Just a midsize girl living in a vintage world

Tips for everyone to shop their size and define their style effectively

Hi and happy Sunday!

I had a reader reach out recently lamenting the difficulty of shopping for vintage as a mid-to-plus size gal. I hear you! Classic vintage clothing is generally a smaller person’s game for a litany of reasons. I figured I could spare a few words on this because, I, myself am a midsize gal. I’m a modern size 12/14 who wears almost exclusively vintage pieces, and just so happens to spend all her waking time sourcing vintage and secondhand. I’m here to help.

I can distill what I’ve learned about shopping for vintage into a handful of talking points but before we dive into that, this guide isn’t just for midsize people trying to find their size in secondhand. This is for anyone - of any size - who feel a little lost in their style after the Covid years, or aging out of their twenties (or thirties, or…), or redefining themselves after a big life event. How we present ourselves to the world isn’t a trivial matter, it shouldn’t define our personhood, but it informs a lot of our self-esteem and appreciation of oneself.

A lot of what I’m going to suggest will take effort and you won’t be an immediate pro! I’ve honed my skills over nearly 20 years of thrifting, but these steps will definitely help start you on your path. I’ve had my preferences pretty dialed in for a long time and I’ve still learned so much more than I expected.

Be warned this is a LONG post but I feel passionate about empowering people to shop successfully! If you don’t have the time or attention span (I don’t blame you) and just want to shop, pop down to the bottom of the newsletter where there are 26 midsize pieces to peruse!