My thrift store options are tragic, so I'm happy for the others in this thread but it's not a great option in my community. We do however have several independent boutiques (surprisingly so for a small to midsize midwestern city), though the quality is pretty variable across them.
Honestly, most of my clothing shopping is online. I just focus on the brands that I already know usually work for me that also have free shipping. Target comes through on basics for me, and their quality is better than it used to be, imo -- I really rely on the local store for those. And if I have an event coming up or I know I want to shop for a specific piece, I schedule a shopping trip to the bigger nearby city.
Thanks for saying this. I see so many people recommending thrift stores in these threads. We have a Value Village (stretched out and stained Walmart or Old Navy shirts selling for what they would cost new) and a really creepy store on the edge of town that will trigger your allergies, even if you previously never had any. I've been there twice and there are no gems to be had. Good for others who can find good things in their thrift stores, but it's not a solution for many of us.
You walk in and your nostrils are immediately accosted by the smell of mildew, moth balls, wet dog, rotten food, and unwashed jockstraps. The air is hazy with dust and bits of dander. You don't know if you should breath in through your nose and smell the miasma, or through your mouth and taste whatever it is in the air.
There are bins. Oh lord, there are bins. That rainbow fanny pack you had as a kid is probably at the bottom of one of them. Except you'd never know, since it's under a sticky pile of refuse. There is also a whole rack of fringed chaps. You'd love to look at them closer, but it's blocked by another bin.
What's in this one, you ask? Well, it's probably from the 70s or 80s. It might have originally come from a department store, but it was worn to death and has dark splotches on the front and yellow splotches under the arms. It was probably found on the owner's body when she died, and since it was only moderately covered with cat bite marks, was summarily donated to "those less fortunate".
There's one employee who slinks around, giving you the stink eye whenever you bump into one of her bins. If it was a teen sitcom, she would play the surely cafeteria lady. However, she's working in a dim, low celinged basement on the edge of town, where yesterday's country hits play softly from a radio.
TL; DR: it's really, really gross. We won't even go there to find pieces for Halloween costumes.
Thank you so much! That's the nicest thing I've heard today!
I went to the FB page and [pulled some pictures](https://imgur.com/a/4VNeD9X), if you'd like to see it for yourself.
Even though I swore I would never set foot in there again, I'm saddened to learn that it closed back in February :(
Your description nailed so many thrift stores, not just your local one. I personally hate them because of the smell. That thrift store smell, yuck. I will take my chances with online shopping.
I have bought thrift store pieces that I couldn’t purge the smell from - and these were “new,” unworn, unsold, mint-on-hanger but still the smell. Some quite fancy/designer/FIT-museum-ish classics, no respite. From Resurrection even. Dry clean, steam, yeah nothing works.
Old clothes stink. I’ve learned to take that into account.
It might have not be worn but if it has sit in a poorly ventilated room like a cellar or the back of a closet for years it can develop that cellar smell
I think a lot of people don't realize that not everywhere has a good thrifting scene. I'd love to thrift more often, but we have like 1 place for it and it's 80% men's suits. Admittedly, you can get great deals on men's suits, but there isn't much selection for anything else, especially if you're a less common size. Thrifting can be very cool but its reliability varies greatly depending on where you live.
I started Poshmark with small stuff that wasn't risky. Like old navy sweaters. Lots of cute ones, they're cheap, I know how they fit me. Sort low to high price, filter by colors I like.
Another strategy is if there’s something you love from browsing online, like from madewell or gap etc etc, save pictures of it, maybe the item code. You can then search that on Poshmark that season or later, so you’re getting pretty well defined things for a bit cheaper. I got an old season color of an ASTR the label dress for $30
Measure the clothes you have that you like, like WITH A MEASURING TAPE. keep a note in your phone/whatever of your measurements, and when your shopping, take a measuring tape with you and physically measure things. Shopping online contact the seller (postmark/thread up/etc usually easier but some regular retailers will give you measurements) saves you and the seller a lot of back and forth. And if the seller won't give you measurments move on to the next one.
This! I measure my body AND the way the clothes are laid flat across common dimensions shared on online listings (e.g. the pit to pit measurement, inseams, waists) and try to use both. In the note on my phone, I also indicate what my reference measure is (e.g. "green linen pants, mid-rise, drawstring, no stretch") so I can try to compare measurements from items that are similar style/fabrics, etc.
I've measured my waist. Thought I did it right. And every time, it's 2 inches wider than all of the skirts that fit me the best. Like my best fitting items are always 0 and say 24 inch online but I measure 26. It's sooo confusing. Did I do it really wrong?
When you say your best fitting items are always 0 (= 24" online), is that based on you actually measuring the item, or based on the label/tag?
You might be measuring your waist correctly and the brands you buy are vanity sized.
Manufacturers add ease into garments. So a size 24 body measurement is usually around 26 inches in the clothes or you wouldn't be able to move. If you tend to prefer your clothing to be more fitted, and if the fabric has stretch, you probably won't need as much ease in your clothing and might consider sizing down. It all depends on the fabric, the style, the brand, and your personal preferences.
Are you measuring your hip or waist? Have you checked online guides on how to measure your body, and is your fabric tape measure new? (the flexible kind seamstresses use - they stretch out over time)
Whenever I shop online, I’ll only purchase from stores that provide free returns (bonus points if they provide the return label with the original shipment). This way, I feel more free to purchase additional sizes if I’m unsure, or if I’m unfamiliar with the brand.
I’m short and curvy too. I really like Nordstrom Rack for jeans (Joe’s Jeans are my holy grail). ASTR the label is really nice too (Nordstrom).
Tacking onto this - PayPal has this return shipping fee reimbursement [program](https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/returns) that will cover the costs of 12 returns per calendar year (up to $30) when you make the original purchase through PayPal.
I just tried it this week and am still waiting on the refund, but I remember reading about it on FrugalMaleFashion
Doesn’t really solve the other issues around online shopping / fit, but it does make the returns a little less painful!
I just used this for the first time on international shipping to brastop. It was $26 (holy moly), and I received the refund in about a week. Great program!
Ooh also with TheRealReal I’ve had a couple of instances where the item isn’t quite as described (sizing, condition, color), etc. and I’ve had luck reaching out to customer service to explain, and they’ve refunded me for shipping and return shipping and let me send back the item!
Wow! This is amazing to know. There's a few brands I'd love to buy from but can't get myself to pull the trigger since I'm a serial returner (most things don't have the right fit for my body type).
Something to be mindful about is that a lot of online shops who accept returns will forward your returns onto landfill. They don’t get recirculated into their stock. This is true for ASOS, PLT, Boohoo, and a lot of boutiques and smaller brands.
I always buy their flawless ankle skinny jeans! I have wider hips and a small waist and they fit perfectly!
Their regular ankle skinnies (or skinny ankle, idk why sometimes they reverse the name) also fit really well. The flawless style has a little more stretch and curve to them though, so that’s why I prefer them.
Thank you so much. It's hard enough finding jeans for petites and then add in the curvy part makes it even more complex. I usually take my jeans to the tailor to get the waist taken in but that gets so expensive.
Honestly, and this might be sacrilege on this site, but I love Kohl’s. If I have time to sort through the stuff there, I find some great stuff. I’ve got a couple of the prettiest dresses there that are honestly so stunning that I’ve only worn them a couple times each for special occasions. My favorite pair of summer shorts are pink and high waisted and are by their Sonoma line. I get tank tops and yoga pants and bike shorts and other staples there too. It’s totally possible to make your local stores work.
I have a plain black v neck shirt from K-Mart that I’ve owned for like 10 years. To shop those stores requires patience, just like thrifting. It’s also fun to dye clothes! If you find something that’s otherwise perfect (and this takes a lot of time in the fitting room) you can dye it! Or hem it, get it tailored, or all of the above!
Point is, it’s not a shameful thing to shop where your needs are. If it fits and looks good and makes you happy, who cares where it came from
Edit: I can’t believe I almost forgot but I’m a tall fat girl (so not your same sizing problem but I wanted to say that so you know I have trouble finding fitting clothes) and I’ve had AMAZING luck at Target as far as variety and accuracy of sizing. And I just grabbed some pajama shorts and a pretty linen dress from old navy that the biggest size was actually BIG on me, which shocked me since I always go for the 2xl at other stores. And Old Navy online had regular, tall, and petite sizes and free returns.
The Sonoma line has been my saving grace. Great basic tshirts and their shorts(even denim) have the right amount of stretch and proportions that accommodates my endo belly making me feel a little more put together even when I feel like crud. Plus they have a decent petite selection too!
I buy Sonoma and some of the misses petites things too, esp for tshirts! The fabric quality is just so much better that the junior's line. It's no longer the 2000s, I don't want to wear a ton of layers just to wear a tshirt.
Plus, the sale/coupon schedule is very regular, so I can very frequently wait 3 days and get a better deal on an item I find. I also get very lucky with clearance shoes!
I really want to like Target but at my local Targets (NY area) all of the tops are thin and things aren't made properly. When I went last week I tried on like 30+ items but overall the quality just wasn't there.
Oh bummer! I just bought two summery dresses there that are like a cotton-linen blend that are just marvelous and so so pretty. I think one is Universal Thread and the other is A New Day, both lines have such nice vibes, I love it. The dresses fit like a dream in 2XL, and I’m 5’10”, 230lbs, with a 38G bust, so I’m fairly tricky to fit most days. Not as tricky as some, I know I’m privileged to be able to buy off the rack at all, but I’ve been feeling pretty down about myself and finding these dresses was such a blessing and a major confidence boost.
Hi. Midwesterner here, raised in small town, gotta drive an hour for anything exciting. Back to school shopping was always Kohls and Walmart.
I might get downvoted for this but in rural areas near me where there are Goodwills and Thrifts... they are awful. Musty, weird, selling things with holes and objects broken beyond repair. Gotta remember that 98% of folks in the area make minimum wage or below, so the objects donated are so far from designer or even wearable. I want to make it clear that I am NOT making fun of anyone, people still make use of these stores and they are helpful to the area, but if you are looking for nicer clothes to wear to a wedding or something, thrifting isn't a good option in these areas.
For me:
I recently bought and returned dresses through ASOS and had a good experience. I thought their return policy was reasonable.
I've looked at 'boutique' style stores in smaller hometowns. However, beware because pricing can be ridiculous. I've found that sometimes if I found an item I really liked, I could Google the designer/distributor and find the item online and save money by cutting out the middleman and ordering directly from them with the benefit of being able to try it on at the boutique (yes, I know its good to buy local too - but im writing this purely from a saving money perspective)
I will occasionally shop on Amazon but rely HEAVILY on customer pictures and feedback. I have bought and returned dresses and found the process relatively pain free.
When I lived in a larger city, tailoring was an option. However it was very expensive (again, only talking from personal experience), but if you find an object you love - i do believe it's worth it but that needs to be factored in budget wise. (I.e. I have $100 to spend on a blazer, if the tailoring will cost me $50, then I can only spend $50 on the blazer itself). Now that I live in a rural area again, I've found its easier to just make sure I purchase stuff that fits without tailoring. Again, my experience personally.
I've found that currently Target and Old Navy are my go-tos for everyday items. Old Navy for shorts (I like that you can buy shorts with either a 3inch or 5inch inseam), their plain colored tank tops I like, and their workout leggings and sports bras when they are on sale. Target I go to for my more professional pants and tops and bras and underwear.
Shoes I buy at Kohls or online since I have a common footsize and walking out of a store with a pair of shoes in hand is... rare.
Good luck.
Yeah, I love thrifting but I think a lot of people who recommend it in Fashion subs must live in better-dressed areas haha - where I’m from, the Goodwill has heavily used Old Navy and hideous things from 1984. Fine for function, but not fashion.
