In Full Swing

For someone who loves clothes, I sure don’t like shopping for them. I get overwhelmed with too many similar options and don’t always makes good choices Enter Sharon with her terrific eyes and pleasant ways. Somehow, she has got my style down so she is usually spot on with suggestions. She knows her inventory really well so If I am looking for something in particular, she can pick out stuff in a couple of minutes, saving me half an hour of looking in the wrong places and getting sidetracked 34 times while doing it.
My favorite shopping experience at In Full Swing was when I went in to get some staid work clothes. I was trying on things and picturing myself hunched at my desk, blech. All of a sudden, Sharon whipped out an article of clothing I had not seen though it was from a rack I had already looked through. This number was a respectably trashy, long-​sleeved, clingy, animal print dress that came to a fluttering halt at my mid thighs. The only thing I could manage to say was «Oh Fuck.» When I tried it on, it looked like I was poured into it. Oh fuck indeed. Even the work clothes looked better after that.
The clothes Sharon buys/​stocks are high quality and varied enough to suit all my needs — work, play and slut. Given that the store is not huge, this takes skill and lots of hard work. I appreciate that Sharon and staff are always willing to check with manufacturers for different sizes, colors, etc. For these reasons, I have been shopping at In Full Swing for many years and plan to continue doing so for as long as we are both around.

I went in there yesterday with two young women who have never shopped in such a fancy store with sizes that fit them. I appreciated the amazing attention the owner and staff gave to these young women… and believe it or not I walked out of the store wearing a dress! I appreciate when small businesses pay attention to detail and care about the people they are serving. I love the colors, shapes and sizes in this store… I always leave feeling pretty and handsome at the same time… tho it is more expensive than I can really afford… it is a really special place with some beautiful clothes for us bigger gals.

My review also pertains to the nursing bra sales at this store. They’re specialists, or so they advertise.
I checked the website and finally got over to the store to buy– I have five kids– only to be turned away by a young staff person. You can only buy nursing bras with an appointment?!
I went back in, frustrated, and said this can’t be right. You only sell nursing bras by appointment? The staff person corrected herself and said that I could buy one but not be fitted. Ok. This was after she had me out the door believing no appointments, no sales. She walked me over to the pitiful selection and said here are some of our options (there were two.)
I looked at the overpriced mess– a 20% markup over Amazon– and walked out. What a joke.
No wonder brick and mortar local shops are failing.

I’m a 62 year old plus-​sized woman who has shopped in discount department stores for most of my adult life. I have finally realized that I deserve nice clothes. In Full Swing’s gorgeous display windows beaconed to me, and I’m so glad I stopped in. The lovely person who assisted me couldn’t have been more helpful. Yes, these clothes are an investment, but they mix and match wonderfully giving you many different looks. I took advantage of the sale rack and got some great bargains. I’ll probably be stopping in every time I’m visiting from Michigan!

Nice people and a large selection which unfortunately tends to cater to the tallish plus size female with lots of tent-​like clothing that adds coverage for those who are wanting to hide out a bit. Not much that caters to the petite plus size (under 5’4). This could be a manufacturing issue or just poor selection on their part. not sure, i suspect the former since who the hell runs stripes across the chest or ass, or ruffles that frame what you don’t need framed? (Not a flattering look for most especially a plus size). Prices are on the high end, but there are almost always some Citron and URU brands that work for everybody and the choices transcend the baggy pajama look that dominates other plus size shops. You can find tailored and dressy items here, but be prepared to shell out more money if you want them tailored to fit your shorter frame in which case you will have to spend more time and money on them elsewhere. If its a sale item it could well be worth it.

I’m a jeans and t-​shirt kind of person so when I need nice clothes for parties or weddings, this is my go-​to place. And I usually wind up buying casual stuff as well.
The staff is great — very helpful but not pushy. They look at me and my body and my personality and suggest items which make sense. I have gotten great compliments at my office holiday party from the fashionistas I work with — the clothes I’m wearing are beautiful and look good on me. They will tell you if something’s not working and make great suggestions.

Had a great experience here. Excellent customer service. Super nice, helpful folks work here. Tonnie was very attentive, informative, and generous with her time. This is the place to go for nursing bras, as they have a variety of choices and help you get the perfect fit. Tonnie measured me and had lots of helpful advice to get me set up. As a first time mom, I needed this kind of service, as I had never purchased a nursing bra before and didn’t know where to start. Thanks, Tonnie & In Full Swing! Highly recommended.

