Beauty for a song: the best thrift stores in New York

Searching thrift stores in New York City is not for the faint of heart. Do you need a fleece jacket with a Stussy mask? Vintage leather jacket? Be prepared to rummage through the racks and sift through all 50 options.

If you are interested in supporting a popular trend and switching to conscious consumption, Gothamist prepared a list of popular second-hand stores in the city and their most popular items.

But thrifting—as labor-intensive as it is—is experiencing a boom in New York. Owners of second-hand clothing stores say demand began to increase around 2021. Photos of Bella Hadid, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna taken at various stores around the city have since fueled the trend.

Demand for the items is growing thanks to two factors: TikTok minds lighting up city stores, and the desire of consumers of all ages, especially Gen Z, to make greener choices.

According to Alexis Kreis, owner of Williamsburg-based Plus BKLYN, “Consumers have become more conscious and aware that global warming is a reality.” Many of her customers are concerned about what they see as waste in fashion and are gravitating towards “more second-hand items and slow fashion pieces that are more ethically produced.”

Cure Thrift Shop

Liz Wolff opened Cure Thrift just over 15 years ago and has already seen a change in the way people think about buying used clothing. “With the advent of social media, it's become cool to post about people visiting second-hand stores,” she says.

Vintage knits, cardigans and pullovers are the first to fly off the racks, Wolff said. Second-hand items from luxury brands are also in great demand. Bottega Veneta, vintage Gucci and vintage Prada - these brands don't stay in the store for long.

The biggest trend Wolff has seen is shoppers wanting Y2K-era pieces like chunky heels, small designer shoulder bags and early 2000s prom dresses from Jessica McClintock.

“Fifteen years ago, when these things came into my store, I didn’t even display them because they were so outdated for the time, but now they’re trendy,” she says. “The uglier the better.”

Beacon's Closet

Beacon's Closet, with stores in Manhattan, Park Slope, Bushwick and Greenpoint, offers vintage and contemporary clothing at relatively low prices.

Nikolai Hunt, the store's buyer, says his client base in Manhattan covers a wide range of people, but mainly consists of fashion students at Parsons School of Design and industry professionals such as stylists and designers.

Some of the most popular items, he says, include designer labels Gucci, Dior and Bottega Veneta, mid-range items such as Anne Klein, and statement pieces such as cashmere sweaters in bold colors.

Hunt believes people are drawn to thrifting by the desire to find unique items and make environmentally friendly choices.

“Mass production is one of the main sources of environmental pollution,” he said. “That’s why people gravitate to these stores because in a sense it’s recycling and turning old things into new.”

Seven Wonders Collective

At Seven Wonders Collective stores, located in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and the Lower East Side, each rack is owned by a separate, independent supplier.

“People are realizing that there is nothing sustainable about most fashion brands, and the easiest way to avoid mindless consumption is to buy second-hand and use what is already on the planet,” says Alessandra Canario, who sells her brand Ally Bird Vintage in a store in Williamsburg.

Among the store's bestsellers are items from the 1950s to the 70s, as well as vintage items from recently deceased designers: Vivienne Westwood, Issey Miyake, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

She also noticed an interest in sheer fabrics.

She says that “sheer fabrics are very trendy right now.” “People have been loving layering lately, which is great because it's a tricky thing to style. And Gauthier is kind of the king of the gridiron. He was the one who popularized it.”

Plus BKLYN

Plus BKLYN specializes in clothing for people size 12 and up. The store's owner, Alexis Kreis, said she founded it after moving to the “fashion capital” of the world and discovering how difficult it was to shop for her fuller figure.

“I created Plus BKLYN because I knew that if I was experiencing this problem, many others were experiencing the same thing,” she said.

Popular items at Plus BKLYN include dresses with bold prints, maxi skirts and “rare” Levi plus-size jeans. Her most popular brands are Wray and Big Bud Press, she said.

“Plus sizes are traditionally considered sailor sizes, which are ill-fitting,” she said. “We do the opposite – we try to offer really beautiful, fun, young, fashionable clothes.”

Other People's Clothes

Charlie Gonzalez, manager of Other People's Clothes in Bushwick, says most customers are young people who learn about fashion from TikTok. Among the “hot” products are “duplicates” of popular brands.

“Young people don't have the money to buy the clothes that are most popular now,” he said. – There are a pair of Miu Miu boots that are very popular now. They retail for over $2000, but in our store they can find a pair of Harley Davidson boots for about $50-$60.” Other sought-after labels include Y2K-era brands like Juicy Couture, Coach and Ed Hardy, which was once a choice of Kevin “K-Fed” Federline.

L-Train Vintage

L-Train Vintage has locations throughout the city, including Bushwick, Williamsburg and Crown Heights. This store is loved by fans of street and work clothes. According to Daisy Perez, who works in the company's office, popular brands include Dickies, Levis and Carhartt. When cooler weather hits, Perez said jackets, flannels and sweaters sell out quickly.

10 Ft Single by Stella Dallas

Cowboy boots, military jackets and quality denim are what 10 Ft Single offers at vintage store. It is popular with celebrities such as model Bella Hadid, young people and older tourists, according to store manager Andres Ortega.

“One of the main reasons our store is so popular is that 100 bucks can buy you a ton of stuff,” Ortega says. “You don’t need a lot of money.”

According to Ortega, the store's best-selling items are old Converse, graphic T-shirts and men's corduroy pants. "The store's owners have been selling vintage since the '90s and make sure everything they buy is of the best quality," he said. .