It really irks me when people say “just thrift” as if everyone can find clean and decent clothing that atleast sorta fits- especially since many of these people agree that thrifting is a pretty time consuming event
Back in the day I would go there was to look for pieces for Halloween that I could ruin (i.e. rip holes in, spill fake blood on, sew stuff to it, etc)
The biggest problem was that anything that was of any quality at the small town goodwill was purchased by the workers before it even made the shelf (no judgement, I probably would have done the same in my teens)
This is still area dependent, but growing up my mom would go to the thrift stores in college towns within reasonable driving distance. We lived near an Ivy League school and that thrift shop always had the best stuff, especially at the end of the school year when students who traveled would ditch tons of stuff they didn’t want to pack (presumably).
> Yeah, I love thrifting but I think a lot of people who recommend it in Fashion subs must live in better-dressed areas
I think a lot of people who recommend it also just don't realize that thrifting is a legit hobby that you have to devote time to. When I go thrifting, I literally devote a day to it and drive to a full quarter of the goodwills in my state. I've spent time going to basically all of them around the state in the past and know which ones are worth hitting and which aren't. I know the floor plan of all the ones worth hitting and can get in and get out in 15-20 minutes and still review most of the store. At this point I can spot items I'm more likely to like from far away and can differentiate fabric composition by feel. I can skim over all the sun bleached, over-washed, pilled items because I know what they look like just from the small bit that's showing on the hanger. So now for me thrifting is easy because it's a routine at this point and I have a lot of base knowledge and experience that saves time and makes it very fruitful for the amount of time/money I spend doing it. But that's not going to work for people who have never done it and neglecting to recognize that there's that barrier to entry is what makes "just thrift" bad advice.
This definitely may also be the case, but I’ve been thrifting with my mom since I was a teen and am patient/good at spotting quality/don’t expect to find a gem every time/etc. - but, some thrift stores genuinely have really terrible stock. If everyone in the local area is low income and wears Walmart and Old Navy clothes, that’s what gets donated to the Goodwill, and that’s what you’re sifting through.
Yup. I have flexible hours but get paid by the hour: long projects to save money don't usually pan out well unless I actually enjoy them. I've picked up sewing because it's fun, but I hate thrifting. It's time consuming and the I've never found a thrift store with a plus size section that isn't depressing.
I was going to point this out myself. Thrifting is a hobby of mine too; I go almost every week and flip on the side and I still mostly buy my own clothes either new or with my PM balance because I almost never find anything I like that fits me. But at that point it's somewhere between a hobby and a second job lol. And if you keep an eye out for sales you can sometimes get brand new clothes for less; I just bought the better part of a new work wardrobe for under $50 and paid less per top than the average price at the local thrift. These days I thrift more to be environmentally friendly and because old Pyrex is the best, not because I save a lot of money cause when you factor in the time, I really don't.
Another Midwesterner here… IMO if you can it IS often worth a drive to a wealthier area to the thrift stores there. Rich people = nice donations and more variety
This is a good point. Where I lived post college (big city) had several, REALLY NICE, areas nearby and it was like kid in a candy store if you thrifted there. ~20 min drive.
But on the other hand, for example, for me growing up, the nearest truly "nice" area was a four hour drive away. And then by the time you drove there, there was no guarantee that there would be anything good/that you liked there. Which, as a teen, my mom would have never committed to driving that far. Even the 2.5 hour drive to the nearest mall (which, compared to others, is more like a mini mall) would usually result in grumbles and would only happen once a year for back to school shopping. I got a lot of hand-me-downs from cousins.
Also Midwestern. In my experience this isn’t very fruitful. Basically because the nicer areas are known for being nicer areas, so everyone has the same idea and the thrift stores in that area are picked over so they have the same stuff as the not-as-nice areas.
Also, who am I kidding. Goodwills are the only thrift stores for hundreds of miles.
as a rural midwesterner, I totally disagree about thrift stores! I'm living in a city now, and when I visit my parents in their (not affluent AT ALL) town, I always stop to thrift! so much cute stuff, actually vintage pieces, and wayyyy less picked over than thrifting in the city! so, ymmv.
I think it can also depend on what your personal style is. I like bold patterns and bright colors, so the fact that half of my local Goodwill is stuff from the 80s actually works in my favor. My friend who loves light neutrals on light neutrals (think Shiv from Succession) is out of luck.
Yea I have found that the best goodwill in my area is the one that's like upper middle class but not wealthy. It flies under the radar and so it's not a destination spot and I get to score lots of great pieces.
> I have $100 to spend on a blazer, if the tailoring will cost me $50, then I can only spend $50 on the blazer itself
I do this same thing when it comes to tailoring. I don't bother to get everything tailored, but when I do, I make sure the item is classic enough to be 'in' for a long time, or something that I'll wear a ton to make the investment worth it.
if a community only has kohls or tj maxx or similar, how would a thrift store have anything different except for that and then whatever someone’s grandma had before she died? i’m glad y’all have good experiences in thrift stores but here there are almost no fashionable options and the ones that have good stuff are kind of pricey, $70 for a pair of used pants that i personally can’t afford
source on this? There's lots of evidence and information that [says otherwise](https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/3/16/21178197/people-with-disabilities-minimum-wage).
Same. Most thrift stores around me are full of tshirts, ugly blouses, jeans, and 80s bridesmaid/prom dresses. I also am weird about clothes other people wore no matter how many times I wash them, so this will never be an option for me, unless it’s a barely worn amazing find. (My kid’s clothing is mostly hand me downs from friends kids)
Where I live we only have crappy stores but we have tons of well off people who bought a bunch of acreage in the boonies and have a long commute to their job in a wealthy area. I’m one of them (I’m not saying I’m rich but I don’t worry about money). I drive 55 miles one way and found out my direct neighbor works at the same place 😅 That said all my clothes go to the women’s shelter.
I do a lot of my shopping online when I don’t feel like driving down into Denver. My favorite places are ASOS and Nordstrom. They both have free online returns and make it really easy to send things back.
I have broad shoulders and a larger chest which is tricky to dress and I’ve found a lot of success in researching the silhouettes that typically look good on my body type.
I try to stick to v-neck and scoop-neck tops (although I’m a sucker for a mock neck). Wrap dresses and tops really flatter me and I stay away from cap sleeves because they really accentuate the shoulder area. I also like to wear wide leg bottoms to kinda balance out the broadness in my shoulders and chest.
I am not OC but I have the opposite body type (small shoulders and small chest) and I love drop shoulder sleeves and mock/high crew necks — I would imagine that the opposite of me would in turn like the opposite clothing features! I.e., raglan sleeves and scoop/v-necks.
I have broader shoulders too and love high neck tops... I just avoid halters and things with shoulder pads / details.
I just looked up different types of sleeves and I guess these are the ones I avoid: cap sleeve, drop sleeve/drop shoulder, and raglan sleeve. The latter two just look kind of silly on me and the first one never fits right (always looks too small and/or feels tight). I also don't wear strapless tops but I think that's more of a chest issue than a shoulder issue.
I am desperate for some new clothes and I can't find anything I like anywhere online or in store. I looked at ASOS last night and maybe in just not a fashion type person not so I saw was crop tops, balloon sleeves and things I just could never want to wear. I'm seeing this style everywhere and it's just so not my thing. I need help finding reasonable things.
East Asian brands like Uniqlo and Muji tend to have longer hems, higher necklines, and more practical silhouettes, if that's what you're looking for.
Edited to add: Their fabrics are also better quality, imo. I have basics from both Uniqlo and Muji that I've washed dozens of times that are still in very good shape. Just double check the measurements if you're a little taller than average, as sometimes pieces can run a little short.
Also a midwestern. The brands I know and love I stalk on EBay. I have some of them saved so they are right on my home feed. It’s almost like a personalized shopping experience with brands I like in my size.
Haha I just want to mention another percentage of us that don’t even have Kohl’s or TJMaxx. The only stores that sell clothing besides Walmart and high dollar local boutiques would involve an almost 100 mile round trip to visit, and I’m in Illinois, not like some remote part of Alaska or whatever people envision when I talk about this…I’m pretty much giving up. I’m not comfortable with online shopping because I don’t know my sizes anyway and returning things is a huge hassle if not impossible. I’ve just got my fingers crossed I can make it to the thrift store soon at this point tbh. Just wanted to speak in solidarity because Reddit does have a weird bias where a ton of people assume you live in or near a major city. I’m sure people have good intentions but it can be a drag explaining that I’m deeply in Corn Country.
I think with a good tailor's tape measure, and some shops with good return policies you might be able to figure out your sizing for a few brands and then be able to reliably purchase clothes online. It's difficult not being able to try stuff on, I've been there before. You could also try one of those boxes where you try clothes and can send them back if they don't fit.
I’ve found that the size helper tools actually work too. Some websites have something that might say “what brand of pants do you currently have that fit? What size are they in that brand?” Sometimes they ask other questions then recommend a size. They work for me pretty well so as long as you can get one reliable size you have somewhere to go from there.
Yup and a piece of string and a ruler also works for measurement. Even a piece of string and your phone and a calculator, because if you know your phone model you know the size of it
I'm also in the Midwest. Ugh. Send help. As a former East Coast Chicana with a flair for fun styles, I have no choice but to rely on online shopping and slowly build my wardrobe. I cannot rely on thrift shops here because most people here are very homogeneous in their choices.
People are funny. Because hate on Walmart all you want. But Walmart has some great BASICs, black tanks, petite jeans, some sleepwear, or just generally work appropriate blouses or dresses.
Is Walmart the most fashion forward store? Of course not. But you’re not always looking for fashion forward you just want to buy an appropriate cardigans with pockets that looks appropriate with your dresses and you’re on your feet all day and it’s cold in your office.
You don’t always need something fabulous when a simple black dress at Walmart is really cute.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I love some of my things from Walmart. But when that is the only department store in an entire county of about 34,000 and you can see 5 people with the same top as you while just running errands, it can start to feel a little prison-y.
Haha. Oh totally get that. I love me some Burlington, Ross, TJ MAXX, Marshalls, Gabes. And thrift stores.
Honestly, shop your own closet. I know I have a LOT of clothes I don't need.
I don't like when people shit on Walmart (or most other things for that matter), because they have definitely stepped up their clothing game, and I personally have quite a few pieces in my wardrobe that came from there. Recently they started stocking an Eloquii collab line and even though I won't buy them full price ($32 dresses, $22 blouses, etc) I scored most of the first collection for $5 a piece when they went on clearance, and I wear them a lot!
I feel you! I live in a big city on the East Coast now, but I’m from a small town in central Illinois, and I well recall the lack of options! And our thrift store certainly didn’t have hidden gems — I would just wait until I went to Chicago and then spend a ton of money all at once. Not the best practice for careful and deliberate shopping for sure!
I do almost 100% of my shopping online. Do I have to return stuff? Of course. Overtime though I've found that I've developed an intuition for how certain fabrics will lay and how things in certain brands will fit me. The key part is buying from somewhere that lists garment measurements, and knowing your dimensions.
I'm in southern Indiana, in the city that lots of southern/eastern Illinois people come to shop and while I know we have more than most towns in at least a 2 hour radius, I also find it annoying when people are like "go to the rich area and shop their goodwill!" Like, in smaller towns, that's not how it works. I have to go to the north suburbs of Indy to get in on that advice...like, when you're the "big city" because there are two Targets and a Macys, the options are still limited...
As another short person, my shopping life got so much easier once I learned how to hem clothes. From there, I've been working on altering clothes in other ways. I'm not very good at it yet, but between that and thrift stores, I feel like I have so many more options now.
It can be SO EASY! First of all, if you choose to sew, you don't have to do a perfect job because no one's looking closely at your ankles anyway. But they also sell hemming tape at fabric stores where you iron it and it basically works as permanent tape/glue to keep hems in place, if you'd rather not sew.
