i LOVE selltradeplus of course -- it was a gamechanger for me! as my size has changed over the years, i'm no longer able to find much stuff thrifting and it's a real sadness bec i've always loved thrifting and love vintage clothes. i only really got into poshmark the past couple of years and i think it works very well for specific brands and searches. i still do miss the thrill of fishing out a treasure at a thrift store but the experience of going to store after store and finding nothing is depressing!
I really want to try selltradeplus but my mental health is greatly improved by being off of instagram. I'm sure there's no way to get at it without, but thought I would share that desire! I really like Poshmark when I know exactly the item I want. I've gotten some good deals and also the "re-posh" option is easy for when I don't like something.
Re: selltradeplus i actually have a second instagram account that i use only for browsing stp and a few other clothes sellers. when i want to bid/buy something i log on to my regular account (which i try to do only during limited times for mental health reasons). no idea if this would work for others but it works for me.
If anyone is in the Seattle area, I’ve heard great things about two big blondes – plus size resale boutique. Have not made the trip there yet, but I’m so intrigued. They do post some of their stuff on Instagram and they have amazing closet sales now and then from local plus size celebrities like Lindy West.
I am also in Seattle, and I also highly recommend two big blondes! I stop by pretty regularly because it’s so great to go to a consignment store where I’m not just hoping there are two things that fit all the way at the back of the rack.
I have a recurring dream where I go into a thrift store and everything is exactly what I am looking for and everything is in my size! Seriously, this would be the most amazing thing! I get depressed when I go thrift shopping, because it’s really hard to find good stuff in my size, 3x. I do have one higher end second hand store in my area that sometimes has good stuff, but it’s hit or miss. I would love to read a “how to” guide to shopping on Poshmark or eBay. I guess I could just go on the sites and give it a try, but I’m hesitant to start for some reason? I love your buy sell trade IG, but I think there’s something I’m missing because it seems really hard to get any clothes. I’ve “bid” on stuff before but I am always too late—maybe I just don’t go in the site enough? Anyway, I would love some tips!
Yeah, that makes sense. STP can be hard because of the lottery system and often there are a BUNCH of people interested in the same thing.
I hard relate to the struggle of finding stuff in my size in thrift stores. Even plus size specific secondhand it can be hard to find the bigger sizes!
i hear this -- i was hesitant with poshmark for a long time and am still not sure why. i think the design of the site is not great and can be a barrier. i recommend searching for a few specific brands you love and filtering by size and then adding stuff to your likes. if you like something enough, i suggest making an offer, sellers are often willing to go lower than the listed price. good luck!
I think Poshmark's search also isn't great! Sometimes I can't find anything searching the app but if I just google what I'm looking for, Google will find something on Poshmark?
I mainly do ThredUp and Poshmark, sometimes Mercari. I like ThredUp because things are pretty consistently tagged by lots of "filter-able" characteristics. I have a handful of brands that work for me and I search ThredUp by those and then filter by "newest" posted so I can quickly see the new stuff that's come in for that brand in my size.
To add: ThredUp is not the greatest for looking for a specific item. I do best there with faster fashion brands that can be surprisingly good for certain pieces like Universal Standard line from Target, Everlane, Gap, etc.
I have only tried Thredup once and I ordered a pair of plus size 26 jean shorts that I was super excited about and then when I got them it turned out they were a straight size 26, like 26" waist?!? They refunded and told me to donate them but I was so bummed. I wish they would list measurements!!!
They do put measurements now! I mean… even still I’ve gotten jeans that all fit that measure totally different but it does help weed out the things that aren’t actually plus size. I basically go in with super low expectations and even still sometimes when nothing fits it’s a bummer so I have to be in the right headspace. But it’s nice to save a search for specific brands that you like!
I’m a Poshmark girlie but the fees for selling there have become significant; I take most of my pricier resale items to Noihsaf Bazaar as the fee is much lower. eBay can be fun if you know what you’re looking for! Depop makes me nervous unfortunately.
I’ve found some fun pieces on Depop, Mercari, and Poshmark. I also follow BST facebook groups for some of my favorite brands (like Zuri Kenya, Sashbag and Plus size BST groups with focus on grand millennial, grandma chic, or cottage-core aesthetic.
