Nordstrom, H&M, and Mango Have the Best Plus-Size Basics—38 in My Cart

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(Image credit: H&M; Pictured: H&M Double-Breasted Jacket ($40))

When it comes to shopping for plus-size basics, it's never been easier than now. Over the last few years, more and more fashion-forward retailers have expanded their size ranges after listening to consumers' frustrations with a lack of size diversity. Cute plus-size clothing either used to be impossible to track down or just plain nonexistent back in the day, but brands like Mango and H&M have been ramping up their game, competing for a piece of the plus-size market share pie with multi-brand retailers like Nordstrom. The result? More and more chic and affordable clothing that everyone can try and buy.

Basics are the foundation of every closet, and now that plus-size elevated basics are commonplace, there's plenty to choose from. Just like straight-size clothing, plus-size elevated basics are meant to go with everything and anything in your wardrobe. Scroll below to discover some of the best plus-size basics I'm shopping now as a fashion editor, from straight-leg denim that pairs well with any blouse to perfectly slouchy blazers à la Hailey Bieber.

Next, These Are the Best Plus-Size Stores, Hands Down

Assistant Shopping Editor
Ana Escalante is an award-winning journalist and Gen Z editor whose work ranges from dissecting size inclusivity at fashion week to discussing how American Girl Doll meme accounts are the the answer to society's collective spiral. She's covered it all: Queen Elizabeth II's corgis, Roe v. Wade frontline protests, and the emergence of jorts (or jean shorts for the uninitated). At Who What Wear, Ana is responsible for delivering smart, insightful, personality-driven shopping guides and trend features for a digital-first generation.

Before joining Who What Wear, Ana was Glamour magazine's editorial assistant, where she focused on daily news and special packages, including leading the brand's 2022 Met Gala coverage. For more than half a decade, she has covered style, beauty, and digital culture for publications such as Paper magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue Japan, and Allure, among others. Ana has been called a rising star in media by publications such as Nylon and Teen Vogue. (Her mother, meanwhile, calls her "the coolest person" she knows.)