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Considering how hard it can be to find clothing that is high-quality, stylish and fits—especially in sizes 14 and up—I Want Seconds on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard is a gem within our thrift store-filled city.
The boutique follows in the footsteps of now-closed stores Savvy Plus and Fat Fancy as the only resale shop in Portland that specifically caters to larger bodies. Owner Kelsey Conser turned the plus-size resale business she had been running out of her garage for four years into I Want Seconds last May.
“I knew somebody had to step in or there would be a void,” Conser says.
The average big-box store sells affordable and comfortable plus-size clothing, but I Want Seconds prioritizes statement looks and “elevated everyday pieces,” Conser says. The boutique also stocks brands typically available only online, so customers can try on clothing they would otherwise have to purchase and potentially return.
Conser has been involved in activism within the Portland plus-size community since 2006. The fat liberation movement works to ensure safety within jobs, health care, and daily life for people with larger bodies. Though it isn’t at odds with the body positivity movement, it focuses more on policy change than internal personal growth.
She also co-runs a group called Chub Hub PDX that helps over 3,000 plus-size Portlanders find resources, events and community. It’s hosted pool parties, block parties and movie nights, and a “glampout” is scheduled for late April.
“Fat liberation is about meeting people where they’re at and accepting them no matter what their health is, no matter their size,” she says. “They don’t owe you health to get what they need.”
SHOP: I Want Seconds, 3204 SE Hawthorne Blvd., iwantsecondspdx.com. Noon–6 pm Thursday–Saturday and Monday, noon–5 pm Sunday.