A thicket in the woods is a tightly-packed stand of trees,
made up of similar types of trees,
all benefitting from growing so close to one another.
The Thicket aims to create a tightly-knit community of fat-folx, a place to feel seen, be seen and a place that is free from the usual fatphobia & anti-fat bias.
Leigh Soucy
Founder, Owner
About Leigh & The Thicket:
Leigh Soucy has been fat her whole life—she knows well and sees how often fat people are made to (ironically) feel small, invisible & dismissed wholesale by much of the culture at large.
As a punk-kid growing up in southern NH (and in her previous life running collegiate residence halls), Leigh also saw how in-person community, shared experiences & affirming moments can feel like some kind of magic. Truly!
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The Thicket is a culmination of all Leigh’s time spent intentionally building community, experiences as a fat kid, teen and adult and many years of thrifting, upcycling & vintage hunting. Leigh wants folks to feel seen and tended to in the shop, like a proper community member.
The Thicket aims to make clothes shopping fun, affordable and accessible for other bigger-bodied people, across differences. It’s just what everyone deserves!
FAQs
Q: Do you do consignment?Will you buy my clothes?
Sorry, we do not do consignment! It’s a paperwork-heavy process and our ADHD-brained owner would definitely not be able to keep up!
We know this model for a secondhand store may not be one you’ve seen before, but we like to imagine we’re a little like a community closet. Just a bunch of friends sharing their clothing. All the money we earn here goes right back into the business: rent, utilities, clothing processing, time and labor from a few helpers, etc!
Q: Do you accept clothing donations?
We sure do! We accept donations during the last full week of the month, unless specified otherwise on our monthly calendar. This allows our owner to process all the donations thoughtfully:
-handpicking all the items to get washed, priced and offered to customers on our racks.
-separating seasonal items from out-of-season pieces to be processed later
-compiling leftovers to be donated to one of the many community organizations that are actively & directly serving our Worcester neighbors:
Q: Do you only carry women’s clothing?
No—as we often describe it,
the shop leans femme but is for everybody. We know that most stores have conditioned us to look at clothing through the limited lens of gender, but we focus on offering options across styles, vibes and, yes, gender expression.
That said, we always offer at least one full rack of more masculine offerings (the masc rack!) and it’s not uncommon for a husband, boyfriend or pal to find something to go home with themselves from the shop beyond that specific rack! Our clothes are separated by item type (tops, dresses, etc) so we encourage you to browse and see what may work for you outside of your usual comfort zone!
PS. Yes, of course we have a dressing room! We encourage try-ons and fashion shows in The Thicket :)