My Review of the New Mango Curve Sizes Site

Mango Curve Sizes

I think we're all working through what to call sizes, and there are some alternatives to "plus size" that I really like. Personally, I wish more stores just mixed all of their sizes and models together instead of having "women" on one page and "plus size" on another. I'm often browsing the "plus size" or "curve" sections and wishing those same styles were represented in more sizes, and I know the opposite is certainly true. And I'm not sure that "curve size" really explains anything since curves occur on many sizes of women, and separating plus size or curve size from "women" implies that the women who wear those sizes are somehow, what? Not women? I have a feeling that we're getting to a better place on all of this, and I look forward to being a part of that conversation.

Mango just recently launched a line they call "curve sizes," titled Violeta. I have not seen any of their clothing in person so I'll be reviewing their site and their look today.

First, the website. It's a bit confusing because their sizes listed on the main US/English page are 40-52. If you click into the individual images of the clothing and go to select your size, you'll see American sizing (sizes 8-20) as well as a size guide. I think that could be more clear on the main page. I'm not sure most American women in a size 8 would click on the "curve size" tab, but it appears that size gets to double-dip: there are size 8 mediums in the "women" section as well as in the Violeta section. That's a bit confusing.

Next, their style. Here are a few things I'd like you to know about shopping at Mango-in all of their sizes.

First, their styling can seem a bit dowdy, especially the images they choose as their main images. I'm not sure why they do this, but it's really worth it to take the time to click on anything you might like. If you hover the mouse over each image, you'll see it off of a model, but that often doesn't tell you much. Once you click through, you'll see a few ways to wear each piece, and the second images are often much more stylish. Here's an example from Violeta.

Hmmm... I'm not sure I'd recommend this $109.99 schlumpy blazer to a client based on this picture on the main page. I can see the potential, but it's not very flattering here. Clicking through, though...

Oh! Hello! I can see that the blazer actually does fall quite nicely. I see that the sleeves scrunch well, and I can see that the top of the pockets hits high up on the waist, just where it should. I'd still recommend to most of my clients that they wait for this to go on sale, but if you're in the market for a wear-everywhere blazer for summer and fall, this could be it!

But, this doesn't apply just to Mango's "curve sizes." Here's a classic example of bizarre styling in their Women section.

I'm not sure what's happening here or why it's happening. Let's move on.

Third, their pricing. Mango is fun and trendy, and the quality is ok...it's not great. If there's something you absolutely love-get it at full price. However, I hope that the "curve sizes" become like the women's sizes and that there are plenty of sizes left once they hit the sales.  Mango, like Zara, has great sales often. I'd keep anything that you're interested in but looking for a lower price in mind once you see how the curve sizes go.

Last, consider using Mango as inspiration. If the prices don't work for you, especially for something you can't try on before purchasing in most places, then look for something similar to what you like at Mango over on Asos Curve because their selections tend to be similar.

Please let me know if you've purchased anything from this line. I'd love to know about the fit and quality from you!