It’s a near-universal truth that fat girls do most of their shopping online. Trying to shop on the high street is a miserable experience, mostly because shops either don’t produce stuff in your size, or if they do, they stock one of everything in fat sizes so it sells out in about 10 seconds. I can’t tell you the last time I went clothes shopping on the high street. It was probably before I was Actually Plus Size. And yet, I still have a shitload of clothes, because the internet is the saving grace of the chub girl who likes fashion. One of the most annoying things about online shopping, though, is returns. If a shop doesn’t have free returns, that’s annoying enough in itself, but having to go to the effort of returning stuff is a whole new level of inconvenient.
For London-dwellers, CollectPlus has come up with a solution: a click and collect point in Westfield, complete with changing rooms where you can try on your purchases, and a desk with staff where you can make returns on the spot! Ok, so Westfield in West London won’t be convenient for everyone, but for those who live or work nearby, I really think this could be a great solution to the fat girl shopping issues. The changing rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, with comfy chairs for companions to loiter on outside, and picking up items was smooth.
This is something I hope extends to other shopping centres, because it really did feel like a super useful thing to have.
Here’s Lauren Pocket Rocket picking up the bits
Here’s me trying on the dress I ordered in the nice changing rooms – look, they even have plugs! (The fact I consider this a major selling point perhaps tells you how often I need to charge my phone)
And here I am being a #luxurybitch in the Champagne bar afterwards with sweet baby angel Callie
