The holidays are officially upon us. If you’re like me, that means holiday parties with friends, family, and coworkers. Last year, I had six special occasion events that required cocktail or formal attire. That’s a lot for this girl on a budget!
Luckily, I had a closet full of options thanks to my previous career in nonprofit fundraising as Gala-attire was a job requirement! But in the last year, I’ve downsized significantly and shedded most of my formal attire. (You all know that jeans and t-shirts are my uniform now!)
What’s a broke girl to do? This year, I’m opting for secondhand.
But in addition to saving money, the benefits of secondhand clothes shopping are clear:
- Secondhand shopping prevents waste. 80% of U.S. clothing ends up in landfills. That’s hundreds of thousands of pounds of garbage each year. We must do better for our planet.
- Secondhand shopping inspires creativity. According to Fashion Revolution, “Secondhand [clothes shopping”] also loosens the grip of advertising and corporations on shaping our style and identity, and can reconnect us to the joy of wearing clothes and passing them on.”
- Secondhand shopping supports small business owners. Despite the rise of large online marketplaces, the vast majority of after-market clothing sales still happen in-person, at the local level. These business owners often provide shelf space for artists and makers to showcase their wares and all of them are job creators. Supporting them is good for local economies.
So, where would I recommend you shop for plus-size clothes this holiday season?
Here are a few of my favorite options—all of whom host live sales and/or sell their items online so you can buy from anywhere in the the U.S.! (Shipping charges definitely apply.) But if you’d prefer to shop in person, check out this list of 47 plus-size consignment stores.
Cake Plus-Size Resale in Minneapolis, Minnesota
From the owner:
Cake Plus-Size Resale is a body positive resale shop for sizes XL and up. Cake makes stylish secondhand clothing accessible to those wearing plus-sizes at our brick-and-mortar shop in Minneapolis & in our online shop.
Cake posts seasonal collections on its website. The Winter Collection should be available Dec 2, 2019 and will feature over 100 pieces. You can also buy from them on Instagram and Facebook.
Fat Fancy Fashions in Portland, Oregon
From the owner:
Fat Fancy’s mission is to create a comfortable, fun, body positive space for our diverse family of plus size customers and artists to sell and buy clothing, accessories, and body positive merchandise. We believe that by connecting them to each other we can create a stronger plus size community.
Follow Fat Fancy on Facebook for live sales every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 8pm PST. You can also buy from them via Instagram and on their website.
The Plus Bus in Los Angeles, California
From the owners:
The Plus Bus meets you on your turf and expand yours plus size clothing horizons right here in Los Angeles. We offer everything from gently-used fashion gems from your favorite brands like Eloquii, Torrid, Premme and more to some of the latest and greatest brand new pieces from plus size’s foremost indie designers. Stop by to have the plus size fashion experience you never thought was possible!
Follow The Plus Bus on Facebook for live sales every Monday at 10am PST. They also sell directly via their Instagram stories and their Poshmark store.
Secondhand Curves in Rockford, Illinois
From the owner:
Visit our boutique for the latest plus size fashion and accessories. There are always new items to choose from and a wide selection of top brand names. We welcome you to visit us today. Or if you’re looking for extra holiday cash, we’re happy to take consignment by mail. Visit our website for details.
Follow Secondhand Curves on Facebook for live sales!
Love this. Curv Exchange Plus Size Resale does an awesome live sale on Thursdays at 8pm too! They also ship!!