Medill junior Saba Berhie eagerly shows off a vintage, polyester skirt, pleated at the knees and colored a serene shade of royal blue. It looks like a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing, perhaps purchased at one of SoHo’s upscale boutiques. But Berhie, a 19-year-old from Huntington, W. Va. says she found the trendy item at the relatively new Evanston branch of Crossroads Trading Co., the thrift store chain based out of California.
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| Clothes purchased at Crossroads Trading Company |
Berhie said she doesn’t mind that skirt was worn by someone else before her. “If the Olsen twins wear vintage, why shouldn’t I?” she said. “I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal, as long as you wash it afterwards.”
The store, which opened in the late summer, is one of 18 branches across California, Seattle and the Chicago area. Many say it offers a different sort of retain experience by giving shoppers the opportunity to buy “recycled” and new fashion at a lower prices.
“College kids [are] always on a budget,” says Meghan Bailey, assistant manager of the Evanston location. “If they can find 7 Jeans for $40 instead of $180, they’re bound to be attracted.”
The store’s appeal to college students: Designer-label merchandise for discounted prices, and the chance for customers to sell their own clothing to the store in return for cash or store credit.
Berhie said she sold two pairs of jeans to Crossroads.
“I think in college it’s especially useful, because your figure fluctuates, and you grow in and out of your clothes,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to sell them and get some cash in the process.”
The Evanston location sits between Starbucks and Così on Sherman Ave., both popular spots with Northwestern students. Vibrant décor visible through the store’s windows makes Crossroads stand out to passers-by. Bailey said the interior was deliberately designed to break the notion that thrift stores are dusty, unkempt places.
“It doesn’t smell like a thrift store. It’s very bright and [has] a good atmosphere,” she said.
Behind the counter, leopard-printed Prada pumps and suede DKNY boots with fur detailing rest alongside accessories from Gucci, Steve Madden and BCBG Max Azria. Chunky knits and sherpa-lined vests hang high on the walls, while skinny jeans dangle from the well-sorted racks. Organized by style and color and visibly up-to-date with the latest trends of the season, Crossroads looks nothing short of a spread from Vogue.
The only problem, Bailey said, is attracting a male audience. Bailey notes that significantly fewer men come into the store, perhaps because they are more apathetic to shopping than the average woman.
McCormick senior Suchit Dash disagrees with that characterization. He said he enjoys his shopping but feels Crossroads fails to provide the quality he seeks in his clothing.
Dash, 22 and from San Jose, Calif. only goes to thrift stores when in need of a costume for Halloween. He prefers to buy his clothes brand new.
“That plays a factor in quality of clothing, because obviously [from a thrift store] it’s not new, and most of the clothes you generally buy are new,” he said.
Lora Alkhawam, a 20-year-old Weinberg junior from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia doesn’t feel that way.
“I’m not xenophobic,” she said. “I just throw stuff in the wash before I wear it. If it’s flattering and something I would buy elsewhere, I wouldn’t pass it up just because it’s from a thrift store.”