Changing review due to the return policy. I didn’t notice that the receipt states, NO REFUNDS. Exchanges must be made within 10 days. Policies like this should be stated at check out, verbally so the customer understands that the items sold in this store cannot be returned for a credit or cash refund. I’ve never heard of such a thing. This is not acceptable on any level.

Just bought another Eileen Fisher and Tianello here. This is a great place for full-​sized women whowant to look classy!
Wonderful customer service from the manager (Sharon). I love everything I got and will be buying more in the future.

The reviewer who said this store isn’t youthful and the clothes make her feel bad about herself really missed the mark. I live in Texas and make sure to visit IFS while visiting San Francisco/​Oakland area. I always find clothes that complement my full figure and enhance my voluptuousness. I’ve always found so many styles and accessories that I have to find new luggage to make the trip home. Wish we had one in Texas!

Over the years I have found incredible treasures at In Full Swing including one of my most highly noticed and complimented appliqué skirts, beautiful work wear with unique features like shoulder cut outs and unusual hemlines, and sexy skirts.
Because the store has a small footprint, they have a lot packed into a small space. This means that a fashionista needs to be patient, taking the time to really look through the many choices. If at first you see an oversized shirt that hides curves you’d rather show off, look and look some more.
I shop at many stores, but In Full Swing is where I always look first. Through them, I have built up an incredibly beautiful clothing collection that fits my fashion-​forward reputation.
Because many of the brands carried are high end, there are definitely expensive items, on the other hand, if you have a way to swing it, they are well tailored, use fabulous fabrics and are built to last. That said, In Full Swing often has great sales, and always has a cram-​packed sales rack in the back hallway.
I love this store, I love the salespeople and I’m so glad I’m local enough to be able to check in often since they are always getting new shipments.
Dedicated to fashion? Take your time at this store and you will come away with some amazing finds and high quality basics with a twist. I have clothing confidence and it’s in no small part due to In Full Swing.

The Good: Are you Sylvia Browne? Do you need a wardrobe full of enormous gauzy blouses that give no hint of your actual anatomical shape? Do you coordinate your outfits to look like a 50+ white civil servant with no interest in fashion, only in matching? This is the place for you.
I realize this is snarky, but this place was a massive letdown. Other reviews describe this place as fashion-​forward, full of interesting pieces and beautiful styles. These are very misleading. What I found redeeming about this place may appeal to you: the help is very friendly, forthcoming and available without being at all pushy. I was greeted and made to feel welcome. The shop is small, but they have a ton of stock and a lot to look through. They do a good job with the space that they have and the store is very clean and well-​presented.
The Bad: Although there is a great deal of stock, selection, and sizing, it couldn’t be less interesting. «Fashion forward» is cruelly incorrect. Everything is shapeless, boxy, and crafted to make sure you feel old and matronly. A-​line everything. Enormous, tent-​tailored shirts with patterns to distract you from your own size. There is a revolution happening in plus-​size fashion. It’s about shedding the shame and fatkinis and dressing to express yourself rather than to hide. This place is so far behind all of that, it made me sad to see the displays in the window. More than Catherine’s or Dressbarn, In Full Swing reinforces that fat women are styleless, shapeless, and sexless. Nothing here is «fashion-​forward,» or innovative.
Additionally, the $$ rating is woefully incorrect. This is a $$$ place and I hope the reviews begin to reflect that reality. We’re talking $ 90 t-​shirts. I found a rack of dresses in burlap brown, without any structure or embellishment for over $ 300! Even skipping sweatshop labor, avoiding synthetic fabric, and not sacrificing color or style, I could buy three dresses for that much money. Many plus-​size shoppers are savvy about our choices, constantly showrooming and comparison shopping to get the best deals on the prettiest clothes. IFS cannot compete in pricing, look, or quality.
There’s almost nowhere for a woman over a size 14 to shop in Berkeley or Oakland. Vintage, thrift, and consignment exist where Ross fails and LB and Torrid hide out in far-​flung malls. I had high hopes that IFS would fill in the gap and I was sorely disappointed.
Overall: If you’re an older plus-​size woman in a conservative job and you need professional attire that hides your curves, you may find what you’re looking for at IFS. If you’re at all youthful, fashionable, proud of yourself, sexual, or unwilling to pay $$$ to feel bad about yourself, you probably won’t. They’re nice people and they try really hard, but please be advised that other reviews are misleading.

