Jersey City residents Julie Khiry and Megan Ixim met at a local event over the summer and have stayed connected on Instagram ever since. Their friendship was born via the power of community, so it’s no coincidence that when the entrepreneurial women decided to launch a project together, it was founded out of inspiration from their community. But, Julie and Megan are part of a “niche” community that they {and millions of people worldwide} don’t feel should be niche at all. Their business, which fills a major void in the Jersey City apparel scene, seeks to connect, empower, and dress this community – fashion-forward, plus-size women.
Through conversation with Megan and Julie, it’s evident that in Hudson County, plus size clothing options are slim to none. Boutiques rarely offer sizing beyond the “standard” offering {XS – XL} and if they do, they don’t carry much inventory {or any} in store. Yet, in the United States, the average women’s dress size is between 16 and 18, meaning that plus size is the average. Read more about these pioneering businesswomen who hope to unite and strengthen an underrepresented, misrepresented community through their fashion-forward thrift shop for women who wear over a size large.
From Idea to Instagram
Megan has been a proud resident of Jersey City for over four years and has noticed an extreme disparity between regular sizes and extended sizes offered at boutiques and shops throughout the city. After 3+ years of pleading for local businesses to carry sizes larger than a large and to accommodate more diverse body types, she found her attempts and discussions were not productive. Megan found herself at a crossroads –she knew she wasn’t the only one having this issue and experiencing this deep, deep frustration.
Megan knew that her frustration wasn’t unique — primarily because she has, over the last few years, built an impressive community of over 60,000 followers on her Instagram page, which is full of content focused on body inclusivity, sex positivity, women’s empowerment, food, entrepreneurship, and more. In fact, Megan was recently featured in Bustle for her success and expertise as an Only Fans entrepreneur.
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She frequently posts about her experiences out and about in Jersey City, too, sharing local restaurants, boutiques, salons, and other businesses, as well as having built an impressive dog walking business, which she promotes on Instagram @megthepetsitter. She’s a people person and loves having open conversations about issues that are important to her – like the lack of accessibility to plus-size clothing in Hudson County –with her community.
In early December, when Megan shared her experiences and struggles on shopping in Jersey City as a plus-size woman, it resonated with a lot of locals. Enter Julie {@juliekhiry on Instagram}, who felt similarly to Megan and wanted to create a business that aligned both their interests and their passion to assist our local community. Julie is a local childcare specialist, non-profit consultant, and small business marketer. Julie, like Megan, felt strongly that happiness is not size-specific, and pitched the idea of creating a space and solution for fellow local plus-size babes, and Megan was instantly on board. Less than a month later, they launched PlusThriftJC online.
A Community Cause
Their inspiration? The women they’ve met in the Jersey City plus-size community. When Megan and Julie shared more about why it was so important they bring this idea to life, their passion was obvious. They shared,
“Our biggest inspiration was our community. We are lucky to live in a city with such a strong and supportive community. We wanted to give back to our community and Mother Earth by creating a safe, sustainable, and accessible place to thrift plus sizes. We also wanted to assist those who cannot find access to basic goods and necessities within a metropolitan area, give options to the 67% of the US population who fit into extended sizes, and offer a wide variety of styles and price points to accommodate almost any and everyone. This is a passion project and were excited to see our clothing help create intimate memories, and find new loving homes.”
To Megan and Julie, PlusThriftJC is more than a store or a business venture. It’s an affordable, safe space for women who don’t fit into skinny, little sizes and want to shop without limitations. It’s a community that breeds diversity, positivity, and inclusivity. They hope that the mission and message of PlusThriftJC spreads far and wide in Jersey City, Hoboken, and beyond.
How It Works
PlusThriftJC officially launched our Instagram page on December 22nd, 2020 and their first sale took place on January 3rd, 2021. To shop their drops, follow @PlusThriftJC on Instagram and stay tuned for their upcoming, live sales. Most items land between $15 to $25 and can be picked up locally or delivered nationally. All of the materials we use to package, ship, are 100% sustainable.
According to Julie and Megan, the most sought-after items so far are tops, dresses, and accessories. “Considering the demand for plus-size clothing combined with the lack of accessibility there is nationally and especially locally, we think almost everything we offer will be in demand,” the ladies shared. “We are all about inclusion and diversity and hope to be a positive reflection of this city we love so much,” they continued.
See More: A Guide to the Unique Boutiques in Hoboken + Jersey City
The PlusThriftJC founders would love to host some in-person pop-ups in the near future, with precautionary measures in mind of course. Their future plans for PlusThriftJC will be dependent on the demand they see in their first few months of business. They’re excited to increase their inventory and offer an even wider variety of styles and sizes.
If you want to help their cause in a way other than shopping, the women encourage asking your local and national businesses for plus-sizes to be on the rack and online where you shop to increase accessibility and representation.