Yes!!! Some are specific to certain brands. Some I follow for fashion inspo instead of BST. My 2 favs for great content and uplifting people are: “The Conscious Grandmillenial” and “Fashion Fight Club”. I’m wary of BST groups on FB where it’s filled with mindless buying and selling. In the past I’ve been in FB fashion groups that were a bit more size inclusive, but the discouraging discourse on selling and buying regardless of one’s financial situation (and insane credit card debt) was toxic for me personally. It’s hard to find groups that have conscientious consumers on FB.
I have yet to go to a thrift store. Growing up without a lot of money, my mom would take my sister (small straight size) and me to thrift stores and she would be so upset with me that I could rarely find anything for myself. My sister would leave with bags of clothes and I would get like...a pair of pajama pants or shoes. I do my best to donate to salvation army when I'm done with a piece of clothing because I want someone else to find something for themselves.
I really miss consignment shops. I love Curve Conscious in Philadelphia but they closed the storefront and are now closed altogether. It was so awesome to shop in-person for plus size clothing and it’s crazy to think that a city of the size of Philadelphia couldn’t support a single plus size only store.
Other than that, I am mostly buying on IG through closet sales or STP.
Wow, I didn't know Curve Conscious closed altogether, what a huge loss! I'm going to Maine next week and I'm hoping to hit up a secondhand plus size store in Portland while I'm there.
With the notable exception of selltradeplus, I really prefer in-person secondhand shopping. I hate that everywhere online seems to want you to make a profile with tons of info to make you easier to target with ads/generally surveil! Do not want. And I'm fortunate to be in Portland Oregon, where we have a long history of plus size secondhand shops and clothing swaps; I Want Seconds (https://www.iwantsecondspdx.com/) is plus-specific, but I've had luck elsewhere, like Rerun (https://www.portlandrerun.com/) and Hello Sunshine (https://www.instagram.com/hellosunshinevintage/), as well as in large thrift stores like Red White and Blue https://redwhiteandbluethriftstore.com/gladstone-or/). Caveat that my style is increasingly masc of center so I'm often looking in the "men's" section, which sometimes just simply goes up to larger sizes than "women's."
I don’t remember where I learned this from (might have been either here or BT threads)—— there’s an app and search extension called BENI. I’ve found a lot on Poshmark due to having this on my phone. I can be browsing any site and if something similar is for sale secondhand, it’ll pop up at the bottom of your screen.
Gem has been a game changer for me! It's a real time saver when you're looking for something specific because you can save search parameters ("pants black xxl tall") and it will comb a bunch of sites at once and deliver a list via email once a day if anything comes up. In fact, it's actually kind of dangerous: I set a search for tall, plus size suit jackets to wear to work and I now have six because I couldn't decide on just one! I'm also getting more into Poshmark, and I use ebay a lot. I grew up going to thrift stores, and I still love them, but I seldom have any luck anymore with clothes: the inventory always seems picked over before I ever get there, with all of the true vintage and larger sizes already gone. Sigh.
I resonate with this. I've found that as these second-hand sites proliferate and get better I end up with more clothes than I need, but it's kinda easy to justify because at least they're not new? I also don't have too much luck in thriftstores IRL with the exception of athletic wear and athleisure which I think is generally better made and so the inventory overall is better.
I've actually gotten some pretty good deals on Poshmark lately. I went there searching for denim shirts after the Big Undies newsletter about shirts and was able to get 3 really good ones (Levi, Columbia, Lucky brand) that were just the right amount of "broken-in" that I love--soft, but with lots of wear in them yet. The sellers usually come down on the prices (and sometimes discount shipping, too) if you like the items. I got multiple offers while I was scrolling :) I bought all the jeans I have now off there, too.
I'm the same as you, Corinne, I won't buy anything without knowing the sizing details. If there aren't photos of measuring, I ask what the measurements are for EVERYTHING.
Yeah, measurements are ESSENTIAL!!! I recently bought something (new) because of the measurements listed and then when I got it the measurements were like 8" off... I was so bummed.
I used to love IRL vintage and secondhand stores but I’ve sized out, besides footwear and accessories. These days I buy most of my clothes from Poshmark and eBay, sometimes Etsy.
