Best second-hand stores for an environmentally-friendly closet
With social media’s influence leading to more clothes ending up in landfills, thrift stores are a great way to stay stylish, while caring for the environment.
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If you’re like me, you don’t thrift simply because you enjoy cheaper, vintage fashion. You also do it because you want to help protect the environment, by keeping old clothes out of landfills, and rebelling against the rampant overconsumerism taking over social media. Here is my list of some second-hand clothing stores where you can find affordable, stylish additions to your closet!
Value Village is a well-known thrifting chain, with many locations available across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Depending on the location, and the articles of clothing you’re buying, most pieces will cost you from $0.99 to $30.00. Scalpers and influencers have certainly driven thrift store prices higher over the past decade, but most clothing is still cheap and more affordable than buying brand-new. Value Village is useful because it doesn’t just sell clothes. They also have electronics, books, jewelry, purses, and old toys for sale. Helpful tip: if you donate anything to Value Village at the beginning of your thrifting trip, they will give you a discount coupon of 20% off your purchase that day. The company also has a rewards newsletter. You can sign up for free and receive emails on discounts up to 50% off.
If you’re into more deluxe, designer clothing, check out Plato’s Closet. Plato’s Closet differs from Value Village because instead of accepting donations, Plato’s Closet will pay you for the clothes you bring in. This means that their prices are typically higher than thrift stores like Value Village, but they tend to have better quality pieces, which they curate in store based on popular trends. Plato’s Closet only sells clothing, shoes, and bags; they don’t carry miscellaneous items like Value Village does.
I also think that the best option for buying the cheapest clothes are bin or liquidation stores. These stores receive hundreds of second-hand clothing donations, or over-produced clothes that were rejected from brand-name stores. Unlike a thrift store like Value Village or Plato’s Closet, the donated items are not sorted through or filtered for quality/cleanliness. A helpful tip for these stores would be to bring your own gloves for sorting through the donation bins, and don’t try on clothes until you’ve had the chance to wash it at home. However, these stores have a massive appeal because you don’t pay per item, you pay a set amount based on the weight of all your items combined. Some stores even do promotions, where less busy days can cost you as little as $1.99 for a pound of clothing.
Lastly, if you’re looking to thrift clothes locally, try the Regenesis Market at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)! Every Thursday from 12-5pm at the UTMSU Centre, Regenesis holds a free thrift store. Students are welcome to donate clothing items, but a donation is not necessary to take some clothing home. Every week, each student can take as many as five free items, which can also include jewelry and books.
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