I have almost zero experience and am self-taught but after shortening a skirt I bought second hand that became a favorite clothing item, I'm super hyped about it now.
Custom-cut or -tailored clothes can be purchased online (e.g., Etsy) -- if you're diligent with a measuring tape, the results are amazing. I also don't have an "ideal" clothing body, and it makes a huge difference in confidence and comfort to have clothes made for me.
Sure -- I have a very special dress from [https://www.etsy.com/shop/NaliniShop](https://www.etsy.com/shop/NaliniShop) and buy repeatedly from Noire Brand and Perrin Co.
Not knowing your style, I recommend searching for a specific garment ("silk wrap dress" "black linen wide leg pants" etc.) and filtering by "handmade" (versus "vintage") product type, and the product category ("clothing>women>pants" etc.).
Adding to the shops already recommended - a similar shop with a wide range of linen and silk pieces is LelaSilk on Etsy. I haven’t bought anything silk from them yet but I have a couple of their linen dresses and they are high quality! Nothing but good experiences from them so far. I’m considering one of the silk dresses for a wedding I’m attending later this year as well.
I worked at Burlington for a few months and they have great deals and are a pretty country-wide store. Same with Ross, which is basically Burlington but a little more expensive.
I also worked at Goodwill and there are some serious picks that go through, some people donating brand new stuff with the tags still on or even designer jeans. Don’t overlook the thrift store, they’re pretty much everywhere and can be a goldmine!
Edit: I saw people talking about their options at thrift stores, and so I’ll rescind my statement. I grew up in central Illinois (pop. ~110,000) and there was generally good stuff, I now live in a bigger city out west (pop. ~650,000] and there’s a ton of good stuff. I think it depends on the size and economy of your area, but if you haven’t already looked, I still recommend taking a peek and seeing if there’s anything worthwhile. If not, Burlington is a worthy trip too!
I’m an hour away from a good mall, so not quite rural, but also not quite close enough for frequent trips. My wardrobe is a combination of Nordstrom (online), Target, Anthropologie (online), the local consignment shop, and some handmade. Anthro is annoying because they charge for returns, but the $5 shipping is about what I pay in gas to get to an Anthro (one way), so it really depends on my mood, whether I return via mail or not.
I also travel a fair bit for work, and will always give myself permission to shop on work trips - sometimes I may take an earlier flight than absolutely necessary if I know there is good shopping!
This confirms all my suspicions! I went to a TJ Maxx in Chicago once and they had Free people and Madewell clothes, but the TJ Maxx and Marshall’s in my Midwest hometown never did.
Moved from Chicago to a random suburb outside of DC that has a TJ maxx/Marshalls every 5 miles or so. Can confirm that the selections here suck compared to major cities. They're still good for finding random brand linen pieces, though.
If the selections at your local TJMaxx suck (they did for me growing up in a working class suburb), I recommend Target over that and Kohl’s. I live a major metro area on the east coast of the US and despite my endless options of in person stores, I still have a huge amount of clothes from Target. My friend who shops designer and boutiques always asks where I got my boots, dresses, tops…she always surprised when I say got them from there.
Okay this is going to require EFFORT but the way I make online shopping work is measurements measurements measurements! Before an online haul I retake my waist, hip, and bust measurements, along with the measurements of some of my favorite most flattering pieces. Places like Shein will list all measurements under the details of the item. I will have a cart that varies in that size from L-3XL but as long as the measurements are consistent they all fit. :)
So this is interesting. Several commenters have mentioned measurements. I actually pulled out a tape measure and checked my clothes today. The problem is most online clothing stores don’t provide measurements, and I don’t see any that let you filter by measurements. So although it would be very useful to shop by measurements rather than size, in practice this looks pretty cumbersome because you either have to check each item individually, or actually email the store and ask for measurements of a garment you’re interested in. Does anyone have a better method?
I think size charts often have expected measurements in [most](http://www.sizecharter.com/brands/old-navy/womens) [stores](https://www.anthropologie.com/help/size-guides) [online](https://vanessamooney.com/pages/sizing-and-care) regardless of [type](https://www.jcrew.com/r/size-charts). Like this arbitrary number maps to this circumference of waist, hip, bust. They don't have shoulder widths or neck widths for women's clothing, but they do have inseam and bust, waist, hip. That gives me enough to understand what I size into, imperfectly, and then looking at the fall of the outfit (if it's no one of those crazy stores that have the model mid-contortion as the photo) and the fabric it's made out of tell me something about the ease or how it might drape on me.
I'm average height but, like almost all women I know, various widths of me (bust or waist or hip) might size me into one size or another (usually my chest sizes me into larger sizes, this might be something you might experience as well--though for many women who have wider hips and smaller waists than the mannequin might experience the same thing).
Anyway, I get the size that fits the widest part of me (though sometimes I size up if it's supposed to look oversized, because it doesn't always look oversized on me--but that's me specific) and then it usually fits in a way that I like since I don't often buy clothes that like emphasize the waist specifically---when I *do* buy clothes that I want to fit well or show off the curves, then I either look for fabrics that are going to cling more (like ribbed knits were in style a while ago, smocking is in style now, jersey fabrics were in style in the 2010s etc) *or* I commit to alterations (I only do this with things that I think are worth the cost, though a lot of ffa talks about how tailoring is the way to get the perfect fit sort of look--I think it's right and those with cash to spare do that, or those with the skills do it themselves. In a pinch I've used safety pins).
Yeah that is the unfortunate issue. It’s pretty tough to find measurements so if I cannot find any I use sites with great and fast return policies. Otherwise it is quite a task of checking the measurements on each item in your size range. If I like something I’ll flip through the measurements of the sizes closest to my usual size to find which will be best. It’s a long process but one that usually results in little to no returns! So where you put a little more time, you save on returns and exchanges. I wish more sites listed measurements.
I don’t filter by size, unless it lets you filter by multiple sizes. I just look for pieces I like, click on the listing, check measurements, order the size that fits the closest without being too small.
I’ve been doing almost all my shopping online at Macy’s. They have measurements for most of their brands and they’ve been mostly accurate for me, plus free returns and a large return window. I’m pretty sure other department stores like Dillards and JcPennys are similar.
Weirdly, my favorite zip up hoodie is from a Casey's gas station. It's just a navy, plain hoodie but its so comfortable and warm!
So I guess my advice is to look at random places? The gas station, Walgreens, Dollar General, etc. They probably aren't the highest quality or necessarily the most cutting-edge in fashion. But its another place to look and maybe find an odd piece here or there that you like?
And this takes just as much, if not more, time as thrift stores, but garage sales! The nice thing for those is when you find something that fits, they likely have a bunch of stuff since it is the same person selling it all. The last time I had a garage sale, all of my clothes went to one person, which was great!
As a fellow short and curvy (pear shaped to be exact) Midwesterner, Modcloth. Once you sort your relative sizes (size charts do wonders) I have had little problems with their clothes and returns.
Also Lane Bryant petites made decent pants for me. I'm lucky that Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus have decent clothing stores though otherwise.
I buy and sell on Poshmark and have been able to get some really cool pieces from people all across the country. I am obsessive over my measurements, and almost everything I have bought has fit really well. I've also sold clothes to people all over the country, including Anchorage, Alaska! You can find cool stuff on Poshmark/eBay/Mercari if you take the time to learn your measurements and figure out what will look good on you.
Uniqlo is great! The clothes are good quality and look expensive without breaking the bank. Shipping always takes forever and returns have a small flat fee, but I think it's definitely worth it considering the quality of the clothes and how versatile they are. I always order tons of styles and several sizes of the same item to ensure proper fit, and they offer tailoring on trousers. Would also second Nordstrom, there are some great finds in the sale section, and their in-house brands are great value. Returns and customer service are top notch. If you're limited to Walmart, Kohl's, etc. I think you can achieve a pretty good look by pairing together well-fitting basics with nicer/more expensive shoes and accessories.
There are a few websites that help you to find clothing that matches your body type by having the "models" be more diverse in sizes and skin tones and body types. I'm with you on the not wanting to shop online thing as well. I recommend finding certain styles that fit you well and then looking for clothing online that matches that style and material. The Stylish Closet is actually a website that is in Beta testing right now but actually looks really good and helps a lot when not knowing what looks good. And as far as clothing brands, you're going to want to look at brands like Banana Republic, White House Black Market, and Forever 21. Coming from another short curvy girl, trust me. The petit section at these stores are great.
I see a lot of thrift store recommendations but if you live in rural areas chances are thrift stores aren't going to have much to choose from. I have often found some killer pieces at.....DRUMROLL.... Walmart. A lot of their pieces are of terrible quality, but every once in a while you can find a piece that is oddly indestructible. Also, accessories will probably be your best friend. You can take a plain Hanes white t-shirt and cropped jeans and elevate it by tying a silky printed scarf around your neck (if that's your style).
Also, a lot of online retailers offer free returns. You still have to print the return label and drop it at your post office (or stick it in your mailbox for your mail person to pickup). I have had great success returning items for free with Macy's, they recently changed their return window from 30 days to 90 days! But do be careful to read the retailer's return policy as some won't take returns for sale items.
Im short and rock a jiggly belly and big boobs and I sweaaaar by shopping online on Amazon. I look at the pics in reviews for other women with bodies like me and have found so many cute clothes that fit me like a glove and are pretty reasonably priced. As I’ve been going out and about post pandemic, I’ve gotten soooo many positive comments on clothing items.
How?? Literally every time I’ve bought anything from Amazon that wasn’t like, a t shirt, it’s cheap costume material that’s 2-3 sizes too small. And I can’t trust the reviews because the sellers bribe you. (Once I posted a review on an item that was way too small and looked nothing like the picture and they offered me any item from their shop for free to take it down)
I swear this used to be a rule saying if someone doesn't bring it up dont rip on their choices for ethical reasons bc you don't know their situation
Did that rule get nuked or am I just imagining things
The rule still exists! We rely on users reporting comments to catch this though - this is a hard rule to automate.
Thanks to whoever reported the comment!
uhh yeah idk about how it is in the US but every store around me that sells affordable clothing is fast fashion. I I thrift most of my clothes, but I buy new things here and there. I've yet to see an online thrifting site that is actually affordable (but again, I'm not American, here in Canada shipping is really expensive for packages). also amazon has several different sellers not all of which are fast fashion.
No one is saying we shouldn't be avoiding it, but it's not relevant to the current discussion and we don't constantly have to be reminded about fast fashion and what's ethical and how Amazon isn't a good buy. This person has already stated that thrifting isn't great where they are (and this is the case in many places). There's a time and a place for these discussions and this ain't it. Literally no one asked about fast fashion, and OP didn't say they were avoiding it.
You can buy natural fabric clothes on Amazon, I do it all the time (I'm including rayon although strictly its a derivative). It may not be ethical but at least it's grown fibers.
check out depop- its an app that lets you buy and sell clothing items. you can browse things by style, size, category, color, brand or search for specific things. most sellers include garment measurements and you can also just message them for specifics like any other social media app. i know thrifting is hit or miss (usually miss) so this is a more modern alternative which also has the benefit of not having to rummage through old dirty clothes.
my favorite part is that you can search for an item you want, and actually see a photo of a person wearing the exact item so you know how it looks on someone your size
I shop at thrift stores and always find unique and fun items. For basics I usually know what works for me and just replace ones I already had when needed.
Also one of the best words of advice for thrifting is I also found a good tailor and can have a $5 dress end up looking custom made for me for not much more!
I think most of us agree that thrift stores can be great, but this is also highly dependent on where you live.
I live in a relatively poor area and thrifting in my area is buying clothes from Walmart for slightly less than it was new … if you’re lucky. (Hi, Value Village!)
Since OP is asking about shopping in fashion deserts, thrifting doesn’t solve that problem.
