One of these days, winter is going to leave us.
Well, maybe. And with the incoming season of sunshine and warmth, you’re probably starting to think about all of the new clothes you’re going to need. Oh, you weren’t? Well now you are. Shopping at the beginning of the season can get expensive, though, so here’s five ideas for upgrading your wardrobe without downgrading your savings.
Plato’s Closet is one of my favorite stores to visit. It’s a thrift store that give you cash on the spot for your old styles (the only downside is they can be pretty picky in what they’ll take at any given time – it’s whatever the buyer on staff that day deems “fashionable”). It’s pretty easy to sell to them when they like what you have; you simply fill out a ticket, leave your old clothes with them for an hour or so while they go through it, and then they offer you a price for what they want. You can accept or deny it (the entire offer or just particular pieces), they’ll tell you a little about why they didn’t take what they didn’t take, and you can either get cash or apply the credit towards products in the store. On top of your standard clothing, they also carry gently-used shoes, jewelry, scarves, purses, and even books/DVDs/Blu-rays, and they often have brand name clothes with the tags still on! I got a $36 pair of Aerie PJ pants for $8, a North Face vest for $15, and a Columbia insulated coat for under $30!
Vinted is an app that you can get from the App Store, as well as Google Play. It’s kind of like Plato’s, but online. You take pictures of the clothes you want to sell, fill out a short description, original price (if known), and the price you want, and post it to the app. When buying clothes, you can search by size, style, type, color, price, and more. Some people allow for haggling, cheaper prices if you buy more than one item from them, or for swapping items. When an item is bought, the money goes into an account through the app (though it isn’t cleared for the seller to access until the buyer confirms that everything is okay with the item), which can then be used to purchase clothes on the app or transferred to your bank account. Both buyers and sellers can track shipping, and Vinted provides the shipping label to the sellers!
Poshmark is very similar to Vinted, also available on both the App Store and Google Play. This app creates what they call showrooms daily, putting together new collections of available products. Listing and buying both work just like Vinted, however Poshmark has a buyer protections program put in place, which Vinted currently does not; if there is something wrong with your purchase, so long as you contact Poshmark within three days of receiving it they will confirm your claim and refund your money!
Pinterest has tons of ideas for revamping old articles of clothing, and is now available on the App Store and Google Play. It contains tutorials for revamping old jeans into shorts, or faded shorts into tye-dye, ombre, or patterened masterpieces. Is there a hole in your favorite T? Do you hate turtle necks? Bleach spot on that shirt? Turn them into racerback tanks, slit-backed, shoulder-less T’s, or give it a new pattern! There are also tutorials for making rugs and scarves out of old shirts, adding lace or scalloped necklines or chiffon hems, making ruffled skirts, and even different ways you can wear a standard T-shirt and make it interesting! The DIYs on Pinterest are literally endless.
Should you find yourself unable to sell any of your old things, or should you just be feeling like an awesome person, there is a Tumblr site called The Transgender Clothing Exchange. It is a place for trans people to swap their DaB clothing with each other, and you can donate things to people who are having a hard time acquiring the items they need to transition, whether it be because of money or family or anything else.
Additionally, it’s an excellent idea to shop mid to end season! When stores are trying to bring in stock relevant to next season, the current styles and pieces generally go on mega-sale. It’s true that there are less options, but what you do find is bound to be a great deal.