With gamedays approaching, Halloween around the corner, and a million other reasons to dress up, shopping at a thrift store is a sustainable alternative to buying brand-new clothes. Let’s keep fashion slow! Check out any of these local thrift stores, who knows what you’ll find!
Dynamite Clothing ($$$):
Dynamite Clothing is a quaint vintage shop located downtown next to the K.A Artist Shop. With a wide variety of clothing and accessories, you could expect to find nearly anything at Dynamite. Though some of its items may be a bit pricier than your average thrift find, you can always expect the clothes at Dynamite to be of good quality. There’s a more curated collection of clothes compared to what you may find at Goodwill, so if you’re looking for truly vintage, high-quality garments, stop by Dynamite!
My Favorite Find: Multi-Colored Fringe Mini Skirt
America’s Thrift ($):
America’s Thrift is a vast thrift store located on Atlanta, Highway that looks like it could’ve been a supermarket in a past life. With a reliable seasonal rotation and a pretty extensive collection for any occasion or holiday, America’s Thrift is my favorite thrift store in Athens. There’s just so much stuff, making it the perfect place to plunder! The prices are generally reasonable and they have plenty of discounts. Bring your student ID on Wednesdays for a 10% discount and keep a close eye on the color of your tags for a 30%-50% discount.
The only real con about America’s Thrift is that, like most thrift stores, the men's clothing section is a little limited.
My Favorite Find: Cropped Navy Blue Puffer Jacket
Cillies Clothing ($$):
Cillies Clothing is also located downtown and is truly a treasure hunt. This is a store for trinket enthusiasts and those who love a good unexpected thrift find. There are so many hidden gems in Cillies. I’ve had the pleasant surprise of stumbling upon vintage handbags, high-quality boots, and intricately detailed silk scarves. They even have a sizable amount of vintage prom dresses. The pricing is generally OK, but it is not the cheapest. However, don’t let that stop you from exploring what Cillies has to offer. The woman working the counter is always super sweet and she might even snap a picture of you for their Facebook page!
My favorite find: A vintage pair of White Go Go Boots
Goodwill Lexington Rd. & West Side($):
Both the Goodwill on Lexington Road and the West side offer your classic thrift store experience. I cannot speak to the variety of clothing all too well however I have found some cool things at both locations. I haven’t found any real stand-out pieces at either of these locations but I’ve across a good pair of cheap jeans and other good-quality denim items. Much like America’s Thrift, the colors on the tags could save you some money, so keep an eye out. Other than that both Goodwill locations are pretty reliable.
My favorite find: Denim Mini Skirt
St. Mary's ($$):
St. Mary’s is a shop located on West Broad Street that according to the website “specializes in gently used fine merchandise”. The store is well organized and a nice change of pace from its busier counterparts. You’ll have good luck with finding high-quality garments here as the clothing is well-sorted and neat. Staffed by lovely and helpful volunteers, all my experiences at St. Mary’s have been nice and relaxed. The prices are reasonable though you may not get the opportunity for discounts. My only qualm with St. Mary’s is the hours- they’re a lot shorter than other thrift stores. Other than that St. Mary’s is a nice place to search for thrift finds and you may have the chance to stumble upon some interesting free items; they always have a free stuff box!
Favorite Find: Slip Dress
Honorable Mention: Free matching wine glass set
Plato's Closet ($$):
Plato’s Closet is PACKED. Each time I’ve been to donate and shop the store is essentially spilling over with clothes. With that being said there is so much variety in Plato’s that I suggest everyone stop by. They have a strict set of rules for the types of clothes that they accept so you can expect most garments to be in good condition and relatively trendy. Most people just think of Plato’s Closet as an easy way to make a quick buck, but if you shop around you may find some good deals as well. In my experience, Plato’s Closet is always a bit more expensive than Goodwill, which is sometimes a deterrent but it’s still worth a trip.
My Favorite Find: Free People Denim Skirt.
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