Lost at Found

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Last evening I ran into ron_newman on Elm Street in front of Found, the new high-end consignment store. I had missed the post here about it a few weeks ago, so it was news to me, and we went in. It was about 2 minutes until closing time so we only got a quick peek. Being a size 14/16, I asked on my way out if they carried plus-sized clothing for women.*



A staffer (who might have been the proprietress, but I don't know that for a fact), answered with a clipped "No, we don't." Her tone came across as offensive to me. It wasn't even mildly apologetic; more proud of the exclusion, as if she expected I'd respond with "WELL THANK GOD FOR THAT!"

I didn't. I said "You will be getting lots of requests for plus-size. Lots of requests," and gave her the stink-eye. She then back-pedaled a bit and said that if they got lots of good consignors in plus-sizes, they'd consider selling them.

It takes a lot to get my knickers in a knot. I'm not a size activist, nor the kind of rabble-rouser I was in my young years. I'm just a person who needs quality business-wear in lower plus-size, can afford to buy them, and would like to think I am welcome to do so in my neighborhood. If the average woman in the US wears a size 14 (citation), that's a lot of body types marginalized. I am first-hand acquainted with many beautifully-dressing women who wear plus-sizes and who certainly don't accept smocks and leggings from Family Dollar as a "fashion" option.

Since she said they might consider plus if they got enough good consignors, I'm going to take her at her word. I have 3 lovely blazers in 14 and 16 that would look better on someone else. I'll take them to Found and see what happens. I encourage all well-dressed people who wear larger sizes to do the same with fine clothing you no longer want.



_{*Sorry this post doesn't speak equally to men. I just don't do much clothes shopping for males or know if there's as much size politic-ing. Maybe some big guys can chime in.}

Comments

[preraphaelite.livejournal.com]

I'd love to look at the 14's myself if you feel like doing it person-to-person!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I will if Found won't take them, but for now I'm kind of on a mission.

*feels for sword at side, proceeds forward march*

[enveri.livejournal.com]

I'm a plus sized lady myself, and I've found this attitude prevalent amongst consignment shops across the country. To the point where I just don't bother.

I would be very interested in seeing if their attitude changes (although like you, I find it very off-putting)

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly new to wearing larger sizes (within the last few years). There seems to be a fairly good selection for the young, hip larger girls, but if you need business suits, I'm seeing how hard it is to get anyone to believe that a plump woman can be a professional.

[ifotismeni]

completely agreed, this is a HUGE problem. tailored clothes for larger women are almost non-existent.

[ron_newman]

this is a HUGE problem

lol, now you've done it too ;-)

[ifotismeni]

hey, we're big but we're not THAT big :P

[thespian.livejournal.com]

i am, though. and ok with it. but it has bothered me for ages that the only place in Davis that sells things that fit me is goodwill.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I'm planning to down-size my closet in preparation for the move and will definitely take some of the choice stuff to Found.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I hope you do! You have gorgeous clothes!

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Why, thank you!

[lac.livejournal.com]

I am making a note to myself to make sure I stop in, take a look around and ask the same. That's really most uncool of them.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Yes, please do! Even if they ultimately refuse to carry larger sizes, they need to be made aware of the huge demographic, with money to spend, that they're turning their nose up at.

[smammy]

Am I a bad person if I chuckled at "huge demographic"?

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

It's lolzy, I admit. :-)

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Oh, whew...'cos I have to admit...I giggled a little...

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about that. Poor Little Rich Girl didn't for a long time, and then finally put in one rack, as I recall. The exclusion infuriates me too. Maybe we should have a plus-size sit in. ;-)

I've found a decent plus-sized collection at Garment District, and there's always Goodwill, though of course you have to work hard to find the good stuff.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

The one-rack was true at Buffalo Exchange also the last time I was there. And it was all ultra-casual, as if they were making a point of saying "See? All fat clothes are dumpy."

