My Plus Size Prize

If you're a plus size person like myself, you know how hard it is to shop for clothes. It can be emotionally draining to hit store after store, finding things in your size but the wrong color or vice versa, and the finds are even more hit or miss when it comes to thrift store shopping. There are a lot of donated plus size pieces because they're simply ugly or weren't actually cut an ideal way for a larger size to wear comfortably, and if we're being honest, a lot of designers give little to no mind to trends and variation among larger people. So as a secondhand shopping fan, finding things for myself can be a daunting idea.

Overthinking is my specialty. Any time I've been thrifting, I've spent time looking at items and wondering, "What made another plus sizer pass this off? Am I going to hate how it hugs MY body, too?" Not to mention, many fitting rooms have been taken from us during this pandemic, so trying on in-store is impossible. Prior to that, I hated the whole idea of going into the fitting room and coming out to hand something back to the employee that I couldn't purchase because that brand's 2X isn't the same as three other 2X tops I have. I have social anxiety on top of self-esteem issues as it is, and small things like this can deter larger builds from thrift shops. This isn't anyone else's fault, but I feel it's safe to assume that there have been others around my size who have felt a certain type of way in secondhand shops.

Regardless of the panic, I'm here to tell you that social anxiety, low self-esteem, and thrifting failures don't actually have to be a big deal! This was exciting news to a person who felt like clothing shopping was specifically designed to burden me. I owe it all to the greatest shirt I've ever found: one special name brand top that gave me hope for future thrifting adventures forever.

I know what you're thinking. It's just a shirt, right? Well, it's certainly not woven with real gold, but it's my perfect shirt and I love the smile I have every time I go to pull it out of my closet again. It fits just right, it's an expensive name brand I adore that I'd never buy full price, and it's my exact style.

I've been on a personal health journey since 2020, and it has helped me navigate through losing fifty pounds. As I have navigated this journey, my incredibly supportive partner has encouraged me to gift myself at various goals obtained, and one of these gifts was an outing to find new clothes in the right size.

Part of me dreaded the outing entirely. I was going alone, so that part was a little better, but even fifty pounds lighter I'm still a plus size girl. I wasn't sure how anything was going to fit, how I'd feel about it, or if this was going to be a huge hassle in the end because I'd have to return everything I got too confident about. I didn't tell my partner any of this, because I tend to keep thoughts like this private, so I left our home with a smile plastered on and major hope that something good would happen.

I hit my favorite store first, and steered myself directly to the area that I'd memorized as "meant for me." There is an entire section of one large rack that has solid black tops in my size, and finding solid black tops that aren't on par with 90's fashion in larger sizes can be a challenge when being savvy on a budget. My style is strictly black clothing, so this section of rack was usually my best and, often, only hope in town. I pushed a few shirts out of the way and found the holy grail for plus sizes in no time.

A Torrid brand, cold shoulder, 3/4 sleeve shirt with a criss-cross cutout in the sleeves. It was long enough to be a tunic type that I could wear with leggings, but cute enough to pair with jeans or something comfortable as well. The top was brand new, almost glowing with heavenly glory as I examined the perfect, unpeeled tag of the shirt printed inside. It was exactly what I would have ordered had I jumped on the website, but as mentioned, I would never pay full price. As much as I love how body positive and fashionably diverse Torrid is, I am not in the tax bracket that allows me to shop there comfortably. I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing on the rack, as it was probably the most perfect thing I could have gifted to myself on a shopping trip like this.

Then I noticed that it was a size 1, which worried me because I was still used to ranging between 2-3. However, I also knew that Torrid likely sized their clothing mindfully, so I gingerly removed it from the rack and held it against my body to gauge how well it would fit.

It was almost too perfect. The fabric seemed to wrap around my front half very well, so I threw it in my cart at once and continued to hunt for more finds. I was so bouncy and optimistic about my first find that I ended up adding a few more tops, examining the cut more than the size on the label. I hit the register to complete my purchase and while checking out, I wasn't nervous for a change. I couldn't wait to get home. I was practically ready to have my partner put on music so I could perform a whole fashion show.

The first thing I did was show my partner, excitedly and breathlessly explaining the brand and how significant of a find it was. He beamed proudly, complimenting my newest fashion treasure as I ripped my shirt off to try my new one on.

It fit. It fit perfectly. It looked perfect, I felt confident, and I felt pretty. You can't possibly imagine how few times this has happened to me with clothing. Or maybe you can, and you're feeling that moment of sheer victory right now as I write this. Either way, it was the most successful feeling ever to look in a mirror and not be upset.

One single shirt that someone else donated, and it cost me six dollars to feel like a beautiful, confident, happy woman. I looked great and I felt great, because that shirt is the most comfortable top on the planet. Hands down. I've worn it so much that the Torrid logo has come off, and the size is no longer visible, but it's still in perfect condition. I've worn it obsessively for months and even utilized it as part of my Halloween costume last year!

Maybe not everyone has the same types of concerns as I do when I shop, and maybe this story isn't relatable to all plus size people. Maybe I'm only speaking for myself, and maybe I'm speaking for a lot of us. The point is that your donations can turn into someone else's best confident days. Your donations are things you were meant to pass along to the right person to appreciate. I know, taking your clothes to a resale shop might be a task that's something you keep putting off because it's easy to forget the trash bag full of donations in the trunk every time you drive by the shop. Maybe you're way too busy to care about that stuff. That's okay. I'm just here to tell you from my experience, donations can make all the difference for people you don't even know. All it takes is your generosity and time.