I’ve been burned buying a multiple of a dress I already own only to discover it was too small. :( So now unless an item is a known factor in exactly my size, I’ll always want measurements and non-stock photos before buying
I've had a depop account for a while and have never purchased or sold anything there (I did list for a while but never successfully sold anything), I recently redownloaded after seeing a few content creators I follow recommend it, but I still find it difficult to search/use/find plus size items there. I also recently downloaded Gem and created some alerts for holy grail items I've been searching for but so far no dice. Aside from SellTradePlus, I use Poshmark mostly - and occasionally Etsy. SellTradePlus is my most successful source outside of occasional scores at estate sales. Actual thrift shops by me are always so bare in anything close to my size that I've pretty much ceased trying because I always leave disappointed and feel like I've wasted time and gas money. I also have one friend who has a vintage online shop/mostly does local markets and sometimes she'll source things for me and she always picks the best items. I also love LuvSick's online shop. I wish there was a great plus size focused thrift shop by me. We have so many thrift shops that have excellent straight sized items, but no dice on plus sizes.
I don't find Poshmark to be perfect because when you're searching by size and things are actual vintage, an 80s size 18 is so much smaller than a modern 18 (even with the variation between brands now). I wish you could search by bust/waist/hip, etc. measurement instead. It would make life so much easier. I also wish there was more moderation on Poshmark because there are so many posts from people who buy bulk stock of fast fashion items and post just the store's images and no real photos of items. I'll also never purchase from a listing that has multiple sizes because I once purchased a holy grail item in a Size 1X and was sent a size XS. Thankfully I was able to return it, but it was so disappointing.
I have been so curious about those bulk fast fashion posts on Poshmark--I feel like I see them on Ebay, too! I want to know more about how that works. Is it like a weird investment scheme where you buy it new and then hold onto it and resell it once it's out of stock for a higher price??
I also would LOVE a resale site where you could search by measurements. Sizing is just way too inconsistent.
Same! I feel like it’s that or something like someone who works for Goodwill in the sorting pulls out bulk stuff from recognizable brands to sell on their own
i LOVE selltradeplus of course -- it was a gamechanger for me! as my size has changed over the years, i'm no longer able to find much stuff thrifting and it's a real sadness bec i've always loved thrifting and love vintage clothes. i only really got into poshmark the past couple of years and i think it works very well for specific brands and searches. i still do miss the thrill of fishing out a treasure at a thrift store but the experience of going to store after store and finding nothing is depressing!
I really want to try selltradeplus but my mental health is greatly improved by being off of instagram. I'm sure there's no way to get at it without, but thought I would share that desire! I really like Poshmark when I know exactly the item I want. I've gotten some good deals and also the "re-posh" option is easy for when I don't like something.
I second this!
Me four!
Me three
Re: selltradeplus i actually have a second instagram account that i use only for browsing stp and a few other clothes sellers. when i want to bid/buy something i log on to my regular account (which i try to do only during limited times for mental health reasons). no idea if this would work for others but it works for me.
If anyone is in the Seattle area, I’ve heard great things about two big blondes – plus size resale boutique. Have not made the trip there yet, but I’m so intrigued. They do post some of their stuff on Instagram and they have amazing closet sales now and then from local plus size celebrities like Lindy West.
ooooh thanks for the rec!
When a friend from Australia visited, this was her only requested stop. She LOVED it and spent like $500 there
I am also in Seattle, and I also highly recommend two big blondes! I stop by pretty regularly because it’s so great to go to a consignment store where I’m not just hoping there are two things that fit all the way at the back of the rack.
Yup, love that store!
I have a recurring dream where I go into a thrift store and everything is exactly what I am looking for and everything is in my size! Seriously, this would be the most amazing thing! I get depressed when I go thrift shopping, because it’s really hard to find good stuff in my size, 3x. I do have one higher end second hand store in my area that sometimes has good stuff, but it’s hit or miss. I would love to read a “how to” guide to shopping on Poshmark or eBay. I guess I could just go on the sites and give it a try, but I’m hesitant to start for some reason? I love your buy sell trade IG, but I think there’s something I’m missing because it seems really hard to get any clothes. I’ve “bid” on stuff before but I am always too late—maybe I just don’t go in the site enough? Anyway, I would love some tips!
Yeah, that makes sense. STP can be hard because of the lottery system and often there are a BUNCH of people interested in the same thing.
I hard relate to the struggle of finding stuff in my size in thrift stores. Even plus size specific secondhand it can be hard to find the bigger sizes!
i hear this -- i was hesitant with poshmark for a long time and am still not sure why. i think the design of the site is not great and can be a barrier. i recommend searching for a few specific brands you love and filtering by size and then adding stuff to your likes. if you like something enough, i suggest making an offer, sellers are often willing to go lower than the listed price. good luck!