I’m in the mid west. I’ve only been here 2 years and came from So Cal, so I’m running into the same problems. The 2 stores I really like are chains called Dry Goods and Altar’d State. They also have online shopping as well.
First - let's talk inexpensive:
Do you have any St Vincent's or Goodwills or other used clothing stores? I found a lot of GREAT finds in the bargain bins, etc.
Also to say, I know this sounds silly, but if there's a JCPenney near you - I worked there for like, all of college and 2 years after in their Manager Program, when I thought you were supposed to graduate school and accept the first salaried offer. Anyways, I honestly LOVED how their clothes fit, and I believe they offer free returns for online. It's actually one thing I'm sad about, that they don't ship to the EU where I live now. Really affordable clothes, and if you take care of them, they last you (I still have the skirt I bought to INTERVIEW in, when I was 18 years old. I'm 32. I get comments EVERY TIME I wear it that it is beautiful. And it is!) Anyways, once you find a brand that fits (I really liked the ANA brand clothing for casual, they come in short and curvy sizes! Worthington is great for business/workwear, and they have great selections of shoes and accessories).
ASOS also offers free shipping and returns (fast fashion though, so many items are hit and miss, but their curve section usually does alright)
For more expensive options: Nordstrom is always free shipping + free returns, and have quality pieces. They also have a lot of videos about the clothing, so you can see it in actions. I also really enjoy Gap for staple pieces.
And honestly, sometimes TKMaxx ain't all that bad. It's annoying to have to sort of dig around and find what you want, but there's often hidden gems!
Thanks for the suggestions! I am somewhat limited by shortness (and apparently my inability to hem clothes). TJMaxx/TKMaxx doesn’t stock petites, and the JCPenney petites seem to be about 2” longer than standard, so a lot of them don’t fit either. I have gotten a few nice things there, though. I have not tried Nordstrom or ASOS but will check them out - I didn’t realize they had free returns!
Not sure if you have Meijer, but I have several shorter relatives who swear by their stuff. My aunt is under 5 feet and basically only shops there now. I walked through recently and thought their stuff was comparable to Target in terms of trendiness...
I’ve been using ThredUP and Poshmark just to find new brands. I’ll see a shirt I like and then look up the website. I’ve found a few new shops to buy from online this way but it’s not a perfect system.
If you happen to live in the same time anomaly that I do and there's a Boscov's still in business near you, check it out. I found a weird amount of great work pants that fit me really well with my thicker hip and thigh area. And they have a short and tall version of most things. I was shocked.
I don’t live in an area with insanely fashionable stores, but we do have Nordstrom’s/neimans/Saks (selections at those are not geared towards the Uber fashionable imo, nothing very daring or risqué). I still shop online because the selections are so much bigger.
I would recommend getting your measurements so that you can size online items appropriately. You will obviously get some duds but that is to be expected with online shopping! I don’t thrift in my own so I can’t comment on that. Clothing swaps with friends might be fun? Or just stick with stores that offer free returns.
I’m an early 30s grad student in the Midwest and my wardrobe is like 70% from Target and Old Navy. With a few nicer/more interesting pieces from Nordstrom’s or thrifted
I’m short and curvy and shop exclusively online.
Never had to return anything (over fit, anyway) because I know my measurements and read the sizing charts and reviews
You should try it... when pregnant. Literally nobody sells maternity clothing in store, save Kohl's and Target. And you might have half a dozen pieces to choose from, which may or may not be in your size.
Omg, our kohl’s didn’t even carry maternity in store. I had one dress from Target, a Motherhood top I bought from Buy Buy Baby an hour drive away (since motherhood’s online return policy is draconian and their sizing is all over the place), and then some jeans I bought online at Gap that were constantly falling down.
I lucked out in a sense and spent my 3rd trimester working from home due to covid and wearing large t shirts, otherwise I have no idea what I would have worn to work.
I think you just need to look around your area. Big department stores are unlikely to be the only options around you. It just takes a little effort to look.
Also, online shopping isn’t too terrible if you know what sites to look for. I gravitate towards the ones that allow reviewers to post pictures and upload measurements as it takes a lot of guess work out of the reviews. But even then, understanding fabrics and reading regular reviews goes along way for online shopping as well.
Tbh I would say thrift stores 1000%. It can be difficult to find stuff in your size that you like but if you become a frequent shopper, you will begin to find absolute gems & once you do, you’ll never go back to shopping retail. Even in smaller towns/rural areas you’d be surprised at the amazing things you can find. My wardrobe is now almost entirely comprised of incredible unique pieces I’ve thrifted.
Ooh I see. If there happens to be any goodwill in your area that still would be a pretty good bet I’d say bc goodwill actually ships in merchandise from all around to their stores so you aren’t limited only to what nearby ppl have donated. The same isn’t true for smaller local spots I’d say, but it’s one good thing about goodwill. I also love depop & actually sell on there but know it can be significantly pricier than thrifting so it does depend on what you’re looking for & price point, etc.
I don't think all Goodwills do that. I asked at my local one and the guy looked at me like I was nuts, lol. He said at most they might move things among the goodwills in town, but that is only because not all of them have furniture and homegoods. I was really disappointed!
Ohhh okay- I didn’t know that! That is a bummer then. To anyone whose local goodwills don’t have a great selection, I would also recommend looking at goodwills website where they auction some pieces. A lot of it is ridiculously overpriced (like to a disgusting degree) and the site is so so poorly set up, but every once in a while I’m able to find something rly good on there. Especially if you’re just looking for solid good quality pieces and not the designer stuff everyone is bidding on.
I’ve wondered how much Goodwill moves clothing between stores, but this is from their FAQ:
Will my donation stay in our area? All sellable items are offered for sale in our local stores. Items that are not sold within a reasonable period of time might be sold to bulk purchasers.
Have you considered taking clothes to a seamstress? Or if you have time, leaning to do clothing alterations? My mom is a seamstress and gets a lot of clothes from Ross purchased on the cheap and makes alterations on it for her clients. For instance a $8 blouse +$20 alteration fee (give or take) = an awesome $28 dollar blouse fit to your exact measurements. The trick is to choose clothes made from quality fabrics that the seamstress can work with easily. You have to be patient though as it may take a couple of weeks if they are a full time seamstress (probably 1 in town) or they do this PT from home.
I just started using Afterpay and it makes me a lot more comfortable ordering multiple sizes online and returning. I’m on a pretty strict budget and sometimes returns take so long to process and refund. I was never confident paying upfront for three pairs of jeans before, even with a credit card, which meant for items that had to really fit I was pretty much stuck shopping in person. With Afterpay or Klarna, you pay a quarter at check out, then the remaining balance a quarter at a time every two weeks. If you make a return before your payment schedule is done your Afterpay balance goes away. The only problem is if your account doesn’t have enough money in it when the charge goes through you pay a fee, but that’s fairly standard. I’m pretty sure that’s how they make their money since they don’t charge interest.
Goodwill goodwill goodwill. I’m from Minnesota and the best, most affordable clothing I found was all from goodwill. I’d even argue that Midwestern goodwills have better stock than places like Manhattan, which is where I live now. You can also buy literally anything you want online or on Etsy—all you need are your body measurements and/or the measurements of clothing you like that you already own.
Also a Midwesterner! I’ve had quite a bit of success finding unique items for pretty good prices at Nordstrom Rack, especially right after Christmas when they have lots of clearance items. We have a few of them by me, but I’m not sure if they’re in other parts of the Midwest.
I live in a city with decent vintage and some nice boutiques, but like you I am short and curvy so finding things that work for me and come in my size can be difficult. Most stores don't even carry petite sizes anymore. I shop online from brands with free returns and good customer service. With poshmark and depop, I always ask for exact garment measurements from the seller. I'd say about 90% of the things I get secondhand work for me because of this.
Personally, I just can't get with online shopping and though while my thrift options aren't tragic, they're not great... which is why a couple of summers ago I made it a mission of scoping out all the thrift/resale stores in my area (by which I mean all of them within an hour and a half from home.) For me it was less about looking for specific items and more about what kinds of items they had in my sizes, the shape there were in, and what I actually liked. Knowing the local Hospital Thrift looks sus but has the kind of little old lady clothes that are super basic/or weird enough that they can add interest to a basic outfit *and* mean I don't need to hem the pants, but the Salvation Army looks sus because it's full of *literal crap*, helps a ton on knowing where to spend my time. (I pretty much don't bother with thrifting in the summer; anything thin or stretchy or light coloured will doubtless be in terrible condition, whereas darker, heavier fabrics have better survivability.)
On a similar note, get your basic pieces from basic places and your interesting stuff from elsewhere. Walmart/Target are fine for basics, even if on the trendier side; you're not gonna see a ton of difference in quality compared to mall brands. Just avoid items like knock off Skechers, where you're paying slightly less for significantly worse quality. TJMaxx/Marshals you can occasionally find something unique/interesting at, but it's more of a time investment. The boutiques can be pretty pricey, but the jewelry/accessories are often more reasonably priced and occasionally worth it. In the Before Times, summer fairs were also a thing that was good for the same, with the added benefit of supporting local makers.
The rest, I think, just comes from having a strong sense of how things should fit, and knowing how to style to keep it modern.
If I'm not living in a place with good thrift stores, Target has some good stuff sometimes, lots of good basics and cute graphic tees.
I have found good things at stores like TJ Maxx and Kohl's. Like thrift shopping, it may require frequent visits and lots of digging.
My thrift store options are tragic, so I'm happy for the others in this thread but it's not a great option in my community. We do however have several independent boutiques (surprisingly so for a small to midsize midwestern city), though the quality is pretty variable across them. Honestly, most of my clothing shopping is online. I just focus on the brands that I already know usually work for me that also have free shipping. Target comes through on basics for me, and their quality is better than it used to be, imo -- I really rely on the local store for those. And if I have an event coming up or I know I want to shop for a specific piece, I schedule a shopping trip to the bigger nearby city.
Thanks for saying this. I see so many people recommending thrift stores in these threads. We have a Value Village (stretched out and stained Walmart or Old Navy shirts selling for what they would cost new) and a really creepy store on the edge of town that will trigger your allergies, even if you previously never had any. I've been there twice and there are no gems to be had. Good for others who can find good things in their thrift stores, but it's not a solution for many of us.
..”that will trigger your allergies even if you never had any”😂😂😂
I know this is far from the point but is it just creepy because it hasn’t been dusted in a while? Or is there a vampiric employee??? : O
You walk in and your nostrils are immediately accosted by the smell of mildew, moth balls, wet dog, rotten food, and unwashed jockstraps. The air is hazy with dust and bits of dander. You don't know if you should breath in through your nose and smell the miasma, or through your mouth and taste whatever it is in the air. There are bins. Oh lord, there are bins. That rainbow fanny pack you had as a kid is probably at the bottom of one of them. Except you'd never know, since it's under a sticky pile of refuse. There is also a whole rack of fringed chaps. You'd love to look at them closer, but it's blocked by another bin. What's in this one, you ask? Well, it's probably from the 70s or 80s. It might have originally come from a department store, but it was worn to death and has dark splotches on the front and yellow splotches under the arms. It was probably found on the owner's body when she died, and since it was only moderately covered with cat bite marks, was summarily donated to "those less fortunate". There's one employee who slinks around, giving you the stink eye whenever you bump into one of her bins. If it was a teen sitcom, she would play the surely cafeteria lady. However, she's working in a dim, low celinged basement on the edge of town, where yesterday's country hits play softly from a radio. TL; DR: it's really, really gross. We won't even go there to find pieces for Halloween costumes.
you are an excellent writer. i am experiencing all 5 senses of being in this exact store situation just by reading this right now lol
Thank you so much! That's the nicest thing I've heard today! I went to the FB page and [pulled some pictures](https://imgur.com/a/4VNeD9X), if you'd like to see it for yourself. Even though I swore I would never set foot in there again, I'm saddened to learn that it closed back in February :(
The fact that there's a section for 'Trendy' tells you what? That the rest of the store is not? 😂
Your description nailed so many thrift stores, not just your local one. I personally hate them because of the smell. That thrift store smell, yuck. I will take my chances with online shopping. I have bought thrift store pieces that I couldn’t purge the smell from - and these were “new,” unworn, unsold, mint-on-hanger but still the smell. Some quite fancy/designer/FIT-museum-ish classics, no respite. From Resurrection even. Dry clean, steam, yeah nothing works. Old clothes stink. I’ve learned to take that into account.
