Jessica Williams loves shopping at TJ Maxx: You have to hunt, be ready


Jessica Williams stars on the second season of Love Life on HBO Max, with William Jackson Harper. I haven’t seen her work yet, but I plan to after watching her interview on Kimmel. She was so funny and she told stories which were relatable to me. She opened with how she heard the news that she got a call back interview with the The Daily Show ten years ago when she was just 22. Her mom told her to get a suit at TJ Maxx for that because they didn’t have Lands End money! Then she talked about how much she loves shopping at TJ Maxx. She said you have to go all the time so that you get the best stuff. It’s true! Here are some quotes from her interview and the video is below.

On what her mom said when she heard she got the Daily Show callback
‘We ain’t going to J.Crew, we going to TJ Maxx. You ain’t got no J.Crew money.’ My mom is a Maxxinista through and through.

On shopping at TJ Maxx
That’s the beautiful thing about TJ Maxx, any place like that Homegoods, Marshalls, you have go to in and hunt, you have to be ready. It’s not vintage shopping, but it is looking for stuff shopping. The hot tip is that’s where you go if you want to get some bomb candles. They’ll have a triple wick candle for like maybe $7.

I like butter pecan candles, I like pumpkin candles. I’m really happy that it’s fall. I go usually for candles. It’s always me and another lady looking at each other like ‘you trying to get that?’

On her parents’ relationship
They watch all my stuff and they’re excited that I’m on here tonight. They’re still really in love with each other and they’re still really good at flirting. Sometimes my mom will walk in the kitchen and my dad will be like ‘Back that up. Oh that must be jelly because jam don’t jiggle like that.’

[From Jimmy Kimmel Live on YouTube]

That was so cute when she talked about her parents! I want a relationship like that. Jessica has J.Crew money now but I love that she’s still happy to get bargains at TJ Maxx. I’ve loved vintage and thrift shopping since I was a teenager and I’ve had a few moments competing with other women for items. Going to TJ Maxx or Marshalls is similar like she mentioned. Some people really get annoyed having to sift through stuff to find what they want, but that’s the thrill of shopping for me. TJ Maxx level is the most I like to spend too. Whenever I go into a well organized retail store I’m like “they want how much money for that? I’ll get it on eBay if I really want it.”

Here’s that interview:

This show looks good!

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22 Responses to “Jessica Williams loves shopping at TJ Maxx: You have to hunt, be ready”

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  1. Lady Baden-Baden says:

    I’d recommend The Incredible Jessica James on Netflix if you haven’t seen it. She’s great in that!

    • Pilar says:

      Yes, she’s so great in the incredible Jessica James I am surprised she didn’t blow up after that movie. Underrated actress.

    • Lexilla says:

      I love this post because I miss seeing and hearing about her. She was a highlight of The Daily Show. Should (and hopefully will) be a much bigger star.

    • lucy2 says:

      I really enjoyed that movie too! She’s great. I’ve been a fan since she appeared on the Daily Show, and I really liked the 2 Dope Queens podcast. I’m sad they decided to end that.

  2. MelOn says:

    I LOVE Marshall’s, TJMaxx and Homegoods. You have to hunt but that’s okay, I can’t do it though if the store is messy though, too much.

    • ME says:

      100% agree. It has to be neat and tidy. It’s a great feeling when you hunt and find some good stuff though ! Just yesterday I was thinking about the good old days when I used to cross the border and shop in the US. I miss those days. Even with the border open, I won’t be going any time soon…but I look forward to the day…

    • Lila says:

      Yes! Christmas season is the worst. They pack sooooo much stuff in that it looks crazy, regardless of whether or not it’s organized. Other than that, I like taking the time to browse for treasures.

    • NotSoSocialB says:

      I pop in TJMaxx in early November and scoop up all the cashmere sweaters I can find. Yes, it’s generally short fiber cashmere, but at $30-60 per nice sweater/jumper or cardigan, it’s well worth the effort and time. I’ve gotten *years* out of them before wear is apparent.

    • House of No says:

      That’s the beauty of those stores: the thrill of the hunt. I love Homegoods and Marshalls. I have to venture into T.J. Maxx more though.

  3. ItReallyIsYou,NotMe k8 says:

    I hit up Marshalls on the regular, I even invested a little bit in TJX stock during the pandemic because I figured that people were going to miss hunting for amazing deals (so far the return on investment hasn’t been amazing). There’s a TJ Maxx near me that I never think about but I hear the quality is nicer than Marshalls so I need to check it out soon.

  4. CROOKSNNANNIES says:

    I miss thrifting since Covid started! Thank goodness for Marshall’s. Back in the day id hit up the thrift store a few times a week every week kind of as a hobby. There’s always fun stuff to find to look at even if you don’t get it. It’s definitely a process, but it’s why I have a variety of leather and suede jackets in my closet, in good condition, and never spent more to than $60 on one.

    Only hang up is women someone compliments your outfit and asks where you got it and when you say oh! Vintage store/thrift store/Good Will they look at you like you’re pretentious. Dude I’m not a hipster I’m just cheap!

  5. LarkspurLMM says:

    Mia! The new Love Life is good……

    • ME says:

      The second season was fantastic. Really good acting and story line. Jessica’s character and Ego’s character were my favs !

  6. Myriam says:

    Celebitchy, the second season of Love Life is soooooooo good. Jessica Williams and William Jackson Harper are amazing! You definitely need to watch it. I hope future seasons have the storylines, characters, and vibe of the second season. The first season with Anna Kendrick was so frustrating that I nearly quit the show. Luckily I didn’t and powered through otherwise I would have missed it Harper’s story.

  7. Ann says:

    I’ve loved thrifting and vintage since I was 12. My older sister introduced me. I’ve sold on line some, though it’s kind of hit and miss because the market is pretty saturated. TJ Maxx is great too. Some are better than others, but there is one near me that is pretty great. I scored a few things for a last-minute road trip just a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been wishing I scooped up two pairs of these sneakers I found because I love them and will wear them out!

  8. AMA1977 says:

    I wish I had the patience for clothes shopping at TJ Maxx/Marshall’s but I rarely do. I 100% agree about their candles, I have some that I got there and they smell AMAZING and last forever. I also like to get Christmas wrapping paper and all of that stuff there; they usually have the really good, heavy paper and tons of bags, ribbons, etc. for pretty cheap. Tuesday Morning (if you have one nearby) sometimes is a good source for that stuff. I may go hit up Marshall’s/Homegoods for wrapping paper and to see if there is anything interesting I can add to the decor we put up on the mantle.

  9. ARHUS says:

    I love her. She has a great sense of style in her clothes and her decor. TJ MAXXX totally!

  10. KinChicago says:

    Pet items are unbeatable- instead of paying full price!

  11. The Recluse says:

    Marshall’s and Ross are handy for me when I’m looking for cruelty free facial products. I stock up every few months. They’re handy for random clothing to fill out my recently built wardrobe: for years I had no nice clothes in case I had to go out in a semi official manner, but I have been able to cobble together one from multiple resources, including Marshalls online.

  12. Wilma says:

    I’m happy she is working again, she had such a hard couple of years and she seems like such a great person.