If I reall correctly, the owner of PLRG used to read this community. I hope she sees this. A plus-size sit-in wouldn't be a bad idea! :-)

Hi!

[plittlergirl.livejournal.com]

Hi Plumtreeblossom!

So yes, I do accept and sell plus sized clothing!

The deal is this, nobody brings it in to consign. When I was in Found's space I had one rack of plus sized items that were admittedly less than stellar. Problem with consignment is that you can only pick from what is offered to you.

I have reached out to plus sized shoppers before asking them to bring in their business casual wear but I am often told that the nice clothing is expensive and hard to find so they would prefer hold on to their things.

In any case, if you want to get rid of your plus sized items call me at the shop tomorrow between 12:30-6pm and say you were involved in this conversation here and I will get you in this weekend. 617-893-0809.

Take care,
Meredith
plrg

Re: Hi!

[ron_newman]

Where are you now, Meredith? I read somewhere that you closed your Union Square store, so are you now only in the Back Bay?

Re: Hi!

[plittlergirl.livejournal.com]

Hi Ron,

Yes, I closed the Union store and am just in Cambridge now.

I have a newborn and decided I really wanted to be able spend time with my daughter. Multiple stores make that difficult so just back to one...and enjoying it. :)

Re: Hi!

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

The Cambridge store is awesome! I encourage folks to check it out f they haven't.

Re: Hi!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Good! And thank you, Meredith! I appreciate you listening to this conversation and responding.

I have barely-worn blazers to bring down (they'll work better on someone taller) and possibly a dress. I will call tomorrow and make an appointment. I hope others with larger fine clothing will, too!

Re: Hi!

[plittlergirl.livejournal.com]

Sounds good, give me a ring!

Re: Hi!

[gingicat]

I'll keep that in mind! I have been mail-ordering from Woman Within and Roaman's and when things don't work for me they REALLY don't work for me, and then I never get around to sending them back.

Re: Hi!

[ifotismeni]

thank you so much for taking the time to comment on this -- i really appreciate it. i found a number of lovely plus-size items in your store when you were in davis and i still have them and love them.

Re: Hi!

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I have some nice stuff that I just don't wear and would gladly consign. I won't be around this weekend, though...I'll just call when I'm back in town.

Re: Hi!

[elements.livejournal.com]

I have several items I keep on never getting around to putting on ebay. I don't know if I can come in this weekend (start of a crazy hectic month for me) but I will definitely call you when I have time to get rid of this stuff.

For most of the time PLRG was in Davis, I had the assumption that the lack of plus size was an intentional exclusion, a la all the other clothing stores in the area, where "fashionable" is only possibly equatable with "slim." I have a policy of not buying anything, even accessories, at stores that won't carry things in my size, so I only ever went in a few times in my somewhat slimmer younger years and never bothered trying to consign there. It's good to know you are actively welcoming of more sizes. Personally even though you're not in Davis anymore I'd rather give my business to you.

In general, I think if consignment shops want plus size, at least at first they need to be actively promoting that fact, or the plus size folks won't even think of coming in. Nobody wants to be sneered at for daring to think their huge-ass clothes will be wanted, and at least for me that was in the back of my mind when I was avoiding PLRG. I always feel a little leery of even walking into a thin-gals-only type store, unless I know there's something that might possibly fit me too. But clearly with stores like Re/Dress in NYC being wildly successful, there is a market both of buyers and sellers once the fat community knows we're welcome.

You might try posting to a community like fatshionista to solicit consignees. There are a lot of Boston-area folks there. Also my housemate runs a Boston metro fat-positive Meetup group. I can spread the word to the Meetup folks that you take plus sizes, and once you've got a good stock, we can have a group outing to shop.

