At a Glance
- Grace Womack curates mid- and plus-size vintage under the name State of Grace
- She sources from the same estate sales and thrift stores as straight-size resellers
- Her stock focuses on natural-fiber pieces from the Nineties onward
- Why it matters: Shoppers sized 12+ can find period-correct clothing without endless eBay hunts
Vintage racks and pop-culture nostalgia often push the idea that past decades were populated only by the very slim. Hannah E. Clearwater reports for News Of Austin that one Austin reseller is proving otherwise.
Grace Womack, the owner of State of Grace, specializes in mid- and plus-size vintage. She operates out of Potluck Vintage on South Lamar and frequents weekend pop-ups around the city.
Everyone Has Always Existed
“Everyone of all sizes has always existed,” Womack says. “No matter what the magazine tells you, they were there and they were well-dressed. They were shopping from the same catalog.”
Her inventory backs up the claim. Rather than hunting different venues, she simply looks for different sizes in the same estate-sale closets and small-town thrift stores other pickers frequent.
“It’s not necessarily that I’m shopping in different places than a lot of the other vintage sellers,” she explains. “It’s just that I’m looking for something different.”
The Hunt Becomes a Lifestyle
Womack’s path to full-time vintage started at Revival Vintage on North Lamar. When she branched out on her own, she kept the relentless sourcing routine that defines the trade.
Key habits that keep her racks full:
- Drives instead of flies on road trips so she can stop for pickups
- Walks out of shops empty-handed more often than not
- Digs deep into estate-sale closets most buyers skip
“I want to do the hard work for you,” she says. “It’s a lot of being willing to walk out of a place with nothing enough times that you walk out of a place with something really good.”
Two Messages for Shoppers
Womack keeps no secret map of hidden vintage stashes, but she offers clear advice to customers.
- Stop and chat. “We love to talk,” she laughs. “And even if you don’t buy anything – totally fine.”
- Ask for the dream piece. If you’ve hunted forever for a purple suede coat or an empire-waist gown, tell your local reseller. “We will gladly do that for you, because we’re freaks, and that’s our favorite thing to do,” she says.
## Natural Fabrics and Nineties Style
Her racks favor natural fabrics that “lasted so long for a reason” and silhouettes from the Nineties onward. Shoppers can expect:
- Cotton, silk, wool, and linen garments
- Saturated color palettes from the late 20th century
- Sizes 12 and up, accessorized with jewelry and handbags
“You can go up to my market on a Saturday and you can find something that fits you pretty easily – and in a whole sea of other things that could also fit you,” Womack says.
Where to Shop Next
State of Grace will set up at LoLo Wine, 701 E. 6th St., on Saturday, Jan. 17, noon-5pm. Cash, card, and Venmo accepted.