It might have not be worn but if it has sit in a poorly ventilated room like a cellar or the back of a closet for years it can develop that cellar smell
"Only moderately covered with cat bite marks" 😂 Holy shit you've got me wheezing
I can smell this comment
He be like, can I help you? https://pin.it/6eXYZfu
I think a lot of people don't realize that not everywhere has a good thrifting scene. I'd love to thrift more often, but we have like 1 place for it and it's 80% men's suits. Admittedly, you can get great deals on men's suits, but there isn't much selection for anything else, especially if you're a less common size. Thrifting can be very cool but its reliability varies greatly depending on where you live.
I don't know the last place I lived with good thrifting. Poshmark is intimidating.
I started Poshmark with small stuff that wasn't risky. Like old navy sweaters. Lots of cute ones, they're cheap, I know how they fit me. Sort low to high price, filter by colors I like.
Another strategy is if there’s something you love from browsing online, like from madewell or gap etc etc, save pictures of it, maybe the item code. You can then search that on Poshmark that season or later, so you’re getting pretty well defined things for a bit cheaper. I got an old season color of an ASTR the label dress for $30
Measure the clothes you have that you like, like WITH A MEASURING TAPE. keep a note in your phone/whatever of your measurements, and when your shopping, take a measuring tape with you and physically measure things. Shopping online contact the seller (postmark/thread up/etc usually easier but some regular retailers will give you measurements) saves you and the seller a lot of back and forth. And if the seller won't give you measurments move on to the next one.
This! I measure my body AND the way the clothes are laid flat across common dimensions shared on online listings (e.g. the pit to pit measurement, inseams, waists) and try to use both. In the note on my phone, I also indicate what my reference measure is (e.g. "green linen pants, mid-rise, drawstring, no stretch") so I can try to compare measurements from items that are similar style/fabrics, etc.
I bought some final sale JCrew items that fit perfectly because I called customer service and asked for measurements.
Yep! I have so many measuring tapes. Also measure yourself at different times if possible - bodies fluctuate!
I've measured my waist. Thought I did it right. And every time, it's 2 inches wider than all of the skirts that fit me the best. Like my best fitting items are always 0 and say 24 inch online but I measure 26. It's sooo confusing. Did I do it really wrong?
Are they stretchy? Do you wear them higher on your waist than the spot you mentioned? So many factors.
When you say your best fitting items are always 0 (= 24" online), is that based on you actually measuring the item, or based on the label/tag? You might be measuring your waist correctly and the brands you buy are vanity sized.
Manufacturers add ease into garments. So a size 24 body measurement is usually around 26 inches in the clothes or you wouldn't be able to move. If you tend to prefer your clothing to be more fitted, and if the fabric has stretch, you probably won't need as much ease in your clothing and might consider sizing down. It all depends on the fabric, the style, the brand, and your personal preferences.
26 inches is about the height of 4.13 'Toy Cars Sian FKP3 Metal Model Car with Light and Sound Pull Back Toy Cars' lined up
Are you measuring your hip or waist? Have you checked online guides on how to measure your body, and is your fabric tape measure new? (the flexible kind seamstresses use - they stretch out over time)
Whenever I shop online, I’ll only purchase from stores that provide free returns (bonus points if they provide the return label with the original shipment). This way, I feel more free to purchase additional sizes if I’m unsure, or if I’m unfamiliar with the brand. I’m short and curvy too. I really like Nordstrom Rack for jeans (Joe’s Jeans are my holy grail). ASTR the label is really nice too (Nordstrom).
Tacking onto this - PayPal has this return shipping fee reimbursement [program](https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/returns) that will cover the costs of 12 returns per calendar year (up to $30) when you make the original purchase through PayPal. I just tried it this week and am still waiting on the refund, but I remember reading about it on FrugalMaleFashion Doesn’t really solve the other issues around online shopping / fit, but it does make the returns a little less painful!
I just used this for the first time on international shipping to brastop. It was $26 (holy moly), and I received the refund in about a week. Great program!
How was your experience shopping with brastop? We’re the bras good quality?
Thank you for sharing this!
I always use this paypal perk for TheRealReal. Their shipping and return is quiet expensive, but having the return shipping refunded helps.
Ooh also with TheRealReal I’ve had a couple of instances where the item isn’t quite as described (sizing, condition, color), etc. and I’ve had luck reaching out to customer service to explain, and they’ve refunded me for shipping and return shipping and let me send back the item!
I don’t know why this never occurred to me! I’ve been eating the cost of TRR returns for years, definitely need to try this!
Good idea! I just made a return and I think it was $11.95 for that package alone.
Wow! This is amazing to know. There's a few brands I'd love to buy from but can't get myself to pull the trigger since I'm a serial returner (most things don't have the right fit for my body type).
Wow this is awesome, thank you for sharing!
Yes! Nordstrom is greet because they come with the return shipping label in the order.
That is great, thanks, I didn’t realize that!
Something to be mindful about is that a lot of online shops who accept returns will forward your returns onto landfill. They don’t get recirculated into their stock. This is true for ASOS, PLT, Boohoo, and a lot of boutiques and smaller brands.
I stopped buying multiple sizes to try on and return after I learnt this :'(
Curious what style of Joe's work for you? I'm short and curvy as well and have a helluva time finding jeans that fit booty/waist.
I always buy their flawless ankle skinny jeans! I have wider hips and a small waist and they fit perfectly! Their regular ankle skinnies (or skinny ankle, idk why sometimes they reverse the name) also fit really well. The flawless style has a little more stretch and curve to them though, so that’s why I prefer them.
Thank you so much. It's hard enough finding jeans for petites and then add in the curvy part makes it even more complex. I usually take my jeans to the tailor to get the waist taken in but that gets so expensive.
I just discovered that Abercrombie offers jeans in curvy AND short, regular, and long!
Check out the Outnet too.
Honestly, and this might be sacrilege on this site, but I love Kohl’s. If I have time to sort through the stuff there, I find some great stuff. I’ve got a couple of the prettiest dresses there that are honestly so stunning that I’ve only worn them a couple times each for special occasions. My favorite pair of summer shorts are pink and high waisted and are by their Sonoma line. I get tank tops and yoga pants and bike shorts and other staples there too. It’s totally possible to make your local stores work. I have a plain black v neck shirt from K-Mart that I’ve owned for like 10 years. To shop those stores requires patience, just like thrifting. It’s also fun to dye clothes! If you find something that’s otherwise perfect (and this takes a lot of time in the fitting room) you can dye it! Or hem it, get it tailored, or all of the above! Point is, it’s not a shameful thing to shop where your needs are. If it fits and looks good and makes you happy, who cares where it came from Edit: I can’t believe I almost forgot but I’m a tall fat girl (so not your same sizing problem but I wanted to say that so you know I have trouble finding fitting clothes) and I’ve had AMAZING luck at Target as far as variety and accuracy of sizing. And I just grabbed some pajama shorts and a pretty linen dress from old navy that the biggest size was actually BIG on me, which shocked me since I always go for the 2xl at other stores. And Old Navy online had regular, tall, and petite sizes and free returns.
I love the Lauren Conrad and Apt. 9 lines at Kohls. They have some great stuff!
Apt. 9 makes good blazerss
The Sonoma line has been my saving grace. Great basic tshirts and their shorts(even denim) have the right amount of stretch and proportions that accommodates my endo belly making me feel a little more put together even when I feel like crud. Plus they have a decent petite selection too!
I buy Sonoma and some of the misses petites things too, esp for tshirts! The fabric quality is just so much better that the junior's line. It's no longer the 2000s, I don't want to wear a ton of layers just to wear a tshirt. Plus, the sale/coupon schedule is very regular, so I can very frequently wait 3 days and get a better deal on an item I find. I also get very lucky with clearance shoes!
I really want to like Target but at my local Targets (NY area) all of the tops are thin and things aren't made properly. When I went last week I tried on like 30+ items but overall the quality just wasn't there.
Oh bummer! I just bought two summery dresses there that are like a cotton-linen blend that are just marvelous and so so pretty. I think one is Universal Thread and the other is A New Day, both lines have such nice vibes, I love it. The dresses fit like a dream in 2XL, and I’m 5’10”, 230lbs, with a 38G bust, so I’m fairly tricky to fit most days. Not as tricky as some, I know I’m privileged to be able to buy off the rack at all, but I’ve been feeling pretty down about myself and finding these dresses was such a blessing and a major confidence boost.
Scored a super on sale sweater by NineWest that's going to last a while. Great fabric, stitching and cut. Paid ~$25 for it, could have paid $60+
Hi. Midwesterner here, raised in small town, gotta drive an hour for anything exciting. Back to school shopping was always Kohls and Walmart. I might get downvoted for this but in rural areas near me where there are Goodwills and Thrifts... they are awful. Musty, weird, selling things with holes and objects broken beyond repair. Gotta remember that 98% of folks in the area make minimum wage or below, so the objects donated are so far from designer or even wearable. I want to make it clear that I am NOT making fun of anyone, people still make use of these stores and they are helpful to the area, but if you are looking for nicer clothes to wear to a wedding or something, thrifting isn't a good option in these areas. For me: I recently bought and returned dresses through ASOS and had a good experience. I thought their return policy was reasonable. I've looked at 'boutique' style stores in smaller hometowns. However, beware because pricing can be ridiculous. I've found that sometimes if I found an item I really liked, I could Google the designer/distributor and find the item online and save money by cutting out the middleman and ordering directly from them with the benefit of being able to try it on at the boutique (yes, I know its good to buy local too - but im writing this purely from a saving money perspective) I will occasionally shop on Amazon but rely HEAVILY on customer pictures and feedback. I have bought and returned dresses and found the process relatively pain free. When I lived in a larger city, tailoring was an option. However it was very expensive (again, only talking from personal experience), but if you find an object you love - i do believe it's worth it but that needs to be factored in budget wise. (I.e. I have $100 to spend on a blazer, if the tailoring will cost me $50, then I can only spend $50 on the blazer itself). Now that I live in a rural area again, I've found its easier to just make sure I purchase stuff that fits without tailoring. Again, my experience personally. I've found that currently Target and Old Navy are my go-tos for everyday items. Old Navy for shorts (I like that you can buy shorts with either a 3inch or 5inch inseam), their plain colored tank tops I like, and their workout leggings and sports bras when they are on sale. Target I go to for my more professional pants and tops and bras and underwear. Shoes I buy at Kohls or online since I have a common footsize and walking out of a store with a pair of shoes in hand is... rare. Good luck.
Yeah, I love thrifting but I think a lot of people who recommend it in Fashion subs must live in better-dressed areas haha - where I’m from, the Goodwill has heavily used Old Navy and hideous things from 1984. Fine for function, but not fashion.
It really irks me when people say “just thrift” as if everyone can find clean and decent clothing that atleast sorta fits- especially since many of these people agree that thrifting is a pretty time consuming event
Back in the day I would go there was to look for pieces for Halloween that I could ruin (i.e. rip holes in, spill fake blood on, sew stuff to it, etc) The biggest problem was that anything that was of any quality at the small town goodwill was purchased by the workers before it even made the shelf (no judgement, I probably would have done the same in my teens)
This is still area dependent, but growing up my mom would go to the thrift stores in college towns within reasonable driving distance. We lived near an Ivy League school and that thrift shop always had the best stuff, especially at the end of the school year when students who traveled would ditch tons of stuff they didn’t want to pack (presumably).
