Hi bcipam,

The comment about "women who have not yet their weight goals" seems really annoying. Hey, maybe I'm 6 feet tall and my "weight goal" is to gain 40 pounds so I can work as a plus size model? lol... Yes, I'd love to be a size 6 or 8 or even a 10 again and I'm slowly losing weight, but it's irritating to me that people automatically assume that because I'm overweight I must be unfit and unhappy. Ugh.

On the other hand, Shebeest does seem to be fairly considerate of larger women in their sizing. According to their size chart, XXL is equivalent to a size 18. Also, their measurements assume that a woman of a given size will have hips that are 2" wider than her chest, which seems very realistic as well.

I normally wear a size 12-14 (more often a 14), have a somewhat large chest (36D), long arms, strong (read: big) thighs and large hips, and I wear Shebeest size *large*. In fact, several months ago (when I weighed 8 pounds more than I did today) I tried on a long-sleeved Bellissima jersey in XL and it was *huge* -- I mean, it looked like I was wearing men's pyjamas or something.

Shebeest also has different styles to fit different body types. For example, if you're big chested and/or have a pudgy torso, try their Bellissima jerseys (my favorite!), and definitely stay away from Retro Jerseys and Wahini jerseys, which are very fitted.

At Team Estrogen you can get several Shebeest products in sizes 1X-4X. The sizing chart doesn't offer a number equivalent for 4X, but it says it will fit a 50-53" chest, 46-48" waist, and 53-55" hips. That's pretty generous sizing, don't you think?

Maybe we have Susan and TE to thank for pushing the envelope on *that* one and taking a chance on carrying truly plus-sized clothing? I don't know too many female cyclists to begin with, and believe it or not, at a size 12-14, I'm the largest female cyclist I know, so we must not be a huge market. I'm just glad that *someone* caters to my needs, so I try to vote with my dollars, spend most of my clothing money at TE, and encourage my friends to shop there as well.

I can't tell you how many times I've called TE and asked Molly or Abra to measure a jersey for me, and often I end up ordering two of each, trying them on, and returning the one that doesn't fit.

Oh and if you're looking for plus-sized long-sleeved jerseys, try the Velo Bella Long Sleeve jersey. It has a relaxed fit and very long sleeves.

Good luck with your shopping, keep riding lots, and thanks for shring the story.

Cari