Who would think a prom dress could cost only $10?
Senior Jasmine Prapuolenis of Glenbard South certainly didn’t doubt it. She bought prom dresses for junior and senior year at thrift stores in Wheaton.
“I found a 1950s dress that I have for prom this year,” she said.
She’s not the only teen who’s buying for big events or for day-to-day life at stores that sell clothes secondhand.
It’s no secret that teens are often cash- strapped, and with a slumping economy, thrift stores have become the go-to spot for many who want to add to their wardrobes at cheap prices, or for those who want to express their creativity by altering clothes and making outfits that are truly original. Teens who frequent thrift stores say there’s no shortage of shops in the city and suburbs. An added bonus is that some stores pay people who donate clothes, or hand part of their profits to a good cause.
“I’ve always liked thrift stores, but it’s definitely become more helpful with our economy being the way it is,” said Glenbard South junior Ainsley Klug.
Klug, a long-time thrift store shopper, likes to look in antique shops, hoping to find a bargain. She also shops at modcloth.com and goes to garage and estate sales.
Some of Klug’s favorite finds have been hats and dresses for prom and homecoming. She prefers thrift store shopping because “it’s a great way to find things that no one else has” and “it helps set you apart from the crowd and display your creativity.”
There are many types of thrift stores that teens frequent. Some, such as Ragstock, offer new as well as recycled items. Others, such as Buffalo Exchange, Crossroads Trading Co. and Plato’s Closet, only sell secondhand items and offer cash or store credit to those who bring in used clothing. In addition, Brown Elephant, Salvation Army and Goodwill donate profits to charity.
“Thrift store shopping is a lot cheaper, and people want to get things that are one-of-a-kind,” said Cassandra Roos, who works at Ragstock on Belmont Avenue in Lakeview.
The fact that young people are flocking to thrift stores has caught the attention of shop owners. Aimee Pallozzi, manager of Buffalo Exchange in Wicker Park, estimates 30 to 60 percent of the store’s customers are students.
“People are getting smarter about how they spend their money,” Pallozzi said.
Many teens say cheaper prices are a plus, but some visit thrift stores because they offer one-of-a-kind pieces or raw material to make other designs.
Aspiring designer Kaya Cuper, a Whitney Young senior, constructed a homecoming dress from gold zebra-striped fabric she found at a thrift store.
“I’ve made coats into skirts, dresses and more,” Cuper said.
Meanwhile, one of Oak Park and River Forest senior Imani Change’s favorite finds was a “really cool nurse’s shirt” with “little fishies on it” that came from Goodwill.
“My sister actually asked if I got it at Urban Outfitters,” Change said.
For Prapuolenis, of Glenbard South, the perk of thrift store shopping is that her outfits stand out.
“If you find something really good, it’s usually worth the money, since it’s unique and no one is really going to have it,” she said. “It’s like you’re giving the clothes a second chance to be seen.”
Change added that she likes how resale clothing has history.
“You can re-invent things and have something that no one else has. It’s cool to re-invent something someone wore in the ’50s or ’70s,” Change said. “A lot of the things you get in thrift stores have interesting stories behind them. You can think about all of the things that clothing has been through. It means more than just buying something from a corporate store.”
Even though the clothes are recycled, young people can shop at thrift stores and still be trendy, Roos said. At Ragstock, they’re picking up clothes from the ’80s — which have made a comeback — as well as fur coats, both real and fake, she said. There’s also a new Goth romantic section that features a lot of black clothing that is popular among young people.
Buffalo Exchange marketing director Michelle Livingston said another perk is that resale clothing can come from anywhere because the stores allow shoppers to “find clothing otherwise not available in their city, because a well-traveled shopper has sold their clothing to us,” she said.
Some teens need no convincing about the benefits of thrift store shopping. For instance, Oak Park and River Forest senior Ilse Miller shops exclusively at secondhand shops. Her favorite finds have been a pair of purple rain boots from Brown Elephant and a $2 pair of jeans from Crossroads Exchange.
“I like the idea of recycled clothing. It makes sense,” Miller said. “Plus, it’s earth-friendly.”
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thifty tips
Thrift store shopping can be “overpowering,” said Glenbard South senior Jasmine Prapuolenis. “You need to go digging.”
Those who are new to resale shopping may find it easy to get overwhelmed. TheMash talked to some thrift store gurus who shared their shopping secrets. Let the bargain hunt begin!
— “Just go with someone you know,” said Kaya Cuper of Whitney Young. “Be patient and look through everything.”
— “Shopping in places like Goodwill can be a tedious job, but if you look through pretty much everything, you’re bound to find something,” said Glenbard South junior Ainsley Klug.
— “A lot of the stuff I find needs a slight alteration or can be used differently than the original intention. I look for things that I can fix up so that they’re really unique,” Klug said.
— “It’s more of an adventure; you never know what you’re going to find. I try to look for more quality over quantity,” said Rachael Wilson, an Oak Park and River Forest senior.
— “When you find things, don’t just think of how it looks then. If you alter something, it can look really cool,” said Oak Park and River Forest senior Imani Change.
— “If you don’t want to go to a thrift store, ask your grandma or your mom, they might have a lot of cool stuff from the ’60s. I have gotten a lot of stuff from my family,” Wilson said.
— “When thrift store shopping, the biggest thing … is to make sure the condition is good and that you’re getting a quality piece,” said Aimee Pallozzi, manager of Buffalo Exchange in Wicker Park. “With wool, for example, if you pull the wool a bit and put it by your ears, and if it makes a crackling noise, then the fibers have been shrunk.”
— In the end, “people should just buy what they like,” said Cassandra Roos, who works at Ragstock in Lakeview.
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Go shop!
Here’s our guide to some popular resale shops in Chicago. Most of these stores have multiple locations in the city and suburbs, so be sure to check out their Web sites to find the site that’s closest to you, as well as their business hours.
Unique Thift Store
9341 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago
773-239-3127
uniquethriftstore.com
Salvation Army Family Thrift Store
2024 S. Western Ave., Chicago
773-254-1127
satruck.com
Brown Elephant
217 Harrison St., Oak Park
708-445-0612
howardbrown.org
New To You Thrift Shop
United Church of Rogers Park
1545 W. Morse Ave., Chicago
773-761-2500
ORT Resale Shop
915 Chicago Ave., Evanston
847-864-6099
ortchicago.org
Ragstock
812 W. Belmont Ave., 2nd floor, Chicago
773-868-9263
ragstock.com
Hollywood Mirror
812 W. Belmont Ave., 1st floor, Chicago
(773) 404 2044
hollywoodmirror.com
Village Discount Outlet
240 W. Lake St., Addison
866-LIKE- VDO
villagediscountoutlet.com (not pictured)
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Compiled by Margarita Popova, Oak Park and River Forest