[ifotismeni]

as a fellow 14/16, and a muscular one at that, i have a few thoughts on this... it is incredibly infuriating, and also confusing because as you say, it's not like we're in the minority! yet when you go to consignment stores ANYWHERE you can never find our sizes.

but i often wonder if the reason for this is party because the quality of clothing for plus-size women is just, more often than not, really not worth thrifting. (this may be a completely cracked-out theory, but i figure i will share it because i'm curious if anyone else thinks this way...)

i am lucky that i can find enough in my size that is nicely tailored or at least interesting, but i'm always amazed when i go to lane bryant or, heck, the "women's" section of a department store, that the clothes are either kind of dreadfully loud in stupid colors/prints (as in, "i'm big, loud and proud!!! and probably the obligatory funny one in the group!") or basically shapeless tents of cheap fabric with no thought to style, cut, etc. (i mean, just because we're 'larger' doesn't mean we don't have a figure!) i would never want to thrift those clothes because the quality is poor and it's not really something i was too keen on wearing in the first place -- i hate most plus-sized clothes because they are just so often really goddamned ugly. or are made of 'stretch' fabrics, which pull and weaken in time and hang weirdly.

if i find something my size i actually LIKE, something nicely made and in a nice fabric - which is rare considering the poor selection generally available to women of a certain size -- i tend to wear it and wear it and wear it until it's basically threadbare.

this is really the only reason i've been able to come to why fellow plus size women don't tend to consign, or at least, why i can never find anything in a thrift or consignment store EVER.

and yeah, it is incredibly frustrating. i am with you 100%. and apologies for my tl;dr post.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

That is a point worth considering. Right now I am wearing a tailored blazer that I adore, in size 16. It's so well tailored that it makes me look slim. I know that like other favorite garments, I will wear it and wear it for years until it is toast and not consignable.

But where I work (a business school) I see large women in sharp business suits every day. I'm sure not all of them keep the suits forever, and I would buy them! It's a catch-22. Large women are barred from selling consignment by the stores, thus it wrongly appears as if there's no market for their used clothes.

[desireearmfeldt]

*boggle*

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I will do that. Thank you.

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

Although size 14 maybe the average size for American women, it's also the least purchased size according to this article http://www.cleveland.com/style/index.ssf/2010/08/size_14_is_average_american_wo.html

Size 14

[plittlergirl.livejournal.com]

I see it all day long...women larger than a size 8 do not enjoy shopping.

My shop sells more size 4 items than anything else because those women do not have a hard time with fit. All day long women come in looking to spend money but they are afraid they look "big" even though they look great.

Re: Size 14

[ifotismeni]

thank you -- this is so incredibly true.

Re: Size 14

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Just would like to point out that people of every size have a hard time with fit.

Re: Size 14

[pensivewombat.livejournal.com]

Yep, i'm gonna go on ahead and second this.

Re: Size 14

[thespian.livejournal.com]

I am a size 28. And I adore shopping. I am happy to do it for hours. I have a far more casual style than plumtreeblossom does, but I also have a far more...uhm, distinct style than she does (my current evening profession is watching tv and sewing black and orange flames onto a bright red a-line winter coat). I do, however, get compliments pretty constantly for my clothes, my hats, my glasses, my necklaces, and I feel the effort to buy them is worth it.

But I am not going to do it in a place that makes me feel like just wanting a necklace that fits me is Asking An Awful Lot, Aren't You?

I gave up on PLRG after I tried on a purse there. It was too short, and trust me, I know this happens. Even if I was thin, I have 44E breasts, and when my mother was so skinny she was called Bony Joanie, she had 40DDDs; I come by them naturally. So I have problems with cross torso purses. When it was obvious that the purse would strangle me, I took it off and gave it to the person helping me. 'Shame it doesn't fit.' and she said, 'Well, we don't have many things for people like you.'

I already felt like I was pushing my luck in PLRG, and that just confirmed it for me.

Re: Size 14

[plittlergirl.livejournal.com]

Hi Thespian,

The fact that one of my employees said this to you is horrifying and I don't blame you at being angry.

