Over at MCB, we’re having a chat about buying clothes from thrift stores.
I was a property master for a couple of plays back in high school, and thus got introduced to buying things from secondhand stores. You never knew what treasure you’d find in the dimly lit rows of the Ft.Wayne Salvation Army. Books, records, vintage clothes–it’s all there. Almost.
See, it’s next to impossible to find good plus-size clothes at most secondhand shops. Jackson Miller, who runs the Cool Springs Plato’s Closet, admits that their store
mostly sell[s] brands that are available in the mall. Since many of those brands do not include plus sizes we would have a hard time buying clothes bigger than that.
Sigh. This would be part of why I have no fashion sense. There just aren’t fashion options for big girls. Either in the mall or outside it. Sure, we’ve got Lane Bryant, which is fine if you’re getting ready to go on the Ricky Lake Show, or to prove that fat girls can turn tricks down on Division with the best of them. But there just really aren’t clothes easily obtained for those of us who make up 40% of the female population.
In fact, I was watching The Devil Wears Prada a couple of days ago, and about threw my root beer at the tv. (Thankfully I realised that all that would do would mess up my tv and my carpet, leaving Meryl Streep untouched.) Meryl talks about how fashion is living art and it’s not good to have contempt for the fashion industry because they decide everything, including what colour of blue your frumpy sweater will be two years from now.
Well, Fashion Industry, I do have contempt for you, only because you have contempt for me. So much so that I can’t even buy second hand clothes. Fat clothes are so hard to come by, that they’re hard to come buy.
Somebody ought to change that.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
Maybe the world is ready for the new “Coble Clothing” fashion line… I know you can knit, but can you sew?
Have you tried Dress Barn? I shop there for work clothes, and half of every store is plus sizes. And they look as nice (or not nice, I suppose, depending on your opinion of Dress Barn — hey, their camp shirts work for me) as the non-plus clothes. I really hate stores and lines that don’t want to serve everybody. I have extra-wide feet, and I run into the same problem of limited styles because, natch, I must want sensible shoes all the time and not care about the look.
The hardest part of the fashion industry for me is the struggle it causes so many people. I can remember going shopping with my little sister in the Back Bay in Boston when she was 17. She wasn’t big, but she wasn’t a size 2 either. Unfortunately, many of these boutiques didn’t sell clothes bigger than a size 2. That is just absurd.
I do think the situation is better in some cities, but “better” means special brands and stores, not that Banana Republic has clothes bigger than a 16.
Have you tried Avenue? There is one a few doors down from our Plato’s and it seems like it might be a good fit (pun intended).
I wish I could help you (and many others) more.
I have contempt for the fashion industry because it’s a huge scam. The only important thing about fashion is that it continually changes, specifically so that you will have to keep buying.
It’s moronic.
It’s true that there’s a noticeable bell curve for size availability in thrift stores. I think I’ve noticed a pretty decent selection of plus sizes at the Goodwill in Berry Hill, though, unless you’ve experienced otherwise.
That scene in The Devil Wears Prada sat funny with me, too, and I wondered if it was supposed to. I enjoy fashion as a spectator sport and as an art form to appreciate. I hate to think of people feeling victimized by it, but it does seem that clothing retail follows the fashion industry in such a way that shopping for new (or even used) clothes does all but victimize people. That sucks.
Jackson, the Avenue next to Plato’s Closet in Cool Springs is often a good source for cute and reasonably-covering clothes. It can be as hit-or-miss as Lane Bryant. Ya just have to watch for sales and bargains and have to skip the collections that offer the following problems:
* made by OmarTheTentmakerAndCo.™ (ie. makes YOU look a tent)
* wrong color palette for your skintone (the orange/coral phase wasn’t so good for me)
* no offerings for “careerwear”
* thinks everyone looks good in a sheath dress (um, no; we’re not all the same figure, y’all)
* requires a particular size of boobies (some of us plus-size gals are smaller chested; others of us carry our weight in the “girls”)
* designs skewed either toward the teenyboppers or to the grannies (hey, how about some selections for the young adults, yo!??!)
I’ve actually been able to scour up some great finds in the plus-size sections of Marshall’s, TJMaxx, and (Cool Springs location) Ross. Might not be as deeply discounted as the thrift stores, but you can find some deals ‘n’ steals!
You need to go to You Tube and search “fat rant”. The Fat Rant by Joy Nash is similar to your rant and it is great.
I hear you Kat! The times I’ve tried to look for clothing in my size in thrift type places, I only find muumuus (no offense Newscoma), 70s polyester pants and horrendous floral prints.
I can’t seem to find decent “dress-up” (no, not princess dresses & fairy wings like my daughter’s “dress-up” stuff! – evening wear) clothing, either. All dresses are tents or too skanky and I can never seem to find skirt/top combos that fit me well. It’s hard to find “separates” where you can get your top in one size and the bottom in a different size.
Oh well.
I can’t believe you posted this just as I finished buying some major hot clothes in our size for about 20 dollars for several blouses,skirts and one pair of pants.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The thrift store on Charlotte close to the Sonic has brand name clothes. I’ve bought some major brand names there.
See, the people who live in the area…many are well off. So that is THE thrift store to go to. Also, Wednesday clothes are like 1/2 off.
Bring a 20 and buy a new wardrobe in our size.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone, though.
Jackson,
My sister swears by “The Avenue”, and it can be a good place, but they don’t do second-hand.
Sharon,
That sounds worth the drive. Definitely. I’ll have to check it out when I’m back.
Malia & Elena,
Exactly. That’s 100% what I’m talking about.
Kate,
When I worked in home fashion marketing it was very much the same thing. Some “Colour Group Marketing” team decided which colours would be trendy in the upcoming year. Then you went to Market in January and saw that all the products would be Celadon or Cerulian or Chocolate and Pink. Whatever they told you.
Seeing as I dislike being told what to do, none of that whole taste-dictation sat very well with me.
With the 70s and 80s back in style, I just loving vintage clothing from the thrift shops. You can find designers like Chanel and Armani for cheap there. Ebay is great too!