Maura Hampton has a strong opinion about the purpose of fashion.
“Everyone deserves to feel good and excited about the clothing they put on,” she told St. Louis on the Air. “Not just something that fits.”
But something as simple as feeling good about the clothes you wear isn’t always reflected in the fashion industry – which often celebrates certain bodies while excluding others. This inequity was the inspiration for Ethical Bodies x the Good-ish, a new plus-size vintage thrift store in south St. Louis that is subverting fashion’s size-exclusionary practices and centering – and celebrating – people in bigger bodies. The store is the culmination of two separate online clothing stores, Ethical Bodies and the Good-ish.
“I've always loved thrifting, but anytime I wore thrifted outfits, a lot of other friends who were in plus-size bodies always said that they could never find anything, so I always had a little stockpile of things that someone needed,” said Hampton, who started Ethical Bodies in 2018. “I just decided to take that leap and started selling on Instagram, and then it's really kind of grown. Started doing vendor markets, and then it's grown to our space now.”
Hallman opened the Good-ish earlier this year. She said that while her store and Ethical Bodies have different approaches to fashion, together, the two are a perfect match.
“Our brands, in some ways, are very complementary, but very different,” explained Hallman. “The Good-ish is very much centered around unisex, vintage fashion and styling. And we have a very queer-centered lens in what we're looking at. I would say Maura's brand is generally a little bit more femme, which makes us a really good complement as a store.”
Both Hampton and Hallman have a long-standing love for clothes. They started their individual stores to fill the void that was, and still is, present in the fashion industry.
Prior to the store’s launch, the Ethical Bodies and the Good-ish duo knew of each other through attending the same events. Hallman eventually approached Hampton about the potential for collaboration. The idea, a vendor market catered solely to people in bigger bodies, was one that had already interested Hampton. Together, they debuted Big Body Bash in 2023. The event ignited the spark that is the Ethical Bodies x the Good-ish store.
“That really got our wheels turning,” said Hampton. “I found a space and I peeked in the window, and it was really large. I sent Erica a text. I was like, ‘OK, so what if we split the rent [and] we have both of our shops in there?’ And then she was like, ‘Yeah, OK. Let's do it.’”
The south St. Louis store had its grand opening in March and maintains the original mission of both shops. The space aims to be a welcoming one for people in bigger bodies, allowing customers to have a shopping experience they may not have in other stores. When thinking of the layout of Ethical Bodies x the Good-ish, the founders wanted “our layout and [our] physical space, even, that would make that space accommodating and that made it feel fat friendly, made it feel friendly for everybody,” said Hallman.
“”I think having a comfortable place to be able to sit when you're shopping and understanding that sometimes with a bigger body, you also are going to be suffering from pain, mobility issues, other things going on, making sure that there's a space for people to rest,” said Hallman.
Size inclusion isn’t the only focus for Ethical Bodies x the Good-ish. Hampton and Hallman are also intentional about centering communities that have a major impact on fashion but are also overlooked.
“Most people in fashion, most of the trends you see in fashion throughout history, have started with Black people, queer people, Indigenous people, people of color, and from a variety of marginalized identities,” said Hallman. “For us, it's really about bringing folks that have been pushed out to the center. Because that's really where arts and culture starts, both in our city and throughout the world.”
To learn more about Ethical Bodies x the Good-ish and the heartwarming experience with a customer that brought the Hallman and Hampton to tears, listen to listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Ulaa Kuziez, Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
Related Event
What: A Bridgerton Bash by Ethical Bodies x the Good-ish
When: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 15
Where: 2218 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63104
