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How to Find and Wear Plus-Size Secondhand
Stylist Emma Bellel, 34, and vintage devotee Lorha Palmer, 30, share hard-won tips for building a plus-size wardrobe from secondhand shops, closet sales, and Instagram stories.
Finding plus-size clothing at a typical vintage store still takes patience – and often, some workarounds. We chatted with two New Yorkers who have made secondhand shopping the foundation of their wardrobes: Lorha Palmer, a Queens-based vintage aficionado originally from Johannesburg, and Emma Bellel, a Brooklyn stylist and former lead buyer at Plus BKLYN. Both showed us three of their favorite looks and told us what they’ve learned about hunting for plus-size pieces online and IRL.
Tips for finding plus-size secondhand
Both women emphasize patience and knowing yourself when shopping plus-size secondhand. “Finding cool plus-size clothes IRL takes patience,” Lorha says. “There usually isn’t much available at a typical curated thrift store, so I recommend spending some dedicated time searching at more lowkey secondhand shops like Salvation Army, Goodwill, and other charity stores.”
She also suggests keeping an open mind about sizing. “Many pieces might be marked smaller but may have stretch depending on the fabric.”
Online, knowing your measurements is essential. Lorha suggests both typing the size after the descriptor, and using size filters, because many sellers include the size in the listing title. She also relies on image search: “When I come across something I like that’s unbranded, it’s really useful to take a photo of it and see whether anything pops up in the same style. I use Gem’s camera function.”
Emma recommends following secondhand stores and independent sellers on Instagram and paying close attention to story sales, where she’s found some of her favorite pieces. She also shops Whatnot, especially plus-size-focused sellers. Her other advice: learn the brands that align with your personal style and set alerts on secondhand platforms. “It makes it much easier to build a wardrobe you truly love.”
Favorite designers and labels
Lorha’s holy grail is a Thierry Mugler dress from an early 2000s collection that she found – and that actually fit – at a thrift store in Brooklyn. “It can be difficult to find certain styles and brands that fit plus-size people, but I got lucky there.”
Vintage Ashley Stewart is another she chases: “That brand has always made interesting and cute clothes in plus sizes.” Beyond those, she names Max Studio/Leon Max, John Galliano, LeGatte Jeans, Max Mara/Sportmax, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Wales Bonner.
Emma gravitates toward size-inclusive slow fashion brands she can’t always afford at retail: State the Label, Rujuta Sheth, NorBlack NorWhite, Mara Hoffman, Noble, Eliza Faulkner, and Nettle Studios.
“I’m drawn to the quality, natural materials, thoughtful construction, and unique designs that these brands prioritize.” For vintage, she especially loves Y2K-era labels like Eva Blue and Paradise NYC for their bias-cut dresses and “dreamy, fairy-like silhouettes,” plus Donna Jessica, Planet by Lauren G., and Anis A.
Where they shop
Lorha’s New York favorites are Plus BKLYN, Berriez, and Beacon’s Closet — the first two also sell online. She uses Gem as her primary search engine and most often ends up purchasing from Poshmark. “Poshmark is my favorite resale app because it features such a wide variety of things from sellers of different ages. It isn’t just a trendy app but one where unassuming people are selling really interesting items.”
Emma’s list of size-inclusive sellers spans the country: Plus BKLYN, Berriez, The Nest, Hannah’s Hefty Hideaway, and LuvSick Plus. In Brooklyn, she’s also found great pieces at Voo Vintage, Fronk, and Life Boutique.
Why secondhand
“I think the world is oversaturated in so many ways,” Lorha says. “Sourcing and actually using secondhand clothing is one way to try to reduce the overproduction of garments. On the rare occasion where I find something I like at a secondhand store that happens to be fast fashion, I always tell myself, ‘Well, someone bought this from the company and it ended up here, so I didn’t have to purchase directly from them.’ It’s a bit of a silly concept, but I can only hope that eventually everyone starts choosing to reuse rather than buy new, so there’ll be less demand for companies to mass-produce in ways that are harmful to our planet and people.”
Emma frames it as an opportunity rather than a compromise. “One of the things I love most about fashion is seeing how cyclical it is. Most of what’s considered fashionable today has been fashionable before. If you know what you’re looking for, there’s a good chance you can find a version of it secondhand.”
Before buying anything new, she almost always searches for it secondhand first. “There is already so much incredible clothing that exists in the world, especially in timeless prints and styles like polka dots, gingham, bias-cut dresses, tiered skirts, and denim. With a little patience and knowledge, secondhand shopping can be more affordable, more sustainable, and often more rewarding than buying new.”
Making secondhand more size-inclusive
Both point to concrete changes secondhand sellers can make.
Lorha wants thrift stores to actually carry extended sizes – and to build environments that welcome larger bodies. “Everyone deserves to at least have the option of shopping consciously if they would like to. It’s also of utmost importance that these spaces simply welcome people who have larger bodies without judgment or alienation. I believe that ill treatment is another reason why we don’t venture into these spaces regularly, on top of the fact that our sizes may not be sold in such establishments.”
Emma focuses on the merchandising signals that tell plus-size shoppers they’re welcome. She wants online sellers to include detailed measurements — especially the range a stretch garment can comfortably fit — and to organize inventory by size. “It seems simple, but it signals to plus-size shoppers that they have been considered and that the store wants them to have a successful shopping experience. If a plus-size audience knows a store has pieces for them, they’ll show up.”
On style and self
For both, secondhand shopping has been part of a longer journey with fashion.
“I’ve found a lot of joy and confidence in refining my style, and that only truly began once I started shopping secondhand,” Lorha says. Her sister eventually convinced her to give secondhand a chance, and she came home with the first vintage T-shirt in her collection: a 50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin’ promo piece from 2003. “As a plus-size person, I know how easy it is to feel discouraged, but with time I hope the scene becomes much more inclusive. I also find happiness in knowing that pieces I’ve donated or sold are hopefully being appreciated by someone else, especially someone who may have struggled to find something that fits them before.”
Emma spent her early years believing that being thin was a prerequisite for being stylish. “It wasn’t until adulthood, through experimenting with clothing and developing my own sense of style, that I realized fashion could be a tool for self-expression rather than something I had to earn.” The shared experience of navigating fashion in a world that often excluded plus-size people, she says, pushed many of them to become “incredibly creative, resourceful, and intentional about personal style. Having a wardrobe filled with items that feel personal and expressive is something I always dreamed of, and it’s one of the reasons I remain so passionate about helping others discover their own style through secondhand fashion.”
Follow Emma and Lorha on Instagram
@theother.emma @lorhapalmer
Office Kiko