Melissa McCarthy’s New Clothing Line Was a ‘Selfish Venture: I Wanted to Build a Better Closet for Myself’

She’s got a box office smash on her hands with her latest comedy, Spy, but Melissa McCarthy‘s latest passion project isn’t on the big screen — it’s all about her closet!

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The actress has been turning heads on the red carpet in creations of her own design recently, and soon women everywhere will be privy to her sartorial savvy, as she launches her Melissa McCarthy Seven7 line this August.

“I started this line because I wanted to know: Where are the normal clothes?” the actress says in the new issue of PEOPLE. “This really is a selfish venture. I wanted to build a better closet for myself.”

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McCarthy’s collection (which will be available at Lane Bryant and Macy’s, plus on HSN and her website) ranges from 4 to 28, and McCarthy says her line addresses all of her fashion peeves. “I’ve worn every single piece. There are little jeans that are super stretchy and they come all the way up, because I just do not need to see anyone’s muffin top, and I do not need to see anyone bend over and be able to tell what color underwear they’re wearing anymore.”

She also has strong feelings about sleeves. “Yes, there are lots of sleeves here! Hallelujah! Do you know how many fights I’ve had about sleeves?” she asks. “I was actually told once [by a manufacturer she’s not working with now], ‘Plus-size women do not want sleeves, in any capacity.’ I was like, ‘Are you crazy? That’s not accurate! I am plus-size, and I want them, I have friends who are size 26 and size 8 and they want a sleeve! Very few things [in Seven7] don’t have sleeves. My stuff has sleeves, my stuff has pockets, you can count on that.”

And the Bridesmaids star’s latest career move wasn’t made on a whim: She actually enrolled at New York’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology before dropping out to pursue acting. And she brings an important perspective to her designs.

“Clothing and fashion should be fun,” she says. “You’re supposed to put it on and then have a little kick in your step that day!”

For more on Melissa McCarthy, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

Get a sneak peek of the looks here, then tells us: Are you excited to see more from her line?

—Jeff Nelson, with reporting by Kate Coyne