As summer peeks at us behind the stressful mountain of finals, many of us are in the market for a wardrobe overhaul or even just to update a few outfits. However, in this economy, especially for broke college students, it can often be too easy to turn to fast-fashion outlets like Shein, Zara, and Asos. What if you don’t want to contribute to the 11.3 million tons of textile waste the U.S. produces each year and instead support local resources near campus?
Luckily for you, I’ve got multiple thrifting and clothing swap options for UNCO students. Both on and off campus, these options provide affordable clothing sources that allow our community to give well-loved clothing a second life.
A lesser-known off-campus option is Twice as Nice, a local thrift store on West 10th Street that employs people with disabilities. As part of Schaefer Enterprises Inc., the store provides a rotating stock of donated items ranging from clothes, jewelry, and outdoor gear. If you’re looking for a rare find, this tucked-away thrift spot is a great place to support our community while getting a great deal. Another community-based thrift store, The Bargain Box, is a great source to get used clothing while also contributing to their longstanding community programs and philanthropy.
Both Twice as Nice and The Bargain Box are great options if you want to avoid the bigger thrift stores like Goodwill and Arc Thrift. However, we can’t argue against the Goodwill Outlet in Denver, the deals are just too good.
The Goodwill Outlet is ideal for getting a lot of clothes for a cheap price as they sell their goods by the pound. The nearest Outlet location to campus is off Kearney Street, so it can be a bit of a trek, but well worth the drive. With that being said, it is also one of the most stressful shopping experiences I have had in my life. With the Outlet’s tradition of releasing people dog-pile style on bins and bins of clothing at the same time, it can feel like a fight to the death to find the perfect top. Let’s just say, having friends willing to throw elbows over a cardigan will never be more important than when you visit the Goodwill Outlet.
What about on-campus resources? UNCO’s business program made its very own Professional Attire Closet, providing students with access to free professional clothing. We have all experienced the panic before an interview over what to wear, especially when you just need that one element to pull the outfit together. It’s always that one element that stands between you looking like a teenage boy in their untailored prom tux and the business mogul you aspire to be. The Closet is an amazing resource that removes the financial barrier for students to dress their best. Located in Kepner Hall, room 1095F, the Closet invites students regardless of major to schedule an appointment to find their next power-fit.
A student-based thrifting option is Earth Guardian’s clothing swaps, which take place throughout the semester. At the swaps, students can bring their own donated clothing to trade with one another or buy the available pieces for as little as $1. For more information on the next swap, follow UNCO’s Earth Guardians chapter (@earthguardians_unco).
There are so many options, and we love a thrift-hop just as much as the next sustainable girl, but it can be hard to hunt for your next outfit alone. As a genderqueer person, I have always found shopping to be a living nightmare. Between the hellscape that is women’s sizes and the ingrained belief in the fashion industry that all women look the same, shopping is usually my idea of a wasted afternoon.
Now, though, I shop with friends, which has allowed me to laugh and joke about the insanity that is women’s sizing with folks who know just how ridiculous it can be to be a woman or nonbinary person in society. Not only that, but I get to try out new styles and get second opinions that aren’t just my partner telling me I look cute (they think I look cute in everything: they are unfortunately (fortunately) very biased).
This is why our chapter is hosting an excursion to the Goodwill Outlet this Spring semester: to allow UNCO women and genderqueer folks to face the shopping hellscape together. Maybe so I can have some backup for my next cute top scuffle, too. So grab your besties, a coffee, and register to carpool with us to Denver to revamp your closets in a sustainable, affordable way. RSVP!