Tips on shopping secondhand from a plus-sized person
WORDS BY Jess Fuchs
“When it comes to thrifting, it’s imperative to ignore any superficial number you’re used to.”
I love thrifting. Pop up a clothing rack on a street corner, open your garage door for a sale or hand me the keys to a Vinnies and I’m like a kid in a candy store. But I’ll be the first person to admit that thrifting as a plus-sized person can suck. Options can feel limited and are often relegated to the weird hanging necklace/scarf section. Or you’re left rummaging through the beaten-up bags, which are dumped near the old-school wheelless suitcases.
Thrifting (and shopping in general) wasn’t always something I enjoyed. As a teen in pre-online shopping Australia, I always had the mentality of, ‘If it fits, I’ll just buy it’. I wasn’t passionate about curating my style. Suffering from the limited availability of plus-size clothing, I had no interest in spending any more time than was necessary in a changeroom. But, over the years I’ve embraced the importance of clothing as a means of creative expression and thrifting was a huge part of my clothing evolution.
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With the current fast fashion landscape, giving clothing a second (or even third) life in a new cupboard is an important part of reducing our environmental footprint. Thrifting also allows you to collate a truly unique, colourful and playful wardrobe. And the opportunity to find one-of-a-kind pieces is amazing in challenging our expectations around dressing plus-size bodies.
In my cupboard sit the basics: black jeans, white T-shirts, etc. But, my wardrobe also boasts unique patterns, outrageous statement pieces and exciting one-of-a-kind clothing – all thrifted. And despite the (at times) limited sizing availability in secondhand stores, the more my passion and appreciation for thrifting evolved, the more I became an expert at finding these not-so-hidden gems. As a plus-size thrifting extraordinaire, I’m sharing my top thrifting tips below.
Versatility
A dress isn’t always a dress. Sizing options can seem incredibly limited at your average thrift store. With no chance to order the piece you like in a bigger size, you’ll likely ditch it. Hold on, hold on… pick it back up!
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One of my favourite ‘jackets’ was thrifted. ‘Jacket’ is in quotation marks because when I first spotted this amazing piece, she was hanging up in the dress section, posing as a peplum-style leather dress. I was adamant to give it a go, and thank the thrifting gods I did. This open jacket has become a staple, drawing compliments every time I wear it.
Sure, adjusting certain items (such as jeans) isn’t always a possibility. However, a number of my favourite thrifted pieces were designed for a different function. Like a floor-length denim dress that I rock as an open jacket or an elastic boob-tube shirt that I don as a sexy skirt. Challenging the functionality of clothing allows for greater thrifting capabilities, and also the opportunity to expand your existing wardrobe by viewing pieces in a more versatile light.
Quality, not quantity
Change your shopping habits. We live in a time where you can jump on Asos or The Iconic and fill an internet basket with a huge range of trendy plus-size pieces. And though I appreciate this greater access to clothing, I worry this en-masse clothing consumerism is ruining how we shop IRL.
Vintage shopping allows us to discover special, truly unique one-of-a-kind pieces. Sure, secondhand stores are overflowing with donated fast fashion co-ords and circa-2010 ruffle blouses, which all deserve a second life. But my favourite thing about vintage clothing is the chance to find quirky, unusual, playful, ‘makes you giddy when you wear them’ items.
Finding huge amounts of clothing isn’t the goal. I adjusted my perspective, ditching the online expectation of finding full, head-to-toe outfits immediately. I adopted a curator mindset, appreciating the uniqueness of acquiring a retro gem. Having a more careful, considerate perspective on clothing has changed my style.
I moved away from a trend-based approach to clothing and began to purchase items thoughtfully. I now own more considered, higher-quality clothing, which gives me more style options in the long run.
Think beyond your number
We’re so used to walking into a Zara or Uniqlo and going straight for the exact size we typically wear. But when it comes to thrifting, it’s imperative to ignore any superficial number you’re used to.
Buying secondhand clothing exposes you to an array of old-school styles, homemade pieces and international brands that don’t fulfil conventional sizing (not that sizing is steady across contemporary brands, to begin with). Though at first, this may seem frustrating, I’ve found ignoring numbers and labels has opened my fashion eye up to a greater variety of options.
Understand your body shape and familiarise yourself with what looks like it could fit. You can do this through trial and error. If you like the look of a piece but think it might be too big or too small, just try it on for fun. Go full Goldilocks! You might just find the item you thought to be too small is just right.
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This way you won’t limit your options based on what you think won’t fit, but rather give yourself the opportunity to try on styles you may never pick. When I found this bold, sheer black and red polka-dot dress, I was sure it would be too small and cling to parts of my body I’d long felt insecure about or tried to hide. But, in challenging myself to learn how to eye appropriate clothing shapes and sizes for my body, I tried this dress on – and good thing I did.
Keep an open mind
Allow the clothing to change your style expectations. Growing up, various women’s magazines would provide recommendations based on your body type, which were typically compared to fruits (pear, banana, apple). I was an apple – a round stomach with legs dangling off. And the recommendation for a body like mine? Almost always some generic, oversized drapery that hid my torso.
For a long time, I dressed to hide particular parts of my body, because that’s how someone with my body type should dress. But just because we haven’t been shown particular styles on plus-size bodies, doesn’t mean we can’t wear whatever we damn well please. And thrifting completely changed the styles and shapes I experimented with.
When in a secondhand store, you’ll find everything from homemade skirts to 1950s Italian-made coats. With a huge variety of styles and pieces from trends past, keeping an open mind is powerful. By looking around the store and not restricting yourself to the kinds of style you already wear, you’ll find different items that challenge, and then change, your look.
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I wasn’t a big trench coat-wearer and when I purchased this amazing turquoise trench, it wasn’t ‘trendy’ yet. I also previously viewed clothing as a means to ‘appear’ slimmer. So this trench, complete with big shoulder pads (essentially making me look bigger/boxier), was not an obvious choice. But I loved the colour, so I gave it a go. And after I put it on, I was in love. I came to appreciate the broadness of the shoulders.
This trench is one of my all-time favourite purchases, and it’s suddenly trendy again to rock a trench. Now not only am I on-trend, but in a completely unique way. By having an open mind and trying something I’d have never ordered online, I challenged my idea of shapes that ‘fit’ my body type.
There’s no denying that plus-size thrifting is more limited. However, secondhand clothing is both good for the environment and a great way to challenge your own approach to personal style. Clothing is versatile, and by infusing different patterns and/or shapes into your rotation you improve the uniqueness of your wardrobe.
Trends will shift and your body type might change over time. Learning to dress based on more than just what’s supposedly ‘flattering’ or ‘on-trend’ is empowering!
This article was originally published on March 29, 2023.
For more on thrifting as a plus-sized person, head here.
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