Best places for inexpensive clothes

sliceofsarah
sliceofsarah Posts: 141 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've reached that point where many things in my closet don't fit anymore (too big) and there's only so much that belts can do.

I want to know the place you've had the most luck with finding new things to wear on a tight budget. I am definitely interested in second hand clothes, but I have heard that some chains' prices (i.e. Value Village) really don't reflect the fact that the clothes are second hand. I am looking for suggestions to try to save time and narrow down the hunt.

So are there any chains you've had good luck at finding either new or second hand clothing (that actually looks like it belongs in this decade)? ;)

For frame of reference, I am a 22 year old college student (hence tight budget). I need to buy both casual everyday clothing and business casual/professional. I really need to find good deals especially since I still have more to lose. :)
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Replies

  • AphelionPDX
    AphelionPDX Posts: 105
    I saw you live in Seattle, and there are a couple of great places there I love going to. Crossroads Trading is a good second hand store. They are somewhat picky about the clothes they choose to sell. Redlight is also good and in the same neighborhood. When I visit Seattle, I typically spend a lot of time at Capitol Hill, and that's where these two stores are. Also, I don't know if you have a Buffalo Exchange up there, but I love the ones we have here in Portland. Good luck! Oh, also, if you don't mind big box stores, Target and H&M are always good.
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    www.freecycle.org sign up for one or more of the Seattle area groups. I belong to East King County and Snoqualmie Valley. People offer free clothes all the time and you may also get some other goodies.
  • sliceofsarah
    sliceofsarah Posts: 141 Member
    Thanks for the suggestions AphelionPDX . I have been to those places before and do like what they sell. I will check them out and see if I can find any cute stuff.

    If anyone else has any suggestions, I am all ears. If there is anywhere people have found really really good deals, that's what I need, because I have very little to spend right now.
  • sliceofsarah
    sliceofsarah Posts: 141 Member
    www.freecycle.org sign up for one or more of the Seattle area groups. I belong to East King County and Snoqualmie Valley. People offer free clothes all the time and you may also get some other goodies.

    I like this idea a lot! Free is definitely in my budget. Thank you!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I go to Ross. The clothes aren't second hand, they're factory seconds (minor flaws). I usually can't spot the flaws and they're marked way down.
  • JessyJ03
    JessyJ03 Posts: 627 Member
    Goodwill? Not sure what you have locally but we also have a store called Plato's Closet. It's second hand name brand clothes that are only lightly used. Not sure what the prices look like there. Also try Ebay, you'd be surprised what you can find on Ebay :)
  • cb83580
    cb83580 Posts: 136 Member
    I've had great luck with Goodwill! You have to go frequently since their stock is always changing, they're always getting new things, etc., but if you go often enough, you can find a lot of nice clothes. They tend to charge more for "name brand" items, but it's not too bad. I have 5 within 20 miles of me that I make my rounds at fairly frequently.
  • caitlyn30
    caitlyn30 Posts: 207 Member
    Platos closet
  • lsjd2000
    lsjd2000 Posts: 287 Member
    I've found that going to thrift stores in areas that have higher incomes typically you will find better items. Not sure if you have platos closet but its a store for teens/young adults (kinda like once upon a child) they usually only accept clothes that are in style, for basics check out your local super store walmart target etc and right now alot of stores like Kohls are having clearance sales which are great ways to get new clothes cheaper.
  • fallenoaks
    fallenoaks Posts: 19
    I buy professional clothes off of ebay. I wear suits to work a lot, and it's very hard to find good quality, trendy suits in second hand stores. You'll probably need one if you will be graduating and interviewing this spring/summer.
  • djshari
    djshari Posts: 513 Member
    do you have a fashion bug near you? the ones near me are going out of business and all of the clothes are 50-60% off. last time I went they still had plenty of stuff - if you are looking for something specific they may not have it but from what I could tell they still had quite a range in sizes left.
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    www.freecycle.org sign up for one or more of the Seattle area groups. I belong to East King County and Snoqualmie Valley. People offer free clothes all the time and you may also get some other goodies.

    I like this idea a lot! Free is definitely in my budget. Thank you!
    You're welcome. You can also put up "wanted" adds but some groups require that you offer something first, read through your groups' rules. It's a good way to get rid of things too.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    Second hand stores, Ross, extreme markdown racks in department stores, hand-me-downs.

