Shopping of any kind as a plus size person can be a nightmare, but secondhand clothes shopping is an actual personal hell for many I think. It certainly has been for me. Racks and racks of poorly sized and actually terrible options at Goodwills and Salvation Army…. hours spent to find next to nothing. Even in Portland, where we import used clothes, unlike anywhere else, it’s hard.
Last year though, things started to change a little. More and more often I started to see people who looked more like me in advertisements and on social media. I fell into this world on Instagram I’d never realized was there. Handles aneutrallife, plussizefries, meg.Boggs, lvernon2000, and so many more.
YouTuber Kristen Chirico, who has since left Buzzfeed, did a shopping series in Major cities across the world and US called The Empty Suitcase show. This show not only brought attention to the lack of availability and affordability in plus size clothes, but also showcased the amazing plus size stores and communities that are out there. She went to several AMAZING plus size consignment and secondhand shops. Would suggest watching!
More and more throughout the pandemic I saw people being more raw and honest about our lives at home… perhaps because they ran out of other content or perhaps in an effort to find and create community in a lonely time, but either way, its been awesome. I was able to find local influencers and through them, local businesses to try. I was also able to find plus size resale through two different dedicated instagram accounts.
This community has led me to the resources I needed to be able to shop secondhand as a plus size person. That said, there’s still a demand that’s not being met… there’s more plus size people who want to shop sustainable options than there are options. We have lots of work to do still.
If you are one of those people who falls into the plus size group, and you are trying to shop more sustainably… I know, it sucks. But, there are resources out there, there’s a community, and it’s getting better. Interact with it, support it, and use your dollar to vote. It’s the only way it gets better!
Coffee & Conundrums 