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Dressing in Style, for Less

November 27, 2008 11:34 AM

ABC News On Campus reporter Nana Duffour blogs:

These days students’ budgets are tight but that doesn't mean they've all stopped shopping. 

For those who are constantly looking for new ways to cut spending, but can’t quite kick their shopping habit, used-clothing stores have become a fashion fanatic’s port in the storm. A trip to a thrift shop or consignment store is the perfect way to get unique, vintage clothing without emptying your wallet.

Eileen Zhang, a sophomore studying at New York University, has become an expert on bargain shopping. “I just wanted to find good, affordable clothing in the city, so I thought I would give thrift shops a chance," she said. Although she’s trying to save, she hasn’t stopped combing the racks for new pieces. “I cut back on food to still shop,” she said.

The best thing about used-clothing stores is that you don’t have to sacrifice style for savings. Zhang’s favorite store is Beacon’s Closet in Brooklyn. “They have cute clothes, there’s a wide selection and the prices are very reasonable. Everyone wants to keep up with what’s trendy,” she said.

The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops issued a press release this month saying that its “members have reported significant increases in both sales and incoming inventory the past two months as consumers tighten their spending and search for sources of extra income.”

Of the 182 stores surveyed, 74.2 percent said that sales had increased and 89.9 percent had experienced an increase in new customers.

Scott Giesenger, director of Plato’s Closet, a popular resale store with more than 240 stores in North America, says that college students play an important role in that boost. “We see a lot more college students come in all the time. [They] have always been a pretty big component of our business; they represent over 20 percent of our business.”

Certainly used-clothing stores are no best-kept secret; thrifty, trendy shoppers have been frequenting them for years and reaping the benefits. But with the economic crisis, resale stores are attracting new shoppers and offering a way for students to rake in a little cash as well. 

“Since we buy from the public, a lot of people have been selling their clothes and using the cash,” said Bethany Burke, an employee at the Buffalo Exchange in Austin, Texas. “I’ve seen it boost in the past four months.”

Burke believes the recycled-clothing store is a great resource for any shopper, but has an even greater pull for college students. They are “our biggest demographic. We buy in a lot of cute clothes we think everyone would like and we also buy a lot of polos and things because we know a lot of people are going to school.”

For Zhang, the best part of used-clothing stores is the possibility of finding designer gems for reasonable prices. “I work near Fifth Avenue so it’s always tempting, but designer stuff is so overpriced, and you can definitely find those same brands if you dig deeper in those thrift shops. I got a $300 jacket for like $40.”

So what’s to become of these stylista sanctuaries once people’s finances improve?

“I think once the economy picks up people will go back to more expensive shops, but once you thrift you can’t go back,” said Zhang.

November 27, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (3)

User Comments

Posted by: Carrie | Dec 2, 2008 8:34:00 PM

Posted by: joe | Dec 3, 2008 3:23:51 AM

Posted by: Alena | Dec 22, 2008 1:09:17 AM

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