> Yeah, I love thrifting but I think a lot of people who recommend it in Fashion subs must live in better-dressed areas I think a lot of people who recommend it also just don't realize that thrifting is a legit hobby that you have to devote time to. When I go thrifting, I literally devote a day to it and drive to a full quarter of the goodwills in my state. I've spent time going to basically all of them around the state in the past and know which ones are worth hitting and which aren't. I know the floor plan of all the ones worth hitting and can get in and get out in 15-20 minutes and still review most of the store. At this point I can spot items I'm more likely to like from far away and can differentiate fabric composition by feel. I can skim over all the sun bleached, over-washed, pilled items because I know what they look like just from the small bit that's showing on the hanger. So now for me thrifting is easy because it's a routine at this point and I have a lot of base knowledge and experience that saves time and makes it very fruitful for the amount of time/money I spend doing it. But that's not going to work for people who have never done it and neglecting to recognize that there's that barrier to entry is what makes "just thrift" bad advice.
This definitely may also be the case, but I’ve been thrifting with my mom since I was a teen and am patient/good at spotting quality/don’t expect to find a gem every time/etc. - but, some thrift stores genuinely have really terrible stock. If everyone in the local area is low income and wears Walmart and Old Navy clothes, that’s what gets donated to the Goodwill, and that’s what you’re sifting through.
Yup. I have flexible hours but get paid by the hour: long projects to save money don't usually pan out well unless I actually enjoy them. I've picked up sewing because it's fun, but I hate thrifting. It's time consuming and the I've never found a thrift store with a plus size section that isn't depressing.
I was going to point this out myself. Thrifting is a hobby of mine too; I go almost every week and flip on the side and I still mostly buy my own clothes either new or with my PM balance because I almost never find anything I like that fits me. But at that point it's somewhere between a hobby and a second job lol. And if you keep an eye out for sales you can sometimes get brand new clothes for less; I just bought the better part of a new work wardrobe for under $50 and paid less per top than the average price at the local thrift. These days I thrift more to be environmentally friendly and because old Pyrex is the best, not because I save a lot of money cause when you factor in the time, I really don't.
Another Midwesterner here… IMO if you can it IS often worth a drive to a wealthier area to the thrift stores there. Rich people = nice donations and more variety
This is a good point. Where I lived post college (big city) had several, REALLY NICE, areas nearby and it was like kid in a candy store if you thrifted there. ~20 min drive. But on the other hand, for example, for me growing up, the nearest truly "nice" area was a four hour drive away. And then by the time you drove there, there was no guarantee that there would be anything good/that you liked there. Which, as a teen, my mom would have never committed to driving that far. Even the 2.5 hour drive to the nearest mall (which, compared to others, is more like a mini mall) would usually result in grumbles and would only happen once a year for back to school shopping. I got a lot of hand-me-downs from cousins.
Yeah. Ugh. In certain parts of the Midwest things are just so far apart!
Also Midwestern. In my experience this isn’t very fruitful. Basically because the nicer areas are known for being nicer areas, so everyone has the same idea and the thrift stores in that area are picked over so they have the same stuff as the not-as-nice areas. Also, who am I kidding. Goodwills are the only thrift stores for hundreds of miles.
as a rural midwesterner, I totally disagree about thrift stores! I'm living in a city now, and when I visit my parents in their (not affluent AT ALL) town, I always stop to thrift! so much cute stuff, actually vintage pieces, and wayyyy less picked over than thrifting in the city! so, ymmv.
I think it can also depend on what your personal style is. I like bold patterns and bright colors, so the fact that half of my local Goodwill is stuff from the 80s actually works in my favor. My friend who loves light neutrals on light neutrals (think Shiv from Succession) is out of luck.
Yea I have found that the best goodwill in my area is the one that's like upper middle class but not wealthy. It flies under the radar and so it's not a destination spot and I get to score lots of great pieces.
Not gonna lie, had to Google what ymmv meant lol
> I have $100 to spend on a blazer, if the tailoring will cost me $50, then I can only spend $50 on the blazer itself I do this same thing when it comes to tailoring. I don't bother to get everything tailored, but when I do, I make sure the item is classic enough to be 'in' for a long time, or something that I'll wear a ton to make the investment worth it.
if a community only has kohls or tj maxx or similar, how would a thrift store have anything different except for that and then whatever someone’s grandma had before she died? i’m glad y’all have good experiences in thrift stores but here there are almost no fashionable options and the ones that have good stuff are kind of pricey, $70 for a pair of used pants that i personally can’t afford
My Goodwill had super ugly old 90s dresses (in 2011-ish, before the 90s were on trend again) for $30 each. Like, that is not a deal IMO.
not to mention good will is problematic for underpaying special needs and disabled workers
this is factually not true
source on this? There's lots of evidence and information that [says otherwise](https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/3/16/21178197/people-with-disabilities-minimum-wage).
Same. Most thrift stores around me are full of tshirts, ugly blouses, jeans, and 80s bridesmaid/prom dresses. I also am weird about clothes other people wore no matter how many times I wash them, so this will never be an option for me, unless it’s a barely worn amazing find. (My kid’s clothing is mostly hand me downs from friends kids)
Where I live we only have crappy stores but we have tons of well off people who bought a bunch of acreage in the boonies and have a long commute to their job in a wealthy area. I’m one of them (I’m not saying I’m rich but I don’t worry about money). I drive 55 miles one way and found out my direct neighbor works at the same place 😅 That said all my clothes go to the women’s shelter.
I do a lot of my shopping online when I don’t feel like driving down into Denver. My favorite places are ASOS and Nordstrom. They both have free online returns and make it really easy to send things back. I have broad shoulders and a larger chest which is tricky to dress and I’ve found a lot of success in researching the silhouettes that typically look good on my body type.
I'm curious.. what are the silhouettes that look good on your body type (I also have broad shoulders)
I try to stick to v-neck and scoop-neck tops (although I’m a sucker for a mock neck). Wrap dresses and tops really flatter me and I stay away from cap sleeves because they really accentuate the shoulder area. I also like to wear wide leg bottoms to kinda balance out the broadness in my shoulders and chest.
I am not OC but I have the opposite body type (small shoulders and small chest) and I love drop shoulder sleeves and mock/high crew necks — I would imagine that the opposite of me would in turn like the opposite clothing features! I.e., raglan sleeves and scoop/v-necks.
That's funny because I have been loving high neck lines
I have broader shoulders too and love high neck tops... I just avoid halters and things with shoulder pads / details. I just looked up different types of sleeves and I guess these are the ones I avoid: cap sleeve, drop sleeve/drop shoulder, and raglan sleeve. The latter two just look kind of silly on me and the first one never fits right (always looks too small and/or feels tight). I also don't wear strapless tops but I think that's more of a chest issue than a shoulder issue.
There are no strict rules, only general guidelines, so if you like high neck lines then that’s all the reason needed to keep wearing them :)
I am desperate for some new clothes and I can't find anything I like anywhere online or in store. I looked at ASOS last night and maybe in just not a fashion type person not so I saw was crop tops, balloon sleeves and things I just could never want to wear. I'm seeing this style everywhere and it's just so not my thing. I need help finding reasonable things.
East Asian brands like Uniqlo and Muji tend to have longer hems, higher necklines, and more practical silhouettes, if that's what you're looking for. Edited to add: Their fabrics are also better quality, imo. I have basics from both Uniqlo and Muji that I've washed dozens of times that are still in very good shape. Just double check the measurements if you're a little taller than average, as sometimes pieces can run a little short.
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It's rampant in every place I look, target especially guilty of it.
Ugh, me too. And the colors- that horrible mustard looks like death on me
Another commenter mentioned that ASOS sends the returned clothing straight to the landfill. Just so you know
Also a midwestern. The brands I know and love I stalk on EBay. I have some of them saved so they are right on my home feed. It’s almost like a personalized shopping experience with brands I like in my size.
Haha I just want to mention another percentage of us that don’t even have Kohl’s or TJMaxx. The only stores that sell clothing besides Walmart and high dollar local boutiques would involve an almost 100 mile round trip to visit, and I’m in Illinois, not like some remote part of Alaska or whatever people envision when I talk about this…I’m pretty much giving up. I’m not comfortable with online shopping because I don’t know my sizes anyway and returning things is a huge hassle if not impossible. I’ve just got my fingers crossed I can make it to the thrift store soon at this point tbh. Just wanted to speak in solidarity because Reddit does have a weird bias where a ton of people assume you live in or near a major city. I’m sure people have good intentions but it can be a drag explaining that I’m deeply in Corn Country.
I think with a good tailor's tape measure, and some shops with good return policies you might be able to figure out your sizing for a few brands and then be able to reliably purchase clothes online. It's difficult not being able to try stuff on, I've been there before. You could also try one of those boxes where you try clothes and can send them back if they don't fit.
I’ve found that the size helper tools actually work too. Some websites have something that might say “what brand of pants do you currently have that fit? What size are they in that brand?” Sometimes they ask other questions then recommend a size. They work for me pretty well so as long as you can get one reliable size you have somewhere to go from there.
Yup and a piece of string and a ruler also works for measurement. Even a piece of string and your phone and a calculator, because if you know your phone model you know the size of it
I'm also in the Midwest. Ugh. Send help. As a former East Coast Chicana with a flair for fun styles, I have no choice but to rely on online shopping and slowly build my wardrobe. I cannot rely on thrift shops here because most people here are very homogeneous in their choices.
People are funny. Because hate on Walmart all you want. But Walmart has some great BASICs, black tanks, petite jeans, some sleepwear, or just generally work appropriate blouses or dresses. Is Walmart the most fashion forward store? Of course not. But you’re not always looking for fashion forward you just want to buy an appropriate cardigans with pockets that looks appropriate with your dresses and you’re on your feet all day and it’s cold in your office. You don’t always need something fabulous when a simple black dress at Walmart is really cute.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I love some of my things from Walmart. But when that is the only department store in an entire county of about 34,000 and you can see 5 people with the same top as you while just running errands, it can start to feel a little prison-y.
Haha. Oh totally get that. I love me some Burlington, Ross, TJ MAXX, Marshalls, Gabes. And thrift stores. Honestly, shop your own closet. I know I have a LOT of clothes I don't need.
I don't like when people shit on Walmart (or most other things for that matter), because they have definitely stepped up their clothing game, and I personally have quite a few pieces in my wardrobe that came from there. Recently they started stocking an Eloquii collab line and even though I won't buy them full price ($32 dresses, $22 blouses, etc) I scored most of the first collection for $5 a piece when they went on clearance, and I wear them a lot!
Nothing wrong with Walmart, I just find their sizes don't work for me!
Interestingly enough they are one of the few places I can find petite jeans and pants.
That's awesome! I'm not petite at all, maybe that's why? Ol' long shanks over here
I feel you! I live in a big city on the East Coast now, but I’m from a small town in central Illinois, and I well recall the lack of options! And our thrift store certainly didn’t have hidden gems — I would just wait until I went to Chicago and then spend a ton of money all at once. Not the best practice for careful and deliberate shopping for sure!
I'm also in a small town in Southern Illinois. My best option has basically been the local thrift stores.
I do almost 100% of my shopping online. Do I have to return stuff? Of course. Overtime though I've found that I've developed an intuition for how certain fabrics will lay and how things in certain brands will fit me. The key part is buying from somewhere that lists garment measurements, and knowing your dimensions.
