I’ve been trying to buy less clothing lately. While part of the reason is financial, some of it is also due to guilt.
I felt I contribute way too much to conspicuous consumption and have been dialling it down a notch. While I’m still into talking about the latest trends, I will mostly not be buying the latest trends, unless it’s something I really want to buy.
Style changes and evolves. I’ve always been a dress wearer, but I think I’ve streamlined a little — before, I was much girlier and brighter. I’ve also been getting into more vintage clothing lately.
I don’t feel as guilty if I buy vintage. I figure it’s pre-loved and pre-owned, which means I’m not buying it new and mass produced. I like the thrill of finding something unique that other women might not be wearing. Whenever I buy vintage, I still try to donate an old article of clothing to charity or save clothing up for a clothing swap so someone else can take a pre-loved, pre-owned article of my clothing.
Plus size vintage can be an utter trial to find though. If you’re on the smaller end, you don’t tend to have TOO much trouble, but if you’re on the larger end of plus sized clothing, it gets incredibly sparse (and much more expensive). Doing a search on Etsy, for example, plus size vintage comes up with 49 pages, but only 13 articles of clothing are over an modern size 20.
It’s something I don’t get. There have been fat women all throughout time. Surely there should be more clothing out there? Is the clothing hoarded? Not donated? Not kept? Snapped up very quickly? What is it?
So this entry isn’t all doom and gloom, here are some of my favourite fat vintage pieces on Etsy:
From Vintage Stew. Probably equivalent to an Australian 16/18
From TMHL. I guess closer to an Australian 18.
From Big Yellow Taxi Vintage. I reckon a modern 16/18, but it says it’s labelled a vintage 20.
From Bunny Picnics. Size 22/24.
I reckon one reason fat vintage isn’t around is because people snap it up and then CUT IT UP to suit their fashion purposes. It bothers me SO MUCH when i see size six women who do this. It’s like, dude, don’t you have enough clothing already? Why you gotta steal mine??
You know, I think that’s a totally valid point. Yeah, clothing is there to be sold, but it seems unfair for that to happen when there is already SO MUCH CLOTHING out there for smaller women.
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I think we also tend to wear our clothes out more than the regular sizes do, because we don’t have as many options. I know I wear things until they are not fit to sell, hand down or repurpose!
I think this is totally true.
As a small woman who loves big women, I have been guilty of chopping. =( I’m sorry, when I see a piece that I think is gorgeous and I want it REALLY BADLY and it’s too big for me then I will buy it and take it in. Only if I fall in love with it. Please don’t hate me forever! I just want to give vintage clothing a loving home.
<3