5 Tips for Thrifting While Plus

I’ll be honest, I haven’t done much thrifting as an adult compared to when I was a child and teen. Back then it was more or less a necessity due to the fact that my family couldn’t afford much so we had to make the best of what we could find in thrift stores. Once I got older and I started working, I made a point to start shopping in stores that I previously couldn’t afford now that I had “adult money” to do so.

Fast forward to 2023, thrifting has become as much if not more expensive as shopping mainstream brands. Couple that with the fact that there are so many people intentionally looking for items in plus sizes to repurpose the fabric as they design something smaller. That was my long winded way of saying that I’ve been avoiding it, but I have friends who have taken to “shopping green” whom have made a point to pull me away from mainstream/fast fashion so I’ve  started to join them in their adventures these last  couple of years. That said, here are 5 things that I’ve learned as I’ve started to thrift again.

1.Don’t be afraid to look

Even though I am on the lower end of the plus size spectrum in terms of size, I have this habit of avoiding places that don’t outright sell plus sizes.  As an “old fat”  (someone who has been plus size her whole life) I still carry the trauma of crying in fitting rooms during shopping trips with my mother because I couldn’t find things that fit me, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise I make an effort to avoid going through those same emotions even today. Continue reading

When in Doubt, Wear Black

In the last two weeks I had the pleasure of getting to reconnect with two best friends after spending so much time apart and with limited communication due to our crazy schedules. One week apart and in two different cities, I had the best time catching up with them, reminiscing over past adventures and of course, making new memories.

Yet even still, both of them at one point asked me the exact same question that caught me off-guard and left me nervously chuckling as I changed the subject :

“Are you still blogging?”

You need only scroll down a bit to see that the last post I wrote and shared here was back in April.  Truth is at the time I was knee-deep in work for multiple projects and only just getting my footing at my new full-time role that I had started barely 3-weeks before I wrote that post on sustainability and plus size fashion.

I told myself that once those projects were done and I felt better situated in my new role, I would get back to work on my stuff, however, once that time came (which was in early June) I found myself uninspired to doing much of anything.  I was burnt out.
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Oh My Senpai Moonie VIP Box Review

If you’ve been following me for a bit you already know that I love anime, manga and I’m a diehard Moonie (aka Sailor Moon fan). Sailor Moon was the first anime I was ever exposed to back in the early 90’s. I was four years old when my mother turned on the show to distract me while I was home recovering from getting my appendix removed and I’ve been obsessed ever since.  My love for this anime lead to an ever expanding collection of official (and fan-made) merchandise, which has only gotten bigger once I started making “adult money” and I’ve even cosplayed as a couple of my favorite characters at cons.

Just a portion of my collection which includes the manga, video tapes of the original dub (plus the movies) 90’s toys, figurines, enamel pins and more.

Funny enough in spite of this I don’t actually own much in terms of wearable items besides a few graphic tees which can get pretty old fast. So as you can expect I’m constantly on the lookout for more unique expressions of wearable fandom. I would never have guessed that there would ever be loungewear involved as is the case with Oh My Senpai.

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Big Sweater Energy

Last year I spotted an oversized black and white stripe cardigan on my Instagram feed and fell in love with it. It was just too perfect for those crisp, cool fall days leading into the chill of winter. Unfortunately by the time I learned about this cardigan’s existence it was sold on the Hot Topic website. That is until this summer when it reappeared in two different color palettes along with a plaid knit option; I immediately added one to my cart.

Was it weird to order this in the middle of July? Definitely. But I regret nothing because this is sooo cozy.

I actually debated as to whether or not I should size down because I knew it was oversized,  yet I found myself selecting my size (HT Plus Size 1) instead to ensure that the fit would be oversized on me not thinking about how huge it would end up being. They seriously weren’t kidding when they said “oversized,” but my brother convinced me to keep it because of all the “fall sweater weather cozy” vibes which is all I really want.

The best thing about this kind of piece is that it can be styled to be casual, sporty, dressy and even professional. The oversize fit it, the stripe design and the classic cardigan silhouette offers many different options when it comes to styling this piece and I’ve had a lot of fun coming up with a few. Here are three outfits that I styled with this one cardigan for some fall (into winter) style inspiration. Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite.

Disclaimer: While this specific cardigan seems to no longer be in stock I have included some similar options for you below to consider just in case you’re looking to trying this trend for yourself.

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One Sleeve Sweater Layering

When I sent the link of this sweater to my best friend she didn’t hold back about how much she hated the design. A one shoulder sweater? How does one wear this thing without being cold? Both quite valid questions considering how cold NYC weather can get, often without much warning.

The funny thing is that my first thought was that this was the perfect piece for some fun layering style. As cozy as chunky knit sweaters are, I find that layering help keep fall styles a bit more chic and interesting. After all why not add to your warmth and look good at the same time? And while, plus size sweaters with random cut-outs will forever be the bane of my existence (seriously, why are these still a thing?), pieces like this one from ELOQUII present a styling challenge that I will happily accept so here is how I did. Continue reading