Just an update to my 2007 review: yes, this place is still fabulous!
Not sure how many years I’ve been shopping here, but it’s been a long time. I appreciate the combination of fashion-​forwardness and reality available in the store. I can find work clothes that are fun and interesting but not overly funky, and I can find «fun» stuff for other times.
The staff are particularly helpful in letting me know when they can order a piece for me in my size, or in another color, but I’ve never felt pushed to buy. The main advantage of shopping here is that not only can I find my «standard» things but they keep helping me find new things that enhance my wardrobe.
For a big woman, this place is a sweet haven of respect and beauty. They not only sell me clothes, they make my life happier in ways that go far beyond clothes.

I regret having to write this review, because I like supporting small, local businesses, but my experience was so bad I cannot help but tell you about it.
Nota Bene: I am not a plus size woman and In Full Swing is primarily for plus size women. My review exclusively pertains to the nursing bra situation at this store.
In Full Swing was recommended to me as a place to go get fitted for a nursing bra. Now please realize that pregnancy and maternity open a woman up to a world of consumerism, much of which is artificially price-​inflated. «Nothing but the best for you and your baby!» Still I was unprepared for the prices of the bras nursing women are expected to buy. $ 50 is not an amount I have ever paid for a bra in my life. Another Nota Bene: I am a small-​chested woman, petite overall, and usually wear sports bras. Your miles will vary of course.
Since it was recommended, I went to IFS for a bra fitting. The saleswoman was very nice of course (salespeople are). She «fitted» me for 3 bras, two of which seem specialized, the third was a «bamboo bra» with no real structure to it, yet it also cost almost $ 50. The other 2 bras had the usual nursing snaps that enable you to free one breast for feeding, so I told myself the added complexity of the bra was the reason for the price. I told myself that again when I found the same brands on the internet for the same price. However, I stopped telling myself that when I found bras with the same features at Target for $ 20. Glad I only bought 3 at IFS. Wish I’d gone to Target in the first place.
At IFS I bought the structureless bamboo bra, a nursing tank and a third bra. The bamboo bra is nothing special. The tank I exchanged because the first time I tried it on I couldn’t get it over my torso. The third bra also didn’t fit around my torso and I ended up buying a special bra extender at Jo Anne Fabrics to get it to fit. This was the result of my «bra fitting.» The store was nice enough to allow me to exchange the tank for a larger size, and without a receipt, so I am giving 2 stars instead of 1. By the time I realized the 3^rd bra also didn’t fit, I didn’t want to go back to the store yet a 3^rd time. Now I still wear that bra, but with the extender in it, and other aspects of it still don’t fit. What a clusterf**k. So sorry I ever went there.
As I said, your miles will certainly vary from mine. If you are a plus size woman in search of lovely clothes, you may do fine at this store. But stay far away from the nursing bra fittings. In my opinion, it’s a scam.

This store is breath of fresh air for full figured women. The store is small, but packed with a lovely variety of great clothes, both dress and casual. I rarely leave empty handed. The staff is friendly, helpful and really know their inventory. My only small issue is the lack of petite women’s clothing, but I realize they simply don’t have room for every size. I am really glad they are in my neighborhood and have easy parking.

There’s something for everyone here, as long as you’re at least a size 14 or so. Plenty of natural fibers, nothing dowdy and nothing cheap looking. The sale rack is fabulous, but the full-​retail prices are affordable too, and the quality is uniformly excellent. But what really makes the store stand out are the women who work there. They’re super-​helpful, friendly, warm, and really smart about fit, alternatives, finding solutions, etc. Total pros! I never leave without at least one or two items, and everything I get there turns out to be a piece I wear a lot and can mix with so many other pieces I never get tired of it. Bravo, In Full Swing!

They have very nice and girly stuff here. I don’t think that there is one item in this store I would wear. However, they often have some cute items for my wife. A saleswoman once asked her where she wears all the short clingy ruffled black dresses she buys…
A lot of the stuff is vaguely or overtly «ethnic» — Latin, African, Asian, Native patterns on flowy fabrics — the kind of stuff a stereotypical Berkeley psychotherapist might wear.
They have some cool jewelry and the staff is friendly.
Some of the items are quite pricey so the sale rack is a great invention.

In Full Swing is a very rare store. Cool fabrics, beautiful vibrant colors, innovative designs and generally cute clothes, all for plus size women. The sales people are knowledgeable and helpful without being intrusive.
They carry both well known brands like Citron, Danskin, Champion and Vikki Vi as well as boutique designers I haven’t seen other places. They have a range of prices from their awesome sale racks to special occasion, fancy schmancy clothing. They have stuff for going to work and for working out. If you need an outfit for something and you wear size 14 or above, they got you covered.
This is the kind of store that makes you wish you had a bigger closet and «What Not to Wear» budget. I look forward to going back soon.