    Compared to new clothing prices, I find that places like Value Village offer quite a large discount. Of course you have to pick through quite a few items that you can't believe anybody ever bought once, much less again, but there are good deals to be found.
  • cnelson1974
    cnelson1974 Posts: 235 Member
    I've used Goodwill fairly successfully. This is a lower income area, but I shop for items out of season and it helps. Last summer I bought my kids 4 pairs of name brand jeans (Levi, Guess, Maurices, etc.) each for $7. My daughter got a really nice formal for $25.
  • serenapitala
    serenapitala Posts: 441 Member
    Look up local consignment shops or charity shops in your area. The small ones are generally the cheapest. Goodwill can be good, but it depends. Family Pathways is a good one near me. My favorite is a dinky one near where I live, I don't always find things that fit or that I like, but when I do they are great deals. Ones on main streets or in expensive neighborhoods will cost the most. I did a google search to find ones near me.
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
    Goodwill and do you happen to have a Plato's Closet somewhere around you?
  • LoveMy3Boys
    LoveMy3Boys Posts: 562 Member
    My go to stores are Old Navy, Target and Forever 21 if I want to stay inexpensive.
  • eganita
    eganita Posts: 501 Member
    Old Navy. I have a credit card there and earn tons of rewards... plus they are always doing some kind of sale.
  • kmorris246
    kmorris246 Posts: 312 Member
    I agree with Forever 21- I had NO idea they had such cute and inexpensive clothing! Also, Marshalls and TJ Maxx are awesome places to score some good deals :-)
  • AckieJ
    AckieJ Posts: 199 Member
    Goodwill. I refuse to buy new clothes.. since I"m not done trying to lose the weight. I did find a cheap pair of jeans for like $9. Won't buy anything else. :blushing:
  • gatilbury
    gatilbury Posts: 5 Member
    Just purchased 4 pairs of shorts from Goodwill...$5 a pop!!!! Cant be beaten. Figured that if others donated the same quality clothes that I did (purged all of my big clothes) then there had to be some good finds.
  • melinda200208
    melinda200208 Posts: 525 Member
    I like to go to ritzy towns and go to their garage sales! I can't ever find pants because of my height but I find shirts
  • Jesea
    Jesea Posts: 376 Member
    I just bought a plain t-shirt type dress at H&M for $12.95. Actually, I bought one before Christmas and liked it so much I went back for another color!
  • dough21
    dough21 Posts: 216 Member
    If you have any by you I find Burlington Coat factory pretty cheap.
  • Crosbinium
    Crosbinium Posts: 415 Member
    Another place to find cheap clothing is Old Navy. I just picked up some clearance items and got two outfits for under $30. Two pairs of pants, one tank, a cardigan and a long sleeve shirt. I teach and they were appropriate for work.
  • mhk0719
    mhk0719 Posts: 255
    definately check out Goodwill :smile:
  • julieyoungrayworth
    julieyoungrayworth Posts: 3
    The best place is on a website called everything 5 pound or less put it into google. it is great and good value for money i always buy good clothes from there i have hundreds of shoes
  • Anthonydaman
    Anthonydaman Posts: 854 Member
    Retailers in general have been hit hard by the recession, I think the clearance rack in just about any store will yield some great bargains. BTW, congrats on having to buy a smaller wardrobe !
  • sliceofsarah
    sliceofsarah Posts: 141 Member
    Thanks for all of the suggestions. I really appreciate it!

    A lot of you mentioned Plato's Closet, so I am thinking they must have good deals. I haven't shopped there much but there is one in my home town, so I will have to look next time I visit home.

    I think I may check out Goodwill today since a lot of you have had luck with that as well!
    I buy professional clothes off of ebay. I wear suits to work a lot, and it's very hard to find good quality, trendy suits in second hand stores. You'll probably need one if you will be graduating and interviewing this spring/summer.

    Thank you for this suggestions. One of the things I really need to find is a new suit. I am a business student, and it's really hard to get by without a suit that fits.
  • Lesley2901
    Lesley2901 Posts: 372 Member
    I see from your profile that you will be visiting the Netherlands in March, if you get the chance to visit the UK Primark have really inexpensive clothes and have a shop in most cities. You can even get cheap luggage to take your purchases home again!

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