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Thrift Store Guide
By
Andrew Simpson
,
Jackie Montalvo
,
Malloy Moseley
,
Mia Luo
,
Mira Wang
,
Robin Opsahl
,
Tanner Howard
9:57 p.m. Nov. 16 2014
<!-- <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.encorechicago.org/"><strong>Encore</strong></a></p> <p>1553 Hyde Park Blvd, Hyde Park, Chicago</p> <p>By: Mira Wang</p> <p>It’s a bit of a hike from campus - near U Chicago, of all horrible places in the universe - but if you find yourself visiting the South Side, stop by Encore in the Hyde Park neighborhood for a decent array of thrift shop duds.</p> <p>At first glance, the store looks small and packed, filled with clothing for the entire family: children’s clothes in the front, men’s on the left and women’s on the right. All of the clothing is in good shape, devoid of that musty thrift-shop smell that a lot of other stores suffer from, and well-organized by type, size and even color.</p> <p>The women’s clothes take up the majority of the small shop, but a lot of it looks like the retro stuff your mom shoves in the back of her closet. Overly embellished dresses, funky jumpsuits, sweaters of questionable length and strangely patterned shirts abound. A few interesting pieces hang from hooks mounted on the wall: a teal ombre dress, a tan snakeskin jacket, a furry brown hat. But on the racks, you have to dig around a bit to find the good stuff.</p> <p>The shirt selection is a bit spotty, a cool cat-patterned cropped tee shoved in next to a basic, shapeless polo. The jewelry rack, however, has some really interesting beaded bracelets. Some classy, worn-in loafers and heels line the perimeter of the room. Pro tip: A rack of nice trench coats and leather jackets sit in front of the changing room in the back room. Pretty cheap, too.</p> <p>Overall, prices are pretty good; the most expensive item I found sold for 20 dollars. Plus, depending on the color of the price-tag - bright blue, salmon, red, tan, green- you could take 25, 50, or even 75 percent off. The clothes are donated by members of the community, and all profits go towards community renewal projects in Hyde Park.</p> <p>So come to Encore, buy a cool shirt and feel good about it.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://ragstock.com/"><strong>Ragstock</strong></a><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong>812 W. Belmont Ave. #2</p> <p>By: Robin Opsahl</p> <p>Ragstock is a midwestern staple, a recycled clothing store found in almost every college town in the region. It is a beloved chain, combining antiquated fashions with newer trends and offers both resale items and attires from new, smaller clothing lines. The one closest to Northwestern is in Belmont, a few stops in on the Red Line. Ragstock is different than the average thrift store experience. Combining aspects of thrift stores with those of modern clothing outlets, the store combines cheap and chic in its own distinct way.</p> <p>Entering through an alleyway, you go into a hallway which itself reflects the nature of Ragstock, adorned with band posters and dilapidated paintings. From there, you can choose to go upstairs to the women’s department or downstairs to the men’s department. Either way, you are met with an expanse of apparel. Signs denote what type of clothing is being sold as you wander through the store, boasting a range of clothes as basic as “leggings” or “shirts” to as outlandish as “festival skirts” and “Christmas sweaters”. Flannels are everywhere. Racks of sunglasses, bracelets and combat boots adorn the store, and outfits to match whatever holiday is coming are sure to be displayed. Ragstock caters to vintage-loving college kids and keeps its selections updated with trends in hipster style.</p> <p>Prices are higher than at true thrift stores, with newer items being in the $20 range and recycled clothing costs in the teens at most. However, most items are between $5 and $10, which makes it relatively cheap for a regular store, but expensive for thrifting. Sales are dispersed throughout the store, knocking items down further. After you purchase something, you are given a coupon at the register that gives you 20 percent off. You can easily come out of the store with a full outfit for 20 dollars, but things are pricier than at Goodwill or Salvation Army.</p> <p>Going to Ragstock is good just for the atmosphere of the store, but you can buy pretty much anything you want. Though they are infamous for their eccentric sweaters and screen-printed pants, you can buy more normal clothing too. Sections of solid-colored shirts and pants are arranged in rainbows, and old band shirts are available in bulk. Though these items are relatively cheap, if all you’re buying from Ragstock is new jeans and a t-shirt, you’re kind of missing the point. But if you’re looking for somewhat fashionable and extremely quirky, go here.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.hollywoodmirror.com/"><strong>Hollywood Mirror</strong></a></p> <p><strong></strong>812 W. Belmont Ave.</p> <p>By: Jacqueline Montalvo</p> <p>“I Write Sins Not Tragedies” blasts from the open doors of Hollywood Mirror sending its customers back to circa early 00s. The painted windows and throwback music welcome people to venture into the one-of-a kind thrift store.</p> <p>Walking into Hollywood Mirror, it looks like a warehouse of crazy clothes exploded in one room. There are clothes hung from the ceiling and racks upon racks of clothing fit for any occasion. From sporting attire to 90s windbreakers, Hollywood Mirror is sure to have what you’re looking for.</p> <p>With a line that snaked through the building, intertwining with the islands of merchandise, it’s obvious that this thrift store is a popular commodity to the Loyola community and a place where Chicagoans travel to expand their options of thrift stores.