Writer Ally Garrett wrote a compelling piece on For Stuff, that talked about the struggles of cleaning your closet as a curvy woman, since it’s so hard to find clothes that fit and look cute in the first place. The attachment to your favorite clothes as a curvy woman is a completely different experience because you never know if you’ll be able to find that perfectly cut t-shirt that sits just right on your cleavage and flows down nicely. You never know if you’ll be able to find jeans that are high-waisted, accentuate your butt and fit close to the body but no so tight that you have to do stretches every time you wear them.
The author writes:
“As a fat woman, the clothes I wear are inextricably tied to my identity. Wearing a perfect outfit feels like raising a middle finger to a society that often stereotypes fat people as slovenly and unattractive. With limited choices available for those who wear plus sizes, it can be a challenge to find those perfect outfits.”
Ally Garnett via Instagram.
We all know the struggle of shopping online—trying to find your right size, ending up sending it back because it doesn’t look like it did on the model, then going into the store to try to find it and you get the last one on the rack. You worked hard to get that piece! So not wanting to give it up in a closet cleanout is totally acceptable. Unlike how the movies portray shopping, it can be a daunting and tiring experience when you’re a curvy woman who is desperate to find cute things that fit right.
Ally goes on to talk about how she feels hesitant to Marie Kondo her clothes because she was so lucky to find them in her size in the first place—even if they’re pieces she hasn’t taken the tags off of yet, or figured out how to wear. Like the pair of booty shorts she loves and knows she won’t be able to find again; she couldn’t bear to give up and we can’t blame her. What people don’t realize is that not everyone can just replace the items they need, and trends like decluttering aren’t a piece of cake for everyone. For now we’ll just Marie Kondo our inbox.
