French Meadows Plus Size Review: Fit, Quality, and Honest Thoughts
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If you've been searching for a French Meadows plus size review before dropping your hard-earned money on their gorgeous corsets and cottagecore dresses, you're in the right place. I recently discovered this brand after stepping back from Selkie, and I was on the hunt for something with similar romantic, coquette, Renaissance-y vibes but with genuinely inclusive sizing. French Meadows delivered on the aesthetic in a big way, and after unboxing and trying on multiple pieces, I have all the honest details on fit, fabric, and whether it's worth your money.
I filmed the entire unboxing and try-on process on YouTube, so if you want to see these pieces in motion (including a corset lacing struggle, because there was one), you can watch the full video linked in this post. But if you're more of a reader, let's get into the details.
Use code FlyForAGinger for 15% off your French Meadows order. I'll be linking each specific item throughout this post so you can shop exactly what I tried on.
What Is French Meadows?
French Meadows is a woman-owned small business established in 2018 with a brand tagline of "find your inner whimsy," and honestly, that description could not be more accurate. Think cottagecore, Renaissance faire, coquette aesthetics all rolled into one dreamy collection. Every piece I unboxed came thoughtfully packaged (double bagged, if you're curious) and arrived within just a couple days of shipping, which is always a nice surprise with a smaller retailer.
One thing worth noting for anyone researching French Meadows plus size sizing specifically: most items in their collection go up to a 3X, but select pieces (including one of the corsets I tried, linked below) go all the way up to a 5X. Definitely worth checking each individual product page since sizing availability varies by style.
French Meadows Plus Size Sizing: What I Learned
For reference, I'm 5'2" with a 46" bust, 44" underbust, 49" waist, and 58" hip, and I ordered almost everything in a 3X, with one chemise in a 2X.
Here's the twist: nearly everything in the 3X ran big on me, while the one piece I ordered a sized down actually needed to go even smaller. Confusing, right? That's honestly the nature of shopping a newer-to-you brand, and it's exactly why I wanted to document this so thoroughly for anyone else considering French Meadows plus size options.
The Pieces I Tried On
Rose Chiffon Chemise – 2X
This chemise ran big on me even at a 2X. I'd recommend sizing down at least one size, possibly two, if you're ordering this piece specifically. The color is more of a mauve-brown than a true rose, which was a pleasant surprise. It's double-lined, soft, lightweight, and breezy, so it won't leave you overheated when layered under a corset or dress. If you have gorgeous arms you want to show off, the fit through the shoulders and arms was gorgeous even oversized.
Short Puff Sleeve Chemise Dress – 3X
Just like the rose version, this one ran large in the 3X. It has beautiful puff sleeves and a front tie so you can adjust how open or closed you want the neckline, plus a cute ruffle detail at the bottom. It's lightweight and comfortable, though noticeably more sheer than I expected, so definitely plan to wear it as a layering piece rather than standalone unless you're comfortable with some see-through fabric.
Floral Milkmaid Dress – Ivory – 3X
This was one of my favorite fit surprises of the whole order. This dress has genuinely great stretch and is lined enough that it isn't see-through, meaning you could actually wear this one solo rather than just as a layering piece. My only critique was the straight-across neckline, which felt like it needed a bit more fabric to properly accommodate a fuller bust. Otherwise, this dress is a versatile workhorse you can dress up or down.
Brown Linen Ruffle Skirt – 3X
This skirt ran noticeably big on me, and unlike the green gingham skirt below, it doesn't have an interior tie to cinch it smaller. It does have pockets though, which is always a win in my book. The color is a rich, deep brown that pairs beautifully with the rose chemise underneath. If you're ordering this piece, definintely consider sizing down.
Sage Cotton Corset – 3X
This corset fit beautifully through the body once laced up, though I found the shoulder straps ran long and kept slipping off, which was probably my biggest fit critique of this piece. If you have narrower shoulders like I do, keep that in mind. The construction quality is genuinely impressive, with a separate boning insert (rather than one sewn permanently into the corset) so you can wear it with or without that coverage depending on the look you're going for.
Green Gingham Ruffle Skirt – 3X
This skirt was a standout in terms of fit. The 3X felt accurate, soft, lightweight, and it has a tie in the back so you can cinch it smaller if needed, plus pockets. It also has side ties that let you hike up the skirt slightly to reveal what's underneath, which is such a fun styling detail for anyone wanting a more dynamic, dimensional look.
Rococo Pink 18th Century Stays – 3X
This was the piece I was most excited about, and it ended up running a bit small on me, to the point that the back panel doesn't fully close and is slightly revealed. That said, I'm keeping it. Given the choice between a corset that runs small versus one that runs big, I'd take small every time, since a corset with too much extra room just doesn't function the way it's supposed to. Worth noting for anyone shopping this specific style: if you're between sizes, I'd actually recommend sizing up rather than down. This particular corset is also available up to a 5X, which is great to see given that most French Meadows pieces top out at 3X.
Overall French Meadows Plus Size Review Verdict
Despite some sizing inconsistencies across pieces, I am genuinely impressed with French Meadows as a brand. The fabric quality feels intentional and well-made, the packaging and unboxing experience is delightful, and the whimsical, coquette-meets-Renaissance aesthetic is executed beautifully. I'm keeping the majority of what I ordered, and now that I have a better sense of how their sizing runs (generally big, except when it isn't), I feel much more confident shopping from them again.
One thing worth noting for anyone shopping this brand: French Meadows does not currently offer exchanges, only returns and repurchases, so ordering your correct size the first time really matters.
More French Meadows Finds
I've since ordered even more from French Meadows, including the Regency Blue Floral Milkmaid Dress and the Mushroom Milkmaid Dress. I also got really lucky and snagged the Rococo Pink Ruffle Skirt to match my corset, but it has since sold out. So if you love the Rococo Pink corset as much as I do, don't sleep on the matching skirt if you see it in stock. I'll be sharing a full review of these newest pieces soon, so keep an eye out.
Final Thoughts
If you're drawn to whimsical, romantic, plus size fashion with genuine size inclusivity, French Meadows is absolutely worth checking out. Just go in expecting to size down on most pieces, especially chemises and skirts, while sizing up (or true to size) on corsets specifically if you're between sizes.
Don't forget to use code FlyForAGinger for 15% off your order if you decide to try any of these pieces yourself.
And if you want to see all of these pieces in motion, including the full corset-lacing saga, make sure to check out my complete try-on and unboxing video on YouTube. I promise it's worth the watch!
I hope you enjoyed this honest French Meadows review! If you are looking for more whimsical plus size fashion content please check out these other blogs posts:
Where to Find Plus Size Royalcore Clothes
The Best Plus Size Summer Dresses
Until next time,