Le Garage Sale feels illegal in a great way: Austin’s Palmer Events Center erupted on August 27th and 28th with visitors systematically pouring out this massive semi-annual boutique sale vendor after vendor. With more than 140 of them including clothes, jewelry, shoes, backpacks and home goods, it may have taken some shoppers the full two days. And somehow, people in Austin don’t seem to know much about it.
Visitors to the first day or VIP pre-sales get first choice, but visitors to the second day get dramatic price advantages as sellers reduce them and become more open to trade-ins, especially in the final hours. Ticket prices often drop by 90 percent. Unfortunately, buyers looking for extended sizes are competing for limited stock; but it may not be as bad as they would expect.
Unlike a sample sale, which usually reaches size 6, this event is for boutiques who bring their regular and surplus merchandise. When CultureMap went to investigate, there appeared to be 41 vendors carrying at least one plus-size item, which we defined as starting at extra large or 12. Some vendors carried up to 3X, and 2X was not uncommon for t was found. A listing compiled from the sale includes every seller that carries extended sizes, although without seeing the items, this can lead to disappointment (caftans that run one size small, for example).
Shoppers looking for plus sizes don’t need to come down to Shein. Although the selection at Le Garage didn’t include much of the fast-fashion company’s hyper-trendy design consistently recommended for larger shoppers, the sale largely avoided those plus-size styles. These stores may not meet all your needs, but a stack of some great pieces from Texas retailers sounds like a win.
CultureMap went to each vendor on the first day, starting at 11:30 a.m. and picking as many deals as possible in five hours. We made a note of every plus size we could find, narrowing it down to the top 10 based on availability and quality. It’s not only possible, but likely that we’ve overlooked some harder-to-find sellers with larger sizes, or sellers whose larger stock was gone by the time we arrived.
Our goal was to find out which vendors are available year-round somewhere in Texas. This list includes 11 recommendations to shop online, visit in person, or browse during the spring sale. These are all Texas businesses that don’t just pretend to be big — they actually deliver. So let’s shop.
11. Holley Clothier – Austin
A new vintage project from Austin interior designer Erica Holley curates a small number of unique pieces in a wide range of sizes. Holley says she takes larger waist sizes when she sees them, knowing the typical flaws of vintage, which recently included a “3X or 4X” corset.
10. Blur Boutique – Hutto
This boutique was somewhat limited in range, banning XL and 14 dresses, but had a noticeable selection within those sizes. These designs are boho – still pale and colorful without sinking into the more popular, amorphous styles that have passed the sale.
9. Be. – Leather
The selection advertised online for this boutique in Cuero (southwest of San Antonio) is more popular than what they had for sale, which included many stripes, sweaters and contemporary basics. There was a good selection of 2X items and jeans up to 31.
8. Jenn Lee – Houston/Bali
This “eco-luxe resort wear” designer works with Balinese artisans to produce beautiful cotton and rayon cover-ups that look just as great as a casual brunch outfit as a bathing suit. Shirts are one size and can be worn unbuttoned. Shorts and thongs are marked L/XL.
7. Spring Frost – Austin
Spring Frost carries one of the best sale selections of contemporary designer clothing that looks the part. The range of sizes on sale is limited and seems to only go up to 14 with some digging, but the online selection is varied and interesting and includes a good number of XLs.
6. Man Outfitters – Austin
Le Garage Sale is lacking in men’s options, but Man Outfitters had a great spread of sizes, with about as many XL and XXL shirts as any straight-size section. This outdoor retailer carries popular high-quality brands, including Howler Brothers, the North Face and Cotopaxi.
5. The Gift Solution – Austin
This store had a wide variety of styles up to 3X, which mostly included the embroidered country style tops that are popular in this sale, especially in larger sizes. This was also one of the more affordable stores and included a greater range of styles than shown on the website.
4. Good Company – Austin
This designer-owned Austin boutique operates three locations for women. Styles are varied but mostly include business-casual neutrals with collars or drapes. At Le Garage Sale, Good Company carried some one size items, some XL and shorts marked 42XL.
3. Side Kitsch Vintage – Austin
One of Austin’s quirkiest vintage shops—for furniture and clothes—carries a variety of styles up to XXL. The store always has bright prints, glitter, cool leather and suede and unique cuts. It also carries fun men’s and unisex styles as well as lots of accessories.
2. Bizzy Lizzy – Houston
Bizzy Lizzy knows her niche, which is that country blouse embroidered everywhere. Yet in a sea of whimsical floral chaos, this retailer’s pieces show plenty of restraint in color and pattern without relying on neutrals. These were some of the highest quality 3X clothing sold.
1. Alana Kay Art – Fort Worth
This creative shop is run by resin artist Alana Kay, who prints her work on dresses, activewear, accessories and home decor. Wrap dresses in particular are fun, unique and go up to XL. Kay says the manufacturer is working on recharging up to 3X. These are true parts of the statements.
