Portland, Oregon’s Fat Fancy has offered unique, affordable plus-size clothing to people in the Pacific Northwest and points beyond since 2007. Last week, owner Erica Bauer announced that the shop would close for good. Though the loss of Fat Fancy is an unfortunate development, there’s some good news: another plus-size resale business is taking over the space.
Brick-and-mortar plus-size apparel stores are few and far between. Even fewer are retailers that are friendly to their bigger customers. Fat Fancy has been a resource and haven for many people. Whether you shopped at their first location, in original co-owner Annie Maribona’s friend’s basement, or one of the other subsequent locations, you were always welcome, regardless of your size.
Fat Fancy was the first plus-size store I had ever heard of. Living in a small town in the Midwest, there were virtually no options for someone my size. Not long after I started Chubstr, I found Fat Fancy. Knowing there were shops like this in the world was inspiring and one of the many reasons I ended up moving to Portland. I, like many other people, won’t soon forget it.
Fat Fancy is featured on Chubstr quite a bit. From interviews with the original owners to shooting an episode of Sized Up or Answerland there, the store has been part of our journey since the beginning.
We opened in our garage, so there was another resource for accessible, affordable plus clothing, and we will keep that mission in the new space. This is our love letter to the Portland fat community
Kelsey Conser, I Want Seconds
The good news: the welcoming, safe space that Fat Fancy created will live on in the form of I Want Seconds, a plus size resale boutique taking over the former Fat Fancy location at 3204 SE Hawthorne in Portland. I asked owner Kelsey Conser about her plans for the shop moving forward. “I Want Seconds is all about community. We opened in our garage, so there was another resource for accessible, affordable plus clothing, and we will keep that mission in the new space. This is our love letter to the Portland fat community,” says Conser.
In the Portland area? You can attend the I Want Seconds grand opening on Saturday, May 6th, from noon to 6 pm. If cupcakes and plus-size clothing aren’t enough, the awesome folks from Los Angeles favorite The Plus Bus are attending. You can get more info about I Want Seconds and the grand opening event at the shop website.
