Apples and Pears before?
Thanks for reading!
L xoxo
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