Plus Size Babydolls

I confess that until I started working for a plus size underwear retailer, I'd never heard of babydolls. It's a phrase that still sounds kind of creepy to me, but it's the "industry standard" term, as they say. What's odd is that basically it means the same thing as "negligee" or nightie. OK, a babydoll is a little bit more glamorous, but effectively that's what it is.

The babydoll though is one of the most popular items of plus size lingerie, judging by our sales, but it's also the one that gets the most questions from people who aren't sure what they are. So, this hub will attempt to answer every babydoll question ever.*

_{* Not necessarily true.}

The term Babydoll was popularised by a controversial black comedy film of the same name. You can read more on Baby Doll over at the IMDB. I can't pretend to have seen the movie, but it appears that the same comes from the main character who spends her time flirting while wearing a short negligee. This also explains why you can see the term as two words like the main character, Baby Doll, and rolled together as a single word: babydoll. There you go.

In terms of plus size babydolls, they are popular because they are available in so many different styles, but are not designed to be tight fitting, but looser, which makes them flattering. They can also have cups and low cut busts, so accentuate the larger cleavage of the plus size woman.

They are more functional than many pieces of plus size lingerie, as they are "proper" sleepwear, for the most part, though much more attractive than the flannel nighties from the supermarket! A plus point for the larger sizes is that owing to their popularity, there are plenty of manufacturers of plus size babydolls, and so the choice is extensive.

Because they can often be short and skimpy, many people buy a robe to wear over the top of the babydoll.

We stock over 70 types of plus size babydoll, so you can see that the range is pretty big, but they split down into several types:

• Satin long babydolls - these are the closest to the classic negligee. Can be low cut at the back, but tend to be fully covered at the front.
• Split front babydolls - very popular, but obviously not one to open the door in. Robe considered essential extra.
• Lycra or Mesh babydolls - they are made from a stretch material to make fitting easier, and tend to be a bit see through, to add to the allure.
• Cupless babydolls - odd in some ways, because one of the popular parts for a plus size babydolls is that they include cups which accentuate the bust, but there are babydolls which are completely cupless.

What should you look for when buying a babydoll?

When you're looking to buy a babydoll, make sure you can find out the following information:

1. Material - is it made from something you want to wear? ie, do you want it to be completely opaque, in which case look for satin. Some combine the two, so you can get opaque cups, but mesh or lace skirts.
2. Straps or strapless - what sort of support are you looking for?
3. Backless or not? Hopefully there are pictures of the back as well as the front of the babydoll, or at least some description, because babydolls can often have a low cut back, or strapped back, rather than a full material one, and you need to decide which you want.
4. Close or loose fitting - both exist, but if you are looking for close fitting, ensure you get the size right and consider one of the stretch materials.
5. Price - obviously a factor. They tend to cost between £20 and £40, but varies from store to store. Do some google research on the product ID once you've found the babydoll you like.

Should you buy a babydoll as a gift?

A small piece of advice for those men looking to buy a plus size babydoll as a gift. The babydoll is a pretty ideal lingerie gift because it's not ridiculous, but you still need to use common sense. Don't buy something they aren't going to wear. Put yourself in their shoes and think which one they would buy, and ensure you get the right size. Some useful links on buying lingerie tips for men below.