I cannot control everything that comes out of their mouths but I can assure you that the girl that works for me now is friendly and helpful. I treat my shoppers how I would like to be treated.

But still, ugh, my apologies, that is horrible.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I can think of a reason for that right off the top of my head. The average woman may measure as a size 14, but when you go to actually buy clothes, the size on the label as little to do with the size that you are. I have no idea what size I measure as, but I think I'm roughly a size 8. But I have clothes that are labelled size 2, size 4, size 6, size 8 and size 10…and two dresses that are size 12! And yet, they all fit me.

So that may have something to do with why size 14 doesn't sell…the women who are supposed to wear a size 14 don't match those size 14 labels!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I think a lot has to do with waist-to-hip ratio too, and how it relates to the garment. The reason I need to wear large sizes is because I have a waist-to-hip ratio like a man. My waist is only 2 inches smaller than my hips. People look at me and guess a size 10 because of my not-big hips and butt. But my think waist ruins my entire figure with respect to clothes buying.

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

Yep, this is my issue as well. I think there is a 4" difference between my waist and my hips.

On a side note, I despise it when relaxed fit jeans/pants are in style. :-p

[gruene.livejournal.com]

This is true in Men's clothing too. I've had a 32 inch waist since I was 14, but recently almost all my new clothing purchases have been 31s. I was concerned about this for a while. It didn't seem possible that I was getting skinnier. Then I saw this article and it all made sense:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/pants-size-chart-090710

Being 32 rather than 36, the difference is less dramatic, but the same rules apply. Clothing manufactures don't want you to think you're getting larger, so they just keep making the clothes bigger as you age.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

No wonder everything I buy from Old Navy is too big!!

I grabbed a few tops from the ladies section, and by default I chose XL in non-plus and didn't try them on. All of then were WAY too big for me. I remembered that the next time!

[noire.livejournal.com]

Old Navy sizes do not make sense, nor are they even consistant *in the store.* I own Old Navy clothes that run from a size 8 to a size 0. I can't figure it out, I just have to try them all on...

[gingicat]

There's also a sales community associated with the fatshionista community which is sometimes useful, sometimes not... definite dearth of business wear.

[shaxxon.livejournal.com]

I'm plus-sized and well dressed, so when I saw FOUND opened, I wondered too if they would have a special section. Anyway, I spoke with the owner of FOUND on the day it opened and she was very nice to me and polite and non-discriminating.

I doubt that she meant her response to be clipped (if you spoke to the same women as I did.) She told me she has two buyers in Newton and West Palm beach. You might want to go in again and say that you'd love for her to reach out to her buyers and encourage them to keep an eye out for fashion in larger sizes. I will also mention it next time I'm in the store.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

My experience with consignment stores and plus sizes has always been "one rack or fewer." The best of stores have one sequestered rack and most have none at all. As fat clothes are expensive (fewer makers = a "fat tax" on your clothes) fat people tend to value them a bit more than the less fat people might. I've never understood why consignment shops wouldn't take my larger size, name brand, decent condition clothes. I had a floor-length Jones of New York black wool coat (Yes, I realize Jones NY is not Dior but it's pretty decent) that no one would purchase -- who doesn't need a black dress coat? How is that not a saleable item. Sigh.

For a long time I figured Garment District would be full of snooty, skinny hipsters but I went not too long ago and they: bought a bunch of my fat clothes, treated me super nicely and had decent bigger sized clothes to buy with my store credit.

One thing that I do like about the fact that consignment shops have been so fathphobic is that it really pushed parts of the fat community to get together and have fat clothing swaps ... nothing charged, no money exchanged (unless there was a charity-based flat door fee) ... just a chance to share what we have with each other. It's more work to do it that way but, for me, it's more rewarding than being accepted by mainstream second hand stores.

Nowadays, I donate most of my fat clothes because: I don't feel like dealing with the rejection from consignment shop buyers, it's easy, I get to deduct my donation from my taxes and poor fat people need nice clothes too.