Like many students here at UVM, I love going thrifting. Not only is it so great for the environment but I love discovering the one-of-a-kind pieces and finding new ways of re-inventing the items to adapt to my personal wardrobe. I am a total sucker for a great thrift store. Here in Burlington I have found a few gems that I believe are a mandatory visit if you are planning on finding some inexpensive second-hand pieces. I have compiled a list of my personal favorite second-hand clothing stores in Burlington (as well as a few online options) that I believe you have to try!
Plato’s Closet
34 Taft Corners Shopping Center, Williston, VT 05495
This is by far my favorite second-hand clothing store I have been to here in Vermont. Platos is a chain and they have a few locations around the country. What I love about them specifically is they have seasonal “drops” where they release all new clothing routinely, and they have some really great brands in store like Free People and Urban Outfitters, that are all second-hand and super inexpensive. Plato’s also has a counter where you have the ability to donate your own clothes and receive money back for them which is a great system for those who have a lot of clothing that they no longer wear anymore, like myself. Some of my best finds here have been my Reebok sneakers and a brand new Fjällräven backpack that was only $40… a total steal!
Downtown Threads
108 Church Street, Burlington VT 05405
This clothing store is all second-hand and located above Tradewinds downtown on Church Street, but is for sure a hidden gem. They have an abundance of vintage coats and accessories and the owner has a super cute dog that you can visit while you shop which is a huge bonus!
Battery Street Jeans
115 College Street, Burlington VT, 05401
Super hit or miss but they have a really awesome costume and winter coat selection. This second-hand store is located on the way down to the waterfront and also has a really cool selection of DVDs and cassettes which I always love looking through when I’m there.
Dirt Chic
67 Main Street, Burlington VT, 05401
Dirt Chic is a super cool consignment spot as well. They have a really great selection of jeans and dresses here as well as a fair share of designer handbags which is amazing. I love how this specific spot has dressing rooms since sometimes when you go shopping at consignment stores they don’t all have dressing rooms and for me this can make or break a purchase.
Goodwill
64 Harvest Lane Suite 30, Williston VT, 05495
1080 Shelburne Road, South Burlington VT, 05403
Goodwill is a national chain that has a few locations around the Burlington area with really cheap deals on clothing and house decor. I really love going to the Goodwill bins which basically have large bins filled with clothing that was donated to that specific store and customers pay by the pound for clothing. In my personal experience the bins have been my best Goodwill finds overall.
DEPOP
Online – https://www.depop.com/
DEPOP is an obsession for me. Their selection of sellers is tailored to be very fit for the college age population as they sell items from brands like Urban Outfitters, Free People, Ragged Priest and Princess Polly. I love DEPOP because they have a feature called your “Style Edit” where based on the clothing and accounts you have looked at on the app, they culminate with different items posted on the app that are similar to things you have liked or looked at often. I tend to use this feature a lot and have found really amazing items on this app like platform white boots and patchwork denim jeans that are amazing.
Poshmark
Online – https://poshmark.com
Poshmark is another option that is an online reselling clothing platform. I have sold a few of my own clothing items on this app and they too have a great selection of companies to choose from, like Lululemon, Chanel, and Free People. Personally my mom is a big fan of Poshmark and was the one who first introduced me to this specific platform.
thredUP
Online – https://www.thredup.com/
This website is an online consignment and thrift store that has a variety of amazing brands to shop from. They also have a selling program where you fill up a bag of clothing with a prepaid shipping and send it off to their headquarters and they then organize the clothing and post the selking links to their website for other people to choose from. Once the listings are posted thredUP then notifies you when your items have been purchased and they send you money for your items. I love this company so much because it is very similar to the concepts of other online thrift stores or reselling stores, however they make the process so easy by posting the listings for you.
**Edited by Abigail Simanjuntak