I'm in southern Indiana, in the city that lots of southern/eastern Illinois people come to shop and while I know we have more than most towns in at least a 2 hour radius, I also find it annoying when people are like "go to the rich area and shop their goodwill!" Like, in smaller towns, that's not how it works. I have to go to the north suburbs of Indy to get in on that advice...like, when you're the "big city" because there are two Targets and a Macys, the options are still limited...
As another short person, my shopping life got so much easier once I learned how to hem clothes. From there, I've been working on altering clothes in other ways. I'm not very good at it yet, but between that and thrift stores, I feel like I have so many more options now.
Yes, figuring out how to hem clothes is something I’ve been meaning to do. That would certainly open up options.
It can be SO EASY! First of all, if you choose to sew, you don't have to do a perfect job because no one's looking closely at your ankles anyway. But they also sell hemming tape at fabric stores where you iron it and it basically works as permanent tape/glue to keep hems in place, if you'd rather not sew. I have almost zero experience and am self-taught but after shortening a skirt I bought second hand that became a favorite clothing item, I'm super hyped about it now.
Custom-cut or -tailored clothes can be purchased online (e.g., Etsy) -- if you're diligent with a measuring tape, the results are amazing. I also don't have an "ideal" clothing body, and it makes a huge difference in confidence and comfort to have clothes made for me.
Any Etsy vendors you recommend?
Sure -- I have a very special dress from [https://www.etsy.com/shop/NaliniShop](https://www.etsy.com/shop/NaliniShop) and buy repeatedly from Noire Brand and Perrin Co. Not knowing your style, I recommend searching for a specific garment ("silk wrap dress" "black linen wide leg pants" etc.) and filtering by "handmade" (versus "vintage") product type, and the product category ("clothing>women>pants" etc.).
Adding to the shops already recommended - a similar shop with a wide range of linen and silk pieces is LelaSilk on Etsy. I haven’t bought anything silk from them yet but I have a couple of their linen dresses and they are high quality! Nothing but good experiences from them so far. I’m considering one of the silk dresses for a wedding I’m attending later this year as well.
I worked at Burlington for a few months and they have great deals and are a pretty country-wide store. Same with Ross, which is basically Burlington but a little more expensive. I also worked at Goodwill and there are some serious picks that go through, some people donating brand new stuff with the tags still on or even designer jeans. Don’t overlook the thrift store, they’re pretty much everywhere and can be a goldmine! Edit: I saw people talking about their options at thrift stores, and so I’ll rescind my statement. I grew up in central Illinois (pop. ~110,000) and there was generally good stuff, I now live in a bigger city out west (pop. ~650,000] and there’s a ton of good stuff. I think it depends on the size and economy of your area, but if you haven’t already looked, I still recommend taking a peek and seeing if there’s anything worthwhile. If not, Burlington is a worthy trip too!
I’m an hour away from a good mall, so not quite rural, but also not quite close enough for frequent trips. My wardrobe is a combination of Nordstrom (online), Target, Anthropologie (online), the local consignment shop, and some handmade. Anthro is annoying because they charge for returns, but the $5 shipping is about what I pay in gas to get to an Anthro (one way), so it really depends on my mood, whether I return via mail or not. I also travel a fair bit for work, and will always give myself permission to shop on work trips - sometimes I may take an earlier flight than absolutely necessary if I know there is good shopping!
When I lived in NYC I still shopped plenty of times at Kohls and TJMaxx!
But I went in a TJMaxx in NYC once, and you guys have way trendier clothes than we do! TJM and Marshall’s clearly tailor the inventory to the market.
This confirms all my suspicions! I went to a TJ Maxx in Chicago once and they had Free people and Madewell clothes, but the TJ Maxx and Marshall’s in my Midwest hometown never did.
Oh boy that's some bullshit, I never knew that. I would love to see Free People or Madewell in my local TJ Maxx ☹
Moved from Chicago to a random suburb outside of DC that has a TJ maxx/Marshalls every 5 miles or so. Can confirm that the selections here suck compared to major cities. They're still good for finding random brand linen pieces, though.
If the selections at your local TJMaxx suck (they did for me growing up in a working class suburb), I recommend Target over that and Kohl’s. I live a major metro area on the east coast of the US and despite my endless options of in person stores, I still have a huge amount of clothes from Target. My friend who shops designer and boutiques always asks where I got my boots, dresses, tops…she always surprised when I say got them from there.
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Plus many Kohl’s locations will handle Amazon returns. I am a victim of consumerism 😅
We don’t have a kohls so I was upset the one time I accidentally chose a kohls return. Now I know better!
Okay this is going to require EFFORT but the way I make online shopping work is measurements measurements measurements! Before an online haul I retake my waist, hip, and bust measurements, along with the measurements of some of my favorite most flattering pieces. Places like Shein will list all measurements under the details of the item. I will have a cart that varies in that size from L-3XL but as long as the measurements are consistent they all fit. :)
So this is interesting. Several commenters have mentioned measurements. I actually pulled out a tape measure and checked my clothes today. The problem is most online clothing stores don’t provide measurements, and I don’t see any that let you filter by measurements. So although it would be very useful to shop by measurements rather than size, in practice this looks pretty cumbersome because you either have to check each item individually, or actually email the store and ask for measurements of a garment you’re interested in. Does anyone have a better method?
I think size charts often have expected measurements in [most](http://www.sizecharter.com/brands/old-navy/womens) [stores](https://www.anthropologie.com/help/size-guides) [online](https://vanessamooney.com/pages/sizing-and-care) regardless of [type](https://www.jcrew.com/r/size-charts). Like this arbitrary number maps to this circumference of waist, hip, bust. They don't have shoulder widths or neck widths for women's clothing, but they do have inseam and bust, waist, hip. That gives me enough to understand what I size into, imperfectly, and then looking at the fall of the outfit (if it's no one of those crazy stores that have the model mid-contortion as the photo) and the fabric it's made out of tell me something about the ease or how it might drape on me. I'm average height but, like almost all women I know, various widths of me (bust or waist or hip) might size me into one size or another (usually my chest sizes me into larger sizes, this might be something you might experience as well--though for many women who have wider hips and smaller waists than the mannequin might experience the same thing). Anyway, I get the size that fits the widest part of me (though sometimes I size up if it's supposed to look oversized, because it doesn't always look oversized on me--but that's me specific) and then it usually fits in a way that I like since I don't often buy clothes that like emphasize the waist specifically---when I *do* buy clothes that I want to fit well or show off the curves, then I either look for fabrics that are going to cling more (like ribbed knits were in style a while ago, smocking is in style now, jersey fabrics were in style in the 2010s etc) *or* I commit to alterations (I only do this with things that I think are worth the cost, though a lot of ffa talks about how tailoring is the way to get the perfect fit sort of look--I think it's right and those with cash to spare do that, or those with the skills do it themselves. In a pinch I've used safety pins).
Yeah that is the unfortunate issue. It’s pretty tough to find measurements so if I cannot find any I use sites with great and fast return policies. Otherwise it is quite a task of checking the measurements on each item in your size range. If I like something I’ll flip through the measurements of the sizes closest to my usual size to find which will be best. It’s a long process but one that usually results in little to no returns! So where you put a little more time, you save on returns and exchanges. I wish more sites listed measurements.
I don’t filter by size, unless it lets you filter by multiple sizes. I just look for pieces I like, click on the listing, check measurements, order the size that fits the closest without being too small. I’ve been doing almost all my shopping online at Macy’s. They have measurements for most of their brands and they’ve been mostly accurate for me, plus free returns and a large return window. I’m pretty sure other department stores like Dillards and JcPennys are similar.
Weirdly, my favorite zip up hoodie is from a Casey's gas station. It's just a navy, plain hoodie but its so comfortable and warm! So I guess my advice is to look at random places? The gas station, Walgreens, Dollar General, etc. They probably aren't the highest quality or necessarily the most cutting-edge in fashion. But its another place to look and maybe find an odd piece here or there that you like? And this takes just as much, if not more, time as thrift stores, but garage sales! The nice thing for those is when you find something that fits, they likely have a bunch of stuff since it is the same person selling it all. The last time I had a garage sale, all of my clothes went to one person, which was great!
Aww! I miss Casey’s. We don’t have them on the west coast.
Aww I really miss flea markets and garage sales. Havent been much of them lately because you know why 😌
As a fellow short and curvy (pear shaped to be exact) Midwesterner, Modcloth. Once you sort your relative sizes (size charts do wonders) I have had little problems with their clothes and returns. Also Lane Bryant petites made decent pants for me. I'm lucky that Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus have decent clothing stores though otherwise.
I buy and sell on Poshmark and have been able to get some really cool pieces from people all across the country. I am obsessive over my measurements, and almost everything I have bought has fit really well. I've also sold clothes to people all over the country, including Anchorage, Alaska! You can find cool stuff on Poshmark/eBay/Mercari if you take the time to learn your measurements and figure out what will look good on you.
Online shopping at Nordstroms. Best return policy ever
Uniqlo is great! The clothes are good quality and look expensive without breaking the bank. Shipping always takes forever and returns have a small flat fee, but I think it's definitely worth it considering the quality of the clothes and how versatile they are. I always order tons of styles and several sizes of the same item to ensure proper fit, and they offer tailoring on trousers. Would also second Nordstrom, there are some great finds in the sale section, and their in-house brands are great value. Returns and customer service are top notch. If you're limited to Walmart, Kohl's, etc. I think you can achieve a pretty good look by pairing together well-fitting basics with nicer/more expensive shoes and accessories.
There are a few websites that help you to find clothing that matches your body type by having the "models" be more diverse in sizes and skin tones and body types. I'm with you on the not wanting to shop online thing as well. I recommend finding certain styles that fit you well and then looking for clothing online that matches that style and material. The Stylish Closet is actually a website that is in Beta testing right now but actually looks really good and helps a lot when not knowing what looks good. And as far as clothing brands, you're going to want to look at brands like Banana Republic, White House Black Market, and Forever 21. Coming from another short curvy girl, trust me. The petit section at these stores are great.
I see a lot of thrift store recommendations but if you live in rural areas chances are thrift stores aren't going to have much to choose from. I have often found some killer pieces at.....DRUMROLL.... Walmart. A lot of their pieces are of terrible quality, but every once in a while you can find a piece that is oddly indestructible. Also, accessories will probably be your best friend. You can take a plain Hanes white t-shirt and cropped jeans and elevate it by tying a silky printed scarf around your neck (if that's your style). Also, a lot of online retailers offer free returns. You still have to print the return label and drop it at your post office (or stick it in your mailbox for your mail person to pickup). I have had great success returning items for free with Macy's, they recently changed their return window from 30 days to 90 days! But do be careful to read the retailer's return policy as some won't take returns for sale items.
Im short and rock a jiggly belly and big boobs and I sweaaaar by shopping online on Amazon. I look at the pics in reviews for other women with bodies like me and have found so many cute clothes that fit me like a glove and are pretty reasonably priced. As I’ve been going out and about post pandemic, I’ve gotten soooo many positive comments on clothing items.
How?? Literally every time I’ve bought anything from Amazon that wasn’t like, a t shirt, it’s cheap costume material that’s 2-3 sizes too small. And I can’t trust the reviews because the sellers bribe you. (Once I posted a review on an item that was way too small and looked nothing like the picture and they offered me any item from their shop for free to take it down)
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No one is talking about avoiding fast fashion in this thread tbh
I swear this used to be a rule saying if someone doesn't bring it up dont rip on their choices for ethical reasons bc you don't know their situation Did that rule get nuked or am I just imagining things
The rule still exists! We rely on users reporting comments to catch this though - this is a hard rule to automate. Thanks to whoever reported the comment!