I think Poshmark's search also isn't great! Sometimes I can't find anything searching the app but if I just google what I'm looking for, Google will find something on Poshmark?
yes i feel like i have to use so many weird workarounds to get the search to work! so it does take some noodling to get comfortable with the site.
Great advice! Thank you!
I mainly do ThredUp and Poshmark, sometimes Mercari. I like ThredUp because things are pretty consistently tagged by lots of "filter-able" characteristics. I have a handful of brands that work for me and I search ThredUp by those and then filter by "newest" posted so I can quickly see the new stuff that's come in for that brand in my size.
To add: ThredUp is not the greatest for looking for a specific item. I do best there with faster fashion brands that can be surprisingly good for certain pieces like Universal Standard line from Target, Everlane, Gap, etc.
I have only tried Thredup once and I ordered a pair of plus size 26 jean shorts that I was super excited about and then when I got them it turned out they were a straight size 26, like 26" waist?!? They refunded and told me to donate them but I was so bummed. I wish they would list measurements!!!
They do put measurements now! I mean… even still I’ve gotten jeans that all fit that measure totally different but it does help weed out the things that aren’t actually plus size. I basically go in with super low expectations and even still sometimes when nothing fits it’s a bummer so I have to be in the right headspace. But it’s nice to save a search for specific brands that you like!
OH YEAH. Sometimes I notice on ThredUP that the jean size is mixed up or just wrong. Eek on jeans. Jeans are such a gamble!
I’m a Poshmark girlie but the fees for selling there have become significant; I take most of my pricier resale items to Noihsaf Bazaar as the fee is much lower. eBay can be fun if you know what you’re looking for! Depop makes me nervous unfortunately.
I’ve found some fun pieces on Depop, Mercari, and Poshmark. I also follow BST facebook groups for some of my favorite brands (like Zuri Kenya, Sashbag and Plus size BST groups with focus on grand millennial, grandma chic, or cottage-core aesthetic.
Ooh I'm intrigued by these style-specific BST groups! I haven't heard of grand millennial at all! Are those on Facebook??
Yes!!! Some are specific to certain brands. Some I follow for fashion inspo instead of BST. My 2 favs for great content and uplifting people are: “The Conscious Grandmillenial” and “Fashion Fight Club”. I’m wary of BST groups on FB where it’s filled with mindless buying and selling. In the past I’ve been in FB fashion groups that were a bit more size inclusive, but the discouraging discourse on selling and buying regardless of one’s financial situation (and insane credit card debt) was toxic for me personally. It’s hard to find groups that have conscientious consumers on FB.
I have yet to go to a thrift store. Growing up without a lot of money, my mom would take my sister (small straight size) and me to thrift stores and she would be so upset with me that I could rarely find anything for myself. My sister would leave with bags of clothes and I would get like...a pair of pajama pants or shoes. I do my best to donate to salvation army when I'm done with a piece of clothing because I want someone else to find something for themselves.
I really miss consignment shops. I love Curve Conscious in Philadelphia but they closed the storefront and are now closed altogether. It was so awesome to shop in-person for plus size clothing and it’s crazy to think that a city of the size of Philadelphia couldn’t support a single plus size only store.
Other than that, I am mostly buying on IG through closet sales or STP.
Wow, I didn't know Curve Conscious closed altogether, what a huge loss! I'm going to Maine next week and I'm hoping to hit up a secondhand plus size store in Portland while I'm there.
Consignment really does have the best true vintage these days. Is THAT why thrift stores are so crappy?
With the notable exception of selltradeplus, I really prefer in-person secondhand shopping. I hate that everywhere online seems to want you to make a profile with tons of info to make you easier to target with ads/generally surveil! Do not want. And I'm fortunate to be in Portland Oregon, where we have a long history of plus size secondhand shops and clothing swaps; I Want Seconds (https://www.iwantsecondspdx.com/) is plus-specific, but I've had luck elsewhere, like Rerun (https://www.portlandrerun.com/) and Hello Sunshine (https://www.instagram.com/hellosunshinevintage/), as well as in large thrift stores like Red White and Blue https://redwhiteandbluethriftstore.com/gladstone-or/). Caveat that my style is increasingly masc of center so I'm often looking in the "men's" section, which sometimes just simply goes up to larger sizes than "women's."
Also Fat Fancy in Portland is pretty good, I hear. My sister goes there all the time.
Fat Fancy is no more -- I Want Seconds took over their space...last year, I think? Fairly recently.
