Shopping Clothes

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – You’ve heard of thrift stores that support childhood cancer or even ones that support our veterans. In Pittsylvania County, there is one for dogs and the work they’re doing is making some “ruff” lives a little easier.

The Doggie Bag Thrift Store has everything from jewelry to clothing, bikes, knickknacks, and of course, pet items.

“We are very happy to have them back open,” said Pittsylvania County Pet Center Director Brent Weinkauf.

The store opened in March 2020 but spent most of the year closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is food. It is clothing. It’s vet bills. It’s beds. It’s warmth. It’s veterinary care,” explained store manager Penny Dawson when asked what this means to the rescued animals.

All the items are donated and all proceeds benefit the Pittsylvania County Pet Center and SPCA.

“We do what we do because we enjoy what’s going

As the detrimental effects of climate change take form, we’ve seen various industries change their production processes in hopes of slowing the rising sea levels and keeping up with the consumer demand for sustainable products. Among this list of industries moving toward progressive change, the fashion industry has slowly expanded its realm to include sustainable options such as recycled or ethically produced products and fabrics. However, even as the fashion industry inches toward a sustainable future, there lies a group of people left behind in these efforts: the plus-size community. 

A key struggle as a plus-size shopper that is not widely known is that plus-size clothing is often expensive. Brands such as Old Navy often charge more for clothes that go beyond size XL, and specialty brands for plus-size women rack up high price tags because of the “specialty” design that plus-size bodies “require.” This markup has been coined the

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We’re all guilty of going back to the usual suspects when we need a wardrobe update. Whether you prefer Forever 21, Zara, or any other big name brand, chances are that your usual stores are just that- massive. Do a little digging, however, and you’ll find a plethora of indie brands waiting to impress you. If you’re the kind of person that likes to shop small, then these ten indie clothing brands should be next on your list to support.

1. Olivia Annabelle

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Fashion is all about trends. Either you follow the trends like everyone else, or you break them like Olivia Annabelle does. Frustrated with the lack of unique clothing, Manchester-based designer Olivia Welsh founded Olivia Annabelle in order to bring unique, high-quality, and unapologetically feminine pieces to the market. Each collection from Olivia Annabelle is themed, their most recent being the Bloomsbury collection, which is inspired