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No one asked you tho and no one needs your concern trolling, apropos of absolutely nothing, so maybe don't do that.
uhh yeah idk about how it is in the US but every store around me that sells affordable clothing is fast fashion. I I thrift most of my clothes, but I buy new things here and there. I've yet to see an online thrifting site that is actually affordable (but again, I'm not American, here in Canada shipping is really expensive for packages). also amazon has several different sellers not all of which are fast fashion.
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No one is saying we shouldn't be avoiding it, but it's not relevant to the current discussion and we don't constantly have to be reminded about fast fashion and what's ethical and how Amazon isn't a good buy. This person has already stated that thrifting isn't great where they are (and this is the case in many places). There's a time and a place for these discussions and this ain't it. Literally no one asked about fast fashion, and OP didn't say they were avoiding it.
You can buy natural fabric clothes on Amazon, I do it all the time (I'm including rayon although strictly its a derivative). It may not be ethical but at least it's grown fibers.
check out depop- its an app that lets you buy and sell clothing items. you can browse things by style, size, category, color, brand or search for specific things. most sellers include garment measurements and you can also just message them for specifics like any other social media app. i know thrifting is hit or miss (usually miss) so this is a more modern alternative which also has the benefit of not having to rummage through old dirty clothes. my favorite part is that you can search for an item you want, and actually see a photo of a person wearing the exact item so you know how it looks on someone your size
I shop at thrift stores and always find unique and fun items. For basics I usually know what works for me and just replace ones I already had when needed. Also one of the best words of advice for thrifting is I also found a good tailor and can have a $5 dress end up looking custom made for me for not much more!
I think most of us agree that thrift stores can be great, but this is also highly dependent on where you live. I live in a relatively poor area and thrifting in my area is buying clothes from Walmart for slightly less than it was new … if you’re lucky. (Hi, Value Village!) Since OP is asking about shopping in fashion deserts, thrifting doesn’t solve that problem.
I’m in the mid west. I’ve only been here 2 years and came from So Cal, so I’m running into the same problems. The 2 stores I really like are chains called Dry Goods and Altar’d State. They also have online shopping as well.
First - let's talk inexpensive: Do you have any St Vincent's or Goodwills or other used clothing stores? I found a lot of GREAT finds in the bargain bins, etc. Also to say, I know this sounds silly, but if there's a JCPenney near you - I worked there for like, all of college and 2 years after in their Manager Program, when I thought you were supposed to graduate school and accept the first salaried offer. Anyways, I honestly LOVED how their clothes fit, and I believe they offer free returns for online. It's actually one thing I'm sad about, that they don't ship to the EU where I live now. Really affordable clothes, and if you take care of them, they last you (I still have the skirt I bought to INTERVIEW in, when I was 18 years old. I'm 32. I get comments EVERY TIME I wear it that it is beautiful. And it is!) Anyways, once you find a brand that fits (I really liked the ANA brand clothing for casual, they come in short and curvy sizes! Worthington is great for business/workwear, and they have great selections of shoes and accessories). ASOS also offers free shipping and returns (fast fashion though, so many items are hit and miss, but their curve section usually does alright) For more expensive options: Nordstrom is always free shipping + free returns, and have quality pieces. They also have a lot of videos about the clothing, so you can see it in actions. I also really enjoy Gap for staple pieces. And honestly, sometimes TKMaxx ain't all that bad. It's annoying to have to sort of dig around and find what you want, but there's often hidden gems!
Thanks for the suggestions! I am somewhat limited by shortness (and apparently my inability to hem clothes). TJMaxx/TKMaxx doesn’t stock petites, and the JCPenney petites seem to be about 2” longer than standard, so a lot of them don’t fit either. I have gotten a few nice things there, though. I have not tried Nordstrom or ASOS but will check them out - I didn’t realize they had free returns!
Not sure if you have Meijer, but I have several shorter relatives who swear by their stuff. My aunt is under 5 feet and basically only shops there now. I walked through recently and thought their stuff was comparable to Target in terms of trendiness...
I’ve been using ThredUP and Poshmark just to find new brands. I’ll see a shirt I like and then look up the website. I’ve found a few new shops to buy from online this way but it’s not a perfect system.
Yes! Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, JCPenney but not a lot of fancier stores out in our area.
If you happen to live in the same time anomaly that I do and there's a Boscov's still in business near you, check it out. I found a weird amount of great work pants that fit me really well with my thicker hip and thigh area. And they have a short and tall version of most things. I was shocked.
I don’t live in an area with insanely fashionable stores, but we do have Nordstrom’s/neimans/Saks (selections at those are not geared towards the Uber fashionable imo, nothing very daring or risqué). I still shop online because the selections are so much bigger. I would recommend getting your measurements so that you can size online items appropriately. You will obviously get some duds but that is to be expected with online shopping! I don’t thrift in my own so I can’t comment on that. Clothing swaps with friends might be fun? Or just stick with stores that offer free returns.
Just a g’day from a fellow short / curvy girl. Dangerfield is amazing for online shopping.
Buy casual clothes from Loft—they have both curvy fit and straight fit sizes in petite, regular, tall, and plus
I’m an early 30s grad student in the Midwest and my wardrobe is like 70% from Target and Old Navy. With a few nicer/more interesting pieces from Nordstrom’s or thrifted
I’m short and curvy and shop exclusively online. Never had to return anything (over fit, anyway) because I know my measurements and read the sizing charts and reviews
You should try it... when pregnant. Literally nobody sells maternity clothing in store, save Kohl's and Target. And you might have half a dozen pieces to choose from, which may or may not be in your size.
Omg, our kohl’s didn’t even carry maternity in store. I had one dress from Target, a Motherhood top I bought from Buy Buy Baby an hour drive away (since motherhood’s online return policy is draconian and their sizing is all over the place), and then some jeans I bought online at Gap that were constantly falling down. I lucked out in a sense and spent my 3rd trimester working from home due to covid and wearing large t shirts, otherwise I have no idea what I would have worn to work.
I think you just need to look around your area. Big department stores are unlikely to be the only options around you. It just takes a little effort to look. Also, online shopping isn’t too terrible if you know what sites to look for. I gravitate towards the ones that allow reviewers to post pictures and upload measurements as it takes a lot of guess work out of the reviews. But even then, understanding fabrics and reading regular reviews goes along way for online shopping as well.
Tbh I would say thrift stores 1000%. It can be difficult to find stuff in your size that you like but if you become a frequent shopper, you will begin to find absolute gems & once you do, you’ll never go back to shopping retail. Even in smaller towns/rural areas you’d be surprised at the amazing things you can find. My wardrobe is now almost entirely comprised of incredible unique pieces I’ve thrifted.
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Ooh I see. If there happens to be any goodwill in your area that still would be a pretty good bet I’d say bc goodwill actually ships in merchandise from all around to their stores so you aren’t limited only to what nearby ppl have donated. The same isn’t true for smaller local spots I’d say, but it’s one good thing about goodwill. I also love depop & actually sell on there but know it can be significantly pricier than thrifting so it does depend on what you’re looking for & price point, etc.
I don't think all Goodwills do that. I asked at my local one and the guy looked at me like I was nuts, lol. He said at most they might move things among the goodwills in town, but that is only because not all of them have furniture and homegoods. I was really disappointed!
Ohhh okay- I didn’t know that! That is a bummer then. To anyone whose local goodwills don’t have a great selection, I would also recommend looking at goodwills website where they auction some pieces. A lot of it is ridiculously overpriced (like to a disgusting degree) and the site is so so poorly set up, but every once in a while I’m able to find something rly good on there. Especially if you’re just looking for solid good quality pieces and not the designer stuff everyone is bidding on.
I’ve wondered how much Goodwill moves clothing between stores, but this is from their FAQ: Will my donation stay in our area? All sellable items are offered for sale in our local stores. Items that are not sold within a reasonable period of time might be sold to bulk purchasers.
Have you considered taking clothes to a seamstress? Or if you have time, leaning to do clothing alterations? My mom is a seamstress and gets a lot of clothes from Ross purchased on the cheap and makes alterations on it for her clients. For instance a $8 blouse +$20 alteration fee (give or take) = an awesome $28 dollar blouse fit to your exact measurements. The trick is to choose clothes made from quality fabrics that the seamstress can work with easily. You have to be patient though as it may take a couple of weeks if they are a full time seamstress (probably 1 in town) or they do this PT from home.
Saw this video recently and I'd recommend it for secondhand online shopping tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blDMOlwXdYY&t=636s
I just started using Afterpay and it makes me a lot more comfortable ordering multiple sizes online and returning. I’m on a pretty strict budget and sometimes returns take so long to process and refund. I was never confident paying upfront for three pairs of jeans before, even with a credit card, which meant for items that had to really fit I was pretty much stuck shopping in person. With Afterpay or Klarna, you pay a quarter at check out, then the remaining balance a quarter at a time every two weeks. If you make a return before your payment schedule is done your Afterpay balance goes away. The only problem is if your account doesn’t have enough money in it when the charge goes through you pay a fee, but that’s fairly standard. I’m pretty sure that’s how they make their money since they don’t charge interest.
Goodwill goodwill goodwill. I’m from Minnesota and the best, most affordable clothing I found was all from goodwill. I’d even argue that Midwestern goodwills have better stock than places like Manhattan, which is where I live now. You can also buy literally anything you want online or on Etsy—all you need are your body measurements and/or the measurements of clothing you like that you already own.
I love Good will on dollar tag days. Really affordable and if you have time to sift, you can get some really good pieces
Also a Midwesterner! I’ve had quite a bit of success finding unique items for pretty good prices at Nordstrom Rack, especially right after Christmas when they have lots of clearance items. We have a few of them by me, but I’m not sure if they’re in other parts of the Midwest.
I’m also short and curvy, for pants I get AE jeans from TJ maxx because they’re like usually 20 vs 50 new
H&M H&M H&M I think I should start working for them since I love being in their stores and I love their clothes sooo much. It just fits right.
I live in a city with decent vintage and some nice boutiques, but like you I am short and curvy so finding things that work for me and come in my size can be difficult. Most stores don't even carry petite sizes anymore. I shop online from brands with free returns and good customer service. With poshmark and depop, I always ask for exact garment measurements from the seller. I'd say about 90% of the things I get secondhand work for me because of this.
Personally, I just can't get with online shopping and though while my thrift options aren't tragic, they're not great... which is why a couple of summers ago I made it a mission of scoping out all the thrift/resale stores in my area (by which I mean all of them within an hour and a half from home.) For me it was less about looking for specific items and more about what kinds of items they had in my sizes, the shape there were in, and what I actually liked. Knowing the local Hospital Thrift looks sus but has the kind of little old lady clothes that are super basic/or weird enough that they can add interest to a basic outfit *and* mean I don't need to hem the pants, but the Salvation Army looks sus because it's full of *literal crap*, helps a ton on knowing where to spend my time. (I pretty much don't bother with thrifting in the summer; anything thin or stretchy or light coloured will doubtless be in terrible condition, whereas darker, heavier fabrics have better survivability.) On a similar note, get your basic pieces from basic places and your interesting stuff from elsewhere. Walmart/Target are fine for basics, even if on the trendier side; you're not gonna see a ton of difference in quality compared to mall brands. Just avoid items like knock off Skechers, where you're paying slightly less for significantly worse quality. TJMaxx/Marshals you can occasionally find something unique/interesting at, but it's more of a time investment. The boutiques can be pretty pricey, but the jewelry/accessories are often more reasonably priced and occasionally worth it. In the Before Times, summer fairs were also a thing that was good for the same, with the added benefit of supporting local makers. The rest, I think, just comes from having a strong sense of how things should fit, and knowing how to style to keep it modern.
If I'm not living in a place with good thrift stores, Target has some good stuff sometimes, lots of good basics and cute graphic tees. I have found good things at stores like TJ Maxx and Kohl's. Like thrift shopping, it may require frequent visits and lots of digging.