Curve Appeal: Bodacious Boutique is a Bust

by Nancy Upton on Nov 3, 2011 in Columns, Features, Shopping

 

 

DFW Style Daily is proud to introduce our newest columnist, Nancy Upton. Her controversial entry into American Apparel’s ‘Next Big Thing’ modeling contest sparked a global media frenzy this year, and she recently starred in our very first fashion pictorial.

 

You can read all about Nancy on our Contributors page, and her debut column appears here today.

 

As we worked together on our feature story and fashion spread, the DFW Style Daily team came to know Nancy Upton well. Beautiful and opinionated, she believes that great fashion comes in all sizes – and we absolutely agree.  In her weekly series Curve Appeal, Nancy will strip away the kitsch and clichés to explore the local shopping scene for girls with real curves.

 

Today, Nancy reviews Bodacious Boutique in North Dallas – and this new reporter’s not pulling any punches. Read on for all the details.

 

 

Bodacious Boutique has been on the map for seven years, but off my radar until last week. Located in the Preston Valley Shopping Center, Bodacious carries exclusively plus-sized styles in a range from 14-28, as well an array of accessories including shoes, hats, purses, and sunglasses. Notable brands in the store include FLAX and Tianello.

 

The name Bodacious brings to mind images of surfers in the ‘90s, but the store actually caters to a more mature clientele. Its mix of casual, professional, and evening ensembles almost always consists of a jacket over long pants or a long skirt.

 

There wasn’t a strong sense of current trends or classic looks in stock at Bodacious.

 

The store’s average shopper might be 40-70 in age, and is definitely looking for comfort over content. Many of the cuts were square and loose, designed to conceal instead of highlight the figure.

 

Some of the more casual wear struck me as items a grandmother would like, but buyers beware: only grandchildren and grade schoolers will take you seriously if you have cartoon animals on your shirt.

 

In the more formal category, an extreme low point in my visit was the “After Hours” selection. I have to assume “After Hours” is a time for looks slightly dressier than gardening, though less formal than having cocktails. A black acetate top covered in curlicues of silver glitter checked in at a whopping $68.

 

In fact, many of the pieces at Bodacious were priced very assertively, with outfits climbing near $200. In many cases, the quality of the fabric, with the exception of the FLAX styles, didn’t seem to match the price tags.

 

On a positive note, however, the accessories (necklaces, bracelets, and earrings) were designer-inspired and very affordable. In my opinion, they represented the most fashionable selection of the store. To get the best bang for your buck, I’d recommend checking out the Bodacious sale section, where you might find a steal on a particular evening dress or shirt, then pick up a funky necklace or two from the accessories wall.

 

That said, as a fashion forward young woman, I had better luck leaving the boutique behind altogether, and crossing the parking lot to ReThreads. Specializing in upscale resale, ReThreads features on-trend, wallet-friendly pieces, currently stocked through size 18. It was a pleasant detour after an ultimately disappointing trip to Bodacious Boutique.