I just discovered a great website. I heard about it on the news a few days ago and just now checked it out. It's http://www.myshape.com
They, of course, want all kinds of info first but then what you get is some really great info regarding your shape. Body shapes are divided into 7 catagories (I'm an "M"). The shape profile tells you what looks best for your figure and then you can shop tons of manufacturer's clothing according to your shape (or not). They have lots of designers and price ranges for any budget. There is so much info and it's really fun once you get past the 10,000,000 measurements they want you to take. (They'll even send a measuring tape to anyone who doesn't have one.) I know, hard to imagine, huh?
Give it a shot. It does take a bit of time but it's fun and I learned a few things.
Okay, now that I've spent a moment or two looking at the site I see that it's a bit on the pricey side but the upside is that it's still great to see what looks good in respect to selecting sewing patterns. I really like the suggestions it's given me.