Secondhand Shopping: Where to Look In Store & Online
Growing up, secondhand shopping was my favorite past times and number one hobby. I remember wanting to branch out from the typical shopping mall stores and find unique, one of a kind (and a little out there) pieces. Literally about 75% of my wardrobe has been secondhand and thrifted pieces, at different points throughout the years. I remember rekindling this passion in college, because it was cheap and fun, and I could ball out at the Salvation Army with less buyers remorse afterwards. So I thought it might be fun to share some of the places to look for those perfect thrifted pieces. I also want to talk about how my relationship with thrifting has changed, and show you how I incorporate well-loved thrifted pieces into a more cohesive capsule wardrobe, because Adulting can be fun sometimes!
Places to Shop
Online: Depop and Poshmark are two of my favorite online marketplace to shop secondhand and vintage items sold by individuals. I would spend hours scouring Depop, looking for specific styles of clothing and accessories. I’ve bought and sold on the app and it’s always been a positive experience. Depop has a ton of vintage sellers so I usually search for the type of item I’m looking at, rather than the brand. I also love to follow different sellers whose selection I like. More recently, I’ve been using Poshmark to track down more investment designer pieces that I hope to eventually add to my wardrobe. This site is more organized by labels/brands and is great for searching for brands at a discount.
There are also the vintage shops who mostly sell via Instagram. These are usually highly curated selections of more rare vintage pieces or secondhand pieces of a certain style. One of my new favorites is @shopanitais (run by the dreamy @izziehardy) which has all the cool Parisian vibes I could want. There’s also @iamthat_shop that has a massive following and a pretty incredible selection of high end and on-trend pieces.
Thrift Stores: This goes without saying, as I’m sure most of you have wandered into at least one thrift store in your lifetime. Depending on where you live, you could have an awesome Salvation Army, Goodwill or Savers Thrift right down the street, as these are the chain stores but always have a good mixture of goods. I used to make a 30 minute drive to go to my preferred Goodwill in the city, because the selection was totally different from the local one. It takes a lot of digging and time but once you find your spot, you’ll know. There are also the smaller scale, more local thrift stores, that are sometimes a bit more disorganized and require much more digging. I’ve enjoyed many an afternoon in these places, literally digging through piles of clothes to find a treasure piece. These stores often support local charities too. And if you’re really devoted, you can put away several hours at a warehouse or clearance thrift store that sells items by the pound, but be ready to sift through a lot of duds and fight off wholesale vintage and thrift buyers for the good stuff.
Consignment Shops: If you’re not quite ready to get your hands dirty, consider trying a consignment shop instead. These are places like Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads Trading Co., where you can exchange your clothing for cash or store credit. These stores usually have a more curated selection of newer brand items, with a bit of vintage mixed in, similar to Poshmark online. Apart from the two mentioned previously, I also really love Wasteland (in SF & LA) and Black & Brown Vintage in San Jose. The selection is one step above Buffalo and Crossroads, maybe because of the locations, and you can find some really unique pieces in there. While they are discounted, compared to shopping new, they are going to be pricier than your typical thrift store, because they’ve essentially done the work for you to find those awesome pieces.
Vintage Stores: While there is some blurring between a consignment/exchange shop and a serious vintage shop, they do have a lot of similarities. For instance, at many vintage shops you can buy and sell items there. In my mind, vintage shops are more local (compared to chains like Buffalo and Crossroads) so the selection is usually much more unique and curated. They also have more rare and valuable pieces. Some of my favorite vintage shops in Atlanta are clustered in the Little Five Points area. In San Diego, I’m a fan of La Loupe and Frock You. There are often several vintage stores in city centers so it just takes a quick google search to find a hidden gem. Traveling is also an awesome opportunity to check out vintage shops in other places.
Outfit Details: Jacket: Buffalo Exchange | Tee: Thrifted | Pants: Everlane | Shoes: Sam Edelman | Bag: Woven Finds Co.
Secondhand & Capsule Wardrobes
I mentioned earlier, and in a recent Insta post, that my relationship to thrifting and secondhand shopping has really changed as I’ve gotten older. I remember graduating college and going to my big girl job with like one pair of black tailored pants that fit me and a closet full of hand cut graphic tees, ill-fitting 90’s floral dresses and Dr. Martens. That’s when I realized that I did need to invest in pieces that would last, that were good quality, and that worked together more cohesively. For me, this meant I had to address the shopping habit, disguised as a series of harmless, inexpensive purchases, that actually ended up costing a lot in the long run and leaving me with very little I could still wear today. Don’t get me wrong, there are some pieces that I absolutely love and could not part with, but so much of what I bought came from just wanting something new (to me) and not thinking about my wardrobe as a carefully thought out investment. So I do still love thrifting and vintage shopping and I fully 100% endorse it and love that it’s become so widespread and popular, not to mention easy. And I also love being a bit more picky when it comes to adding items to my wardrobe. I’d love to know your thoughts on thrifting and secondhand shopping. What is your favorite way to shop and how do you decide what to buy? Lets chat in the comments. Thanks for reading! xx Jessica
