I've suggested the best tips regarding how to thrift and where to buy sustainable goods, albeit mostly online, but what about shopping locally (for me, in Regina, SK) AND making sure its sustainable?
Thrifting is a great option if you want to buy gently (or heavily) used items, brand name or not, at a relatively discounted price. I will say that thrifting, depending what and where you thrift, hasn't always proven to be the most sustainable, but it's better than some of the alternatives. If you want to learn more, read this article.
Regardless, I hope you can use my five thrifting tips from last week to find some goodies at any of my favourite places:
Value Village - There is some controversy in the thrifting community if VV is really a sustainable option, as their prices are marked up often for low quality items and they operate as a business rather than a charity. So the good is for the wrong reasons it seems. However, I think that whether that is true or not, buying used is always better than buying new.
Salvation Army - Arguably, this may be a better option of a classic thrift store than VV since it is actually a charity, which directs profits to be used to benefit the community. Just like VV, if you donate, you receive a 20% off coupon for a purchase of $20 or more to be used any time. Pro tip: Make sure to ask because sometimes the employees forget! This value is easy to reach, but if you only need one thing - take a friend!
The Antique Mall - Three storeys of antiques, in the truest definition of the word. This place is stocked full of very old and often completely random items. Although they do have a small clothing section, they are mostly catered towards home items. I even saw an old school house desk once with the attached chair and everything. However, my favourite section would be the pottery and ceramics.
The Dress Form - For all of your vintage clothing-lovers out there, this is for you! Think grandpa sweaters, silk nightgowns and fur coats. You get the idea. Follow on instagram at @thedressform
Other thrift stores that I haven't visited enough to report on include The Log House Thrift Store and Habitat for Humanity Restore. Let me know if you've visited these places and what you think. Every thrift store has something special to offer.
Consignment serves as a better option for getting rid of gently used/brand new clothing items and accessories. When a customer brings in items the store will select the best based on strict criteria (ex. tags on, no pilling, certain brands only, etc.) to sell to customers with the donator getting a part of the profits of each item. As you can see, consignment takes a lot more patience, effort and research than thrifting does if you want to use it to get rid of items. However, shopping at consignment stores is just as easy (but more rewarding) than shopping new. Here are some of my favourites.
Rhoda's Elegance Again - With two Regina locations, there's a bit of everything. The Albert St. location has more variety, more space to shop and more modern items that would be directed at a younger adult customer base. Whereas, the Park St. location has less to choose from and caters to an older customer base. Not sure if this is intentional or not, but it's what I've noticed. However, I've found great items at both locations, so don't let this limit you.
Hanger and Rack (with a new men's section!) - The only consignment store in the city with a men's section (@hangerandrack.men). The items I've found here range from brands like H&M (often not accepted at higher-end consignment stores due to the poor quality and short lifespan of garments) to Zara to Calvin Klein.
Loom and Magpie - Here you'll find higher end accessories, like shoes, purses and jewellery as well as clothing. They accept only the best of the best, so make sure you go with a budget. Their Instagram page (@loomandmagpie) makes it easy to see what they have in store before even going in (watch for their stories).
Wanting to look elsewhere for sustainable items?
Hazlewood (located in Saskatoon, but have supplied the majority of my wardrobe by now) - Here you'll find a combination of vintage and modern clothing, home items and apothecary. They feature small businesses such as Le Bon Shoppe, CUB Clothing (clothing made in Regina, SK), Five of Hearts and more. I'm obsessed, ok!?
Hunter and Hare (located in Vancouver, also a large contributor to my wardrobe) - This shop is much more established in that they sell a whole variety of stuff, from paper and print to accessories to hand made jewelry. Need I say more?
A sneak peak of a couple favourites that I own:
Twisted Brass Dangle Earrings - handmade in Winnipeg!
As well, I've noticed that both Hazlewood and Hunter and Hare have berets that I would love to own... How many berets is too many?
This was initially supposed to be a filtered list of just a few faves but then as I dove in, I just couldn't pick. I truly love them all. Thanks for reading nonetheless!
Don't fit into either category of thrifting or consigning your items? Check out next week's post about my three favourite alternate places to sell your unwanted items.
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