Walk into an op shop and you usually see "one bedraggled rack" of plus-size clothing, often lumped in with maternity wear, says Kelly Christie.
To meet the demand for good-quality, second-hand clothing in Size 14+, Kelly set up the Instagram shop You+Me Preloved.
Photo: You+Me Preloved / Instagram
Good-quality clothing in Size 14 or above - and especially Size 18 and 20 - is really difficult to come by second-hand, Kelly says, because people seem to hold on to it.
"It's hard enough to find good plus-size clothing in the first place, so when you find it you hang on to it… If you find something you love you generally hold on to it - if it fits you well."
Kelly and her sister - who also runs a second-hand clothing shop on Instagram - procure garments from op shops all around the Auckland region.
"Each day we're out there looking. We go to a variety of places, big and small. We spend a lot of time out there - that's how you find good things. "
Photo: You+Me Preloved / Instagram
The idea of an online clothing shop had been brewing in Kelly's mind for a while, then during last year's lockdown she "bit the bullet".
You+Me Preloved now has a loyal clientele who really appreciate Kelly's service, including several people who live rurally.
And what are these shoppers most excited to get their hands on? Vintage blazers.
"They're just a classic. An interesting blazer is always a really good seller."
Shopping on Instagram is a bit different to shopping on a regular website, Kelly says.
Like most other Instagram sellers, she posts a weekly "drop" of fresh clothing on the You+Me Preloved Instagram page.
Kelly's fans know to jump on the page at 8 o'clock every Sunday night to check it out.
"People know it's coming and they want to be there at 8pm to buy."
Kelly is winding You+Me Preloved down for Christmas now and will reopen the shop in mid-January.
Photo: You+Me Preloved / Instagram
