10 Places to Buy Secondhand Clothing
I grew up hating shopping for clothes. Just the very idea sent exaggerated eye rolls to the person nearest to me. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was overweight and awkward, so it was the opposite of fun to visit the clothing discount chains where my family shopped.
During college, I found my own when it came to clothing. I discovered H&M, Forever 21, and Target. I became a budget fashionista, and I felt cultured just by the mere act of shopping at these cute, branded stores every few weeks.
Once I learned how unsustainable the fashion industry was, especially around the companies targeting millennials and younger, I realized how important it was to care about our clothes, specifically where our clothes came from and how they were made. It was no longer a positive personality trait for me to shop at these fast fashion stores, and I started looking at other ways to shop for clothing.
Flash forward to today, and shopping is a more of a thrill for me than ever before. Secondhand clothing shopping, that is!
There are so many benefits to buying secondhand clothing. Here are three big reasons:
- You spend less! Whether you’re buying from a more curated secondhand boutique or a cheap-ass thrift store, you’re spending less than if you bought new.
- You find more unique pieces! Yes, you find a lot of similar pieces to what you’d see in stores, but you find a lot of styles that aren’t around anymore, which means less chance of running into someone with the same Target sweater.
- You won’t support unsustainable companies! Fast fashion is just plain bad for the environment. If you’re not sure why, read this article, this article, and this article. Buy secondhand and don’t support companies that don’t care about the environment.
Where to find secondhand options?
Here are 10 places to buy secondhand clothing to style your wardrobe:
- Thrift stores
- Buffalo Exchange
- Secondhand clothing stores and boutiques in your area
- ThredUp
- Clothing swaps (find one in your area or host your own!)
- Clothing exchange with friends and family
- Poshmark
- Vintage stores
- Patagonia Worn Wear
- Renewal Workshop
Where do you like to shop for secondhand clothing?
