As a plus-size collegiette, it can feel nearly impossible to find flattering and trendy clothing in stores and boutiques. Often, we're left to shop from plus-size friendly online shops, knowing they won’t leave us feeling defeated after desperately sifting through clothing racks for something that fits. ModCloth, however, has always acted as a beacon of hope for women of all sizes and shapes. The company, which has remained online-only for 14 years, has finally decided to make all of our dreams come true by announcing the opening of its first physical location in Austin, TX, according to Refinery29. Unlike most other stores, every item of clothing at ModCloth’s brick-and-mortar store will come in sizes 00 through 28/30.
This opening comes after the success of the ModCloth IRL Tour, when pop-up shops opened across the country.
“The store model itself is a hybrid of a showroom and a traditional store, where the majority of the apparel and shoes are samples that [the customer] tries on,” ModCloth CEO Matt Kaness tells R29. That means that most items will be available for ordering, rather than immediate purchase. Items that will be available for "cash-and-carry" will be primarily "non-apparel," Kaness says.
Despite the many differences between the ModCloth store and other retail locations, Kaness is confident that the company will succeed with this method. “We didn’t see much, if any, resistance to our fit-and-ship showroom concept, as long as the order gets there within a day or two after the in-store purchase,” he says.
While the company’s first store is exclusive to Texas, Kaness confirmed that ModCloth stores will expand to other locations in the future. Until then, check out all of the amazing body-inclusive fashions on the brand's website.