Oh right, that’s ringing a bell now
I don’t remember where I learned this from (might have been either here or BT threads)—— there’s an app and search extension called BENI. I’ve found a lot on Poshmark due to having this on my phone. I can be browsing any site and if something similar is for sale secondhand, it’ll pop up at the bottom of your screen.
https://www.joinbeni.com/
OOOH this is such good intel!
Gem has been a game changer for me! It's a real time saver when you're looking for something specific because you can save search parameters ("pants black xxl tall") and it will comb a bunch of sites at once and deliver a list via email once a day if anything comes up. In fact, it's actually kind of dangerous: I set a search for tall, plus size suit jackets to wear to work and I now have six because I couldn't decide on just one! I'm also getting more into Poshmark, and I use ebay a lot. I grew up going to thrift stores, and I still love them, but I seldom have any luck anymore with clothes: the inventory always seems picked over before I ever get there, with all of the true vintage and larger sizes already gone. Sigh.
I resonate with this. I've found that as these second-hand sites proliferate and get better I end up with more clothes than I need, but it's kinda easy to justify because at least they're not new? I also don't have too much luck in thriftstores IRL with the exception of athletic wear and athleisure which I think is generally better made and so the inventory overall is better.
OOOH, this is so helpful! I didn't know about that feature of Gem!!
Plus Brooklyn!! They have regular flash sales on their instagram (@plusbklyn) with great stuff (up to 5x-6x).
Otherwise, poshmark, thredup, ebay are all places I buy.
I've actually gotten some pretty good deals on Poshmark lately. I went there searching for denim shirts after the Big Undies newsletter about shirts and was able to get 3 really good ones (Levi, Columbia, Lucky brand) that were just the right amount of "broken-in" that I love--soft, but with lots of wear in them yet. The sellers usually come down on the prices (and sometimes discount shipping, too) if you like the items. I got multiple offers while I was scrolling :) I bought all the jeans I have now off there, too.
I'm the same as you, Corinne, I won't buy anything without knowing the sizing details. If there aren't photos of measuring, I ask what the measurements are for EVERYTHING.
Yeah, measurements are ESSENTIAL!!! I recently bought something (new) because of the measurements listed and then when I got it the measurements were like 8" off... I was so bummed.
Oh no!!! I'm so sorry this happened to you! :'(
I used to love IRL vintage and secondhand stores but I’ve sized out, besides footwear and accessories. These days I buy most of my clothes from Poshmark and eBay, sometimes Etsy.
I’ve been burned buying a multiple of a dress I already own only to discover it was too small. :( So now unless an item is a known factor in exactly my size, I’ll always want measurements and non-stock photos before buying
I've had a depop account for a while and have never purchased or sold anything there (I did list for a while but never successfully sold anything), I recently redownloaded after seeing a few content creators I follow recommend it, but I still find it difficult to search/use/find plus size items there. I also recently downloaded Gem and created some alerts for holy grail items I've been searching for but so far no dice. Aside from SellTradePlus, I use Poshmark mostly - and occasionally Etsy. SellTradePlus is my most successful source outside of occasional scores at estate sales. Actual thrift shops by me are always so bare in anything close to my size that I've pretty much ceased trying because I always leave disappointed and feel like I've wasted time and gas money. I also have one friend who has a vintage online shop/mostly does local markets and sometimes she'll source things for me and she always picks the best items. I also love LuvSick's online shop. I wish there was a great plus size focused thrift shop by me. We have so many thrift shops that have excellent straight sized items, but no dice on plus sizes.
I don't find Poshmark to be perfect because when you're searching by size and things are actual vintage, an 80s size 18 is so much smaller than a modern 18 (even with the variation between brands now). I wish you could search by bust/waist/hip, etc. measurement instead. It would make life so much easier. I also wish there was more moderation on Poshmark because there are so many posts from people who buy bulk stock of fast fashion items and post just the store's images and no real photos of items. I'll also never purchase from a listing that has multiple sizes because I once purchased a holy grail item in a Size 1X and was sent a size XS. Thankfully I was able to return it, but it was so disappointing.
I have been so curious about those bulk fast fashion posts on Poshmark--I feel like I see them on Ebay, too! I want to know more about how that works. Is it like a weird investment scheme where you buy it new and then hold onto it and resell it once it's out of stock for a higher price??
I also would LOVE a resale site where you could search by measurements. Sizing is just way too inconsistent.
Same! I feel like it’s that or something like someone who works for Goodwill in the sorting pulls out bulk stuff from recognizable brands to sell on their own
Poshmark!