Nice Mix of Patterns--Wednesday, 3/28/18
I think I was more successful in incorporating a basic white T-shirt into this outfit than I was the previous one. This skirt doesn't have white in it, but the combination of a scarf with a white background and a blazer with white piping did the trick.
I also liked the various shades of burgundy/maroon represented in this outfit. Harmonious without being matchy.
(Hah, looking back, I see that I wore long-sleeved white Ts to work 3 days in a row. 3 different shirts, though of the exact same style--1 V neck and 2 crew necks of the plain JC Penney t-shirt style that I also use as my go-to pajama top.)
Outfit cost per wear (OCPW): $11.23
The pattern mixing in my outfit was quite a bit more subtle than the lively geometric contrasts in these plants. I love the pop of color from the New Guinea impatiens.
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| Missouri Botanical Garden |
Sunny Yellow Rose--Thursday, 3/29/18
OK, can I just say I slayed myself with this second rendition of the new-to-me floral skirt with a striped sweater + navy vest + scarf + boots outfit? Loved it, would wear again, 10 stars.
OCPW: $10.49
I'm highlighting the yellow flowers from my skirt with this rose photo, something that's hard for me to do with my wardrobe that is mostly devoid of yellow. When you have pink skin and golden hair, there is like one shade of yellow that works, and I haven't owned anything in that shade since a strange but beloved shirt I wore back in my parks and wildlife days bit the dust. It was a short-sleeved button up made from yellow corduroy with ribbon edging on the pockets. I also owned the shirt in brown. If I remember correctly, I bought them at Kmart at a ridiculous clearance sale price. I must have gotten the cost per wear on those down to pennies.
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| Los Angeles Arboretum |
In other news...My mom sent me this interesting post from Dances With Fat about the trend for small women to buy plus-size clothing at thrift stores for re-fashioning.
One thing I'll note is that it's not just that there are a lot more items in smaller sizes than larger sizes at thrift stores. Plus size items, especially anything above a 1X, are actually pretty rare. The rack of short-sleeved shirts in size S or M will measure at least 10 feet in the Goodwill I visit most often. The rack of short-sleeved shirts in all sizes above XL combined might measure 6-10 inches. The number of short-sleeved shirts in 2X and up you could probably count on your hands. Add to this the fact that many thrifted items have been washed and dried to the point of shrinking a partial or full size, and it's a dire selection for plus-size women.
I don't know where the refashionista featured in the article shops that she even finds plus-size dresses. They are almost entirely non-existent at the stores I frequent. Or maybe she's so small, that's what a size L looks like on her, I don't know.
When I wore a size M, I really wasn't aware of this discrepancy because I just didn't pay attention to the higher size sections. People who actually do frequent thrift-store refashions of larger clothing have had abundant opportunity to notice this, even if they haven't reflected on the implications.
Still, it's a tough call. Sure, a plus-size person could walk into the store and purchase that item and be really happy about it. Or not. Maybe the refashioner really is the only person interested in it, and otherwise it will be turned into rags (or whatever happens to clothing that doesn't sell).
So I guess I'd say the kindest way to shop at thrift stores, being aware of the crap selection for plus-size women, would be to purchase items that are maybe a size up from your own size (in SMLXLetc sizes) or a couple sizes up (in numeric sizes) to have room to tailor them if you like. If you're buying something that is a lot bigger than you, that is hanging on you like a tent, and that you are only interested in as a source of really cheap material...that's an environmentally friendly choice but could be kind of socially crappy.
What do you think?
5 comments:
Austin has regular Good Wills and other thrift stores where I would agree with you. I have long noticed that as a small person, I am a size that many people outgrow, and so I am very lucky.
However, Austin also has Good Will Outlets, where everything is horribly disorganized (thrown in bins with sort of similar items) and you pay by the pound. I would say it's perfectly ethical to take anything you can find a use for there.
There also is usually way fewer men's clothes than women's, so buying men's clothes to turn them into women's clothes is also rude.
Ah, I hadn't thought of the pay by the pound places. I don't think I've been to one, though I have heard of them. That does completely seem like a do-what-you-will-with-no-compunctions environment!
I agree it seems a little rude to buy up a limited supply. I am also reminded of a post re: how horrifically some plus sized clothes fit. It's probably even harder to find nice-fitting items off the rack than the XS/S/M crowds, you know?
I have wondered why it is so hard to find larger sized women’s clothing that is fitted or slightly fitted. So many of them hang like sacks and look very unflattering.
Jen and Mom--I agree that the plus size fit issue does play a role here. A plus-sized person is (all things being equal) less likely to find the item fits as purchased, so would like have a little room for tailoring. If you're already toward the top of the size range carried by the store and small people are snatching things that might work for you, you're not left with a lot of options.
I do kind of understand why plus-size items tend toward the baggy rather than the fitted, though. I have two thoughts on this--one demand side and one supply side.
On the demand side, I think many plus-size people prefer items that are more flowy/loose and skim over the bumpy parts. Not all plus-size people, but a good number. There can be a bit of "err on the side of wearing a sack rather than err on the side of looking like a sausage" preference at work.
On the supply side, I do think that clothing makers have a legit tougher time with plus-size than straight-size clothing. Consider a woman who is an overweight size 18. What underlying body shape is the item going to be fitted to? A size 18 woman could be a lot of different combinations of bust/waist/hip sizes and still fit the general "size 18." It seems that the smaller you are overall, the less variability there will be.
I think there's also a distinction between "fitted" and "structured" that may be involved here. I do think it's crazy how many plus-sized tops, for example, are made from very thin/cheap knit synthetic fabrics and have no structure in their design. So they are overly huge and cling in an undesirable way. Making this shirt more fitted would only make it worse. But giving it more structure--using a thicker fabric and adding some definition somewhere in garment like a strong shoulder/bust line--can look good even if it's not very fitted.
I liked this post about adding structure to an outfit:
https://youlookfab.com/2014/05/19/12-ways-to-add-structure-to-an-outfit/
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