Nichole Aksamit, storyteller, reseller + stylist at Curvy Closet
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I’m Nichole Aksamit, the curvy woman behind Curvy Closet and The Thick-Thrift Diaries. I'm a former magazine editor, and I’ve been ample-bodied since childhood.
I discovered the joy of secondhand clothes in 2025 after losing 75 pounds (and still not fitting into straight sizes) and realizing I had six tiny, overflowing closets of nothing to wear. I had clothes spanning 15 years of life and 100+ pounds of up-and-down weight changes. I had aspirational and “goal-weight” clothes. I had dresses and pants that were three sizes too big. And I had nothing that fit the body I actually had.
Though I’d always loved scouring vintage shops, thrift stores, and flea markets for home furnishings or costume jewelry, I hadn’t previously thrifted for clothing. In my prior experience, the clothing racks always dried up or faded to black right around size 12 (a number I haven’t worn since middle school) even though the average American woman wears a size 18 or 20.
(Yes, you read that right: 18 or 20 is average, in the middle of the spectrum, and only “plus” or “extended” in the twisted logic of the fashion industry.)
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Happily, when I started looking at secondhand stores this time around, I discovered some pretty great plus-sized clothes and racks that went up to size 26/28 and occasionally even 5X.
Though color variety, natural fabrics, and true vintage style options still can be limited in what the fashion industry deems plus sizes (there’s so much black and gray polyester! so much fast-fashion!), we’re actually living in an age of preloved plenty. It’s estimated that there’s enough readymade clothing on the planet to clothe all humans for the next six generations. And much of what’s being newly made is ending up in landfills or causing environmental (and societal) harm in its production.
I soon found myself routinely hunting and thrifting and digging and sifting at secondhand shops, estate sales, yard sales, consignment shops, bin stores and other corners of the resale market to find pretty already-made clothes that fit me and the majority of women, rather than the prepubescent bodies the fashion industry absurdly insists we shouldn’t grow out of. And I started The Thick-Thrift Diaries (on Substack) to document what I was learning about thrifting for clothes, finding my own style after body changes, caring for and mending fabrics, and more.
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As my own closet filled with opportunities, I started selling my extra finds and informally styling friends who sometimes thrifted with me. I started buying clothing estates and hosting popups to share the best finds, all fit-tested on my own curvy body.
I soon discovered that nothing makes my heart sing more than adopting, reviving, and rehoming the good stuff and helping a fellow curvy girl discover her own unique full-figured, full-throated, any-color-or-print-I-want joy.
I know firsthand what it means to find clothes that aren’t just large enough to physically accommodate you but that also feel like you. Having a closet that helps you feel happy, comfortable, and confident in your body unlocks new freedoms and a truly world-expanding joy. When you’ve got even just one outfit you’re dying to put on, you’re that much quicker to initiate a gathering or say yes to an invite.
More confident and joyful everyday dressing is also a low-key antidepressant. Sometimes you gotta be your own hype squad. And the dopamine you get and the energy you give off when you’re happily dressed has ripple-out effects for everyone around you, too. I wish I’d seen more big girls in bikinis and fabulously dressed curvy ladies when I was growing up. But I know now that my joyful dressing signals permission to others to take up space in a world that wants to make us feel small. Our bodies are made for joy.
I also know that our bodies change over time for all kinds of reasons:
intentional weight loss or gain
health conditions, acute illness, and injuries
pregnancy, hormone changes, and aging
new activities and muscle-building
And I realize most of us don’t have unlimited funds to spend on wardrobes that keep pace with our bodies. So smart secondhand additions and alterations to what’s already in our closets can save serious money. I’ve replenished my own wardrobe for pennies on the dollar and helped other women refresh their closets seasonally for less than the full retail price of a single designer coat.
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I want to help you feel like YOU in clothes that fit the body you have right now, while saving resources and maximizing joy.
The way I see it, every style session, closet audit, thrift mystery bag, or rehabbed sweater is a little victory for the planet and for womanhood.
So, yes, I’d love to sell you some cute curvy clothes and teach you some of what I’ve learned from dressing my own changing body and from styling others.
But this enterprise isn’t ONLY about clothes. It’s about finding joy in the bodies we have, taking up space, creating our own unique styles, and maybe even saving the planet, one garment and one woman at a time.
“It’s not ONLY about clothes. It’s about finding joy in the bodies we have, taking up space, creating our own unique styles, and maybe even saving the planet, one garment and one woman at a time.”
what people are saying *
what people are saying *
“Thank you again for all your work sourcing, styling, and altering these clothes for me. It means a lot to know I'll have some things that I'll feel cute in.
This is especially true for Maggie's wedding, where there will be photographic evidence!
Your style sensibility is adorable, and also pretty far removed from mine, and yet you've found things that work great for me.”
— Juli H., Des Moines
CURVY CLOSET CLIENT REVIEWS
“Thrifting with Nichole is like shopping with the best and most honest friend. She encourages you to try on something you would have otherwise overlooked, while still telling you what works (‘Your butt looks so good in those pants!’) and what doesn't.
Almost a year later, I still filter purchases through the style words she used to categorize my wardrobe.”
— Jenn M., Chicago
“I struggled with weight all of my life and because of it I hated shopping for clothes. I didn’t like going in stores. I really didn’t know how to shop.
Working with Nichole is much more than a shopping service. She surveyed my existing closet to learn my style and identify what was missing, she listened to my aspirations, she took lots of measurements to help me find the right fit faster, and she gave me strategies to help me feel confident about shopping for clothes.
Her method took a lot of the frustration out of it. All that, and we built my fall wardrobe — 23 new-to-me pieces — within my budget!”
— Shaun C., Baltimore
“Nichole is a fashion fairy godmother, armed with an eagle eye for quality and value and endowed with Spidey-like style sense. Her advice and encouragement have given me the attitude adjustment I needed when it comes to my relationship with clothes.
In my BN era (“before Nichole”), I was put together enough – not disheveled to the point of needing a fashion intervention but certainly not proud of my look. Then Nichole walked into my dressing room, and with a twirl of her pleated skirt, transformed my passable yet unremarkable style into something fun yet polished, comfortable, and confident.
People stop and tell me how fabulous I look – that, friends, is what Nichole’s magic fairy dust does to a girl!
If you’re feeling like your style is stuck or you need someone else’s perspective and a little nudge, I can’t recommend this fine human enough.”
— Sue H., Des Moines
Let’s Get You Fitted
Have a question about clothes, curves, or style? Want to collaborate on something fun like a bird-inspired thrifted-fashion party? Got a book deal for me or an estate of beautiful plus-size clothes to donate? (Manifesting!) Drop me a line.