Junior psychology major Elizabeth Bains spent a recent Saturdayafternoon shopping. She bought a pair of Tiffany earrings, a furcoat, two designer dresses (one identical to a dress Sarah JessicaParker wore in an episode of “Sex and the City”),several stylish shirts and skirts and a Burberry trench coat. ButBains did not spend her day at NorthPark. She never set foot in theGalleria, nor any other mall for that matter. She found all this ata Dallas resale shop.
Resale and vintage shops are becoming more and more popular withSMU students, selling designer names, trendy brands and uniquepieces at bargain prices.
“These stores are great places to shop. You never knowwhat you will find — designer pieces, cool vintage T-shirtsthat are one of a kind — and everything isinexpensive,” Bains said.
According to the National Association of Resale & ThriftShops, resale stores are one of the fastest growing segments of theretail industry. The association has more than 1,000 members withabout 15,000 shops nationwide.
The popularity of second-hand clothing has increased for severalreasons. High profile celebrities like Winona Ryder, Donna Karanand Sharon Stone wear vintage gowns to award shows and say theyshop in resale shops. Designers are also looking back to the stylesof past decades for ideas. Hippie looks from the ‘70s, theglamour of the ‘30s, and the punk and preppy styles of the‘80s have all made comebacks.
Economic trends have also made these shops attractive. Accordingto the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer spending onapparel decreased by 6.1 percent between 2000 and 2001. BLS dataalso reveals that student unemployment is the highest it has beenin 55 years.
Reduced cash flow has increased student demands for bargains andhas led them to resale stores.
Clothes Circuit and Robin Hood are two Dallas storesspecializing in “designer resale.”
These stores sell “nearly new, in style items,” saidAdelaide Elliott, manager of Clothes Circuit, 6105 Sherry Lane.
Many items have never been worn and still have the tags onthem.
“People buy a lot of these clothes at department stores,and when they get home, they decide they don’t like them …so they bring them here,” Elliott said.
And thus, students like Bains can find that $400 Prada purse for$150.
Vintage stores such as Buffalo Exchange and Rag Wear, bothlocated on Lower Greenville, are great places to find quirkyT-shirts and one-of- a-kind pieces. Looking for a vintage beltbuckle or a funny shirt and don’t want to see six otherpeople wearing it? How about a sea-foam green shirt, found at RagWear, from the ‘70s that reads “Computers are fun! Anduseful too!” You might have to look around a little, butthese trendy vintage stores are filled with fun bargains waiting tobe stumbled upon.
Some, however, are turned off by the ideas of buying second-handclothes.
“I’m repulsed by the idea of wearing astranger’s used clothes,” junior psychology major BetsyRosen said. “Just going into those stores makes me feel likeshowering.”
But according to the Associated Press article this perception ofresale shops is outdated. A few decades ago people thought of theshops as “dark, smelly, disorganized junk stores … Peoplewere ashamed to admit they shopped there.” Dramatic changeshave transformed the industry and “a new image of resale hasemerged,” the article stated. Stores are not only chic, butare also brightly lit, clean, well organized and comfortable, theNational Association of Resale and Thrift Shops said.
The thrill of scoring distinctive finds at thrift storesattracts many shoppers.
“The cool stuff is there, you just have to look forit,” junior Mike Retzer said.
“I went into Buffalo Exchange and found a pair of $120Theory jeans for $5,” junior business major Caroline Nealsaid. “They looked brand new and fit perfectly,” shesaid.
Cindy Gutierrez, owner of Robin Hood Designer Resale, says theirmost popular items are jeans. Sold at discounted prices, Dolce& Gabbana, Seven’s, Earl Jeans and Diesel are a few ofthe brands shoppers can find at the Snider Plaza shop.
“A few years ago young people weren’t coming in tothese stores,” Elliott said. “Now we are seeing lots ofstudents and trendier crowds … they’re looking for fun,unique, new stuff at great prices and are finding it in resaleshops.”