</p> <p>Hollywood Mirror is a thrift shopper’s heaven, but its downfall is a slightly higher price range. Not quite at the low $2-$5 price range of beloved chains like the Salvation Army, you can still find a good deal if you dig far enough. There are new and used items that range in price, depending on what you want.</p> <p>Looking for a big teddy bear head that resembles the one in Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop” music video? They’ve got it, but for a hefty price of $120. Not looking to spend an entire paycheck? Then they’ve got a Medusa hat with your name on it for $20.</p> <p>While they don’t have the lowest prices in town, they do have one the largest varieties of clothing you could need. Most thrift stores have a handful of vests, but Hollywood Mirror has an entire rack full of them; on top of that, they have two full wall racks and two circle racks of used Halloween costumes. The sheer amount of used clothes held between the four walls overwhelming.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://crossroadstrading.com/"><strong>Crossroads Trading Co.</strong></a></p> <p>1730 Sherman Ave.</p> <p>By: Mia Luo</p> <p>Ah, Crossroads Trading Company. The Evanston classic. As it’s pretty much Northwestern’s best thrift store option that doesn’t involve a car or the CTA, there’s no doubt that most of us will find ourselves within these hallowed walls at some point during our years on campus.</p> <p>Organization is a nice plus to the store, as all the clothes are sorted by type (women’s shirts, men’s sweaters, dresses, jeans) and then color, except for jeans and skirts, which are sorted by size. Although that takes some of the fun out of wandering through a thrift store and finding unexpected pieces, it makes Crossroads the perfect place to go if you just need that one item to complete your costume for a theme party that night.</p> <p>Still, for casual browsers, there are always the few funky thrifty items to be found throughout the racks at the back, from army vests with patches sewn on to Cruella de Vil-style mufflers. For our thrifty gentlemen out there, there is a much larger women’s selection than men’s but both sections are fairly substantial and have great finds. As a side note, shoes are unfortunately scattered throughout the store in a completely disorganized manner despite there being a shoe section, so finding your size is a bit frustrating.</p> <p>For a thrift store, Crossroads runs on the pricey side, with most shirts in the $10 - $15 range and jeans from $10 - $20. That kind of pricing is really a steal for brand names like J. Crew and Ralph Lauren, which you certainly can find lots of among the racks. If you’re really looking for high end, scan the coats, bags and dresses hanging up near the ceilings around the store – that’s where you’ll find your epic vintage Chanel and Louis. Unfortunately, that same pricing system does seem a bit high for the worn clothes from Forever 21 that probably cost about the same brand new. Either way, if you’re huntin’ and lookin’ for a come-up at Crossroads, you’ll need more than $20 in your pocket.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.vdoil.com/stores.php"><b>Village Discount Outlet</b></a></p> <p>4898 Clark St.</p> <p>By: Tanner Howard</p> <p>With 15 locations dotted across the Chicagoland area, Village Discount Outlet has one of the city’s strongest presences in the thrift-shopping world. Therefore, it’s surprising that more students don’t know about the place; it's easily one of the most extensively stocked, reasonably priced thrift stores anywhere. Most clothing items at the store run less than $5, with many shirts and pants coming in at $2. That’s on full price days; if you’re lucky to catch one of the store’s many discounted days, you can come away with items for half off or less.</p> <p>Village Discount Outlet’s selection is largely dependent upon the size of the store, but in the two that I’ve visited, there’s been no shortage of absurd, quirky choices to go between. At the location nearest to campus, found just a few blocks west of the Lawrence L stop, shoppers find <a target="_blank" href="/admin/newspaper/story/11957/">racks on racks</a> of clothes just begging to be brought home. At the same time, there’s a good mix of the outdated, wacky items you’ll only ever find at thrift stores, with a good smattering of recognizable brand names thrown in too.</p> <p>For example, one recent trip to the Lawrence stop netted me a beautiful, decades-old Land’s End jacket for $2, a red dotted Gap button-down for $1 and an Eddie Bauer wool sweater for $2. These items brand new would have run upwards of several hundreds of dollars combined, but at Village Discount, they came in for just one Abe Lincoln.</p> <p>But if your sole desire in thrifting is to come away with the weirdest, most absurd clothing oddity to rock around campus, the store doesn’t disappoint. On the same trip, I also scored a perfect-condition minor league hockey jersey for $8. Practical? No. Something I’ll wear frequently? Definitely not. But something so utterly out there, perfect for showing off your trendy side at a sports-themed party? Absolutely.</p> <p>In addition to a wide gamut of clothing items, the store also has plenty of bric-a-brac, something most of the other stores don’t offer. That means books, CDs, board games, glassware and a variety of other items primed to come home with you.</p> <p>With absurdly low prices, plenty of sales and an extensive selection of clothing goods, you’d be remiss to skip out on Village Discount Outlet. The store offers something for everyone, whether you’re simply looking to spice up your wardrobe on the cheap or if you’re looking for that one weird sweater you never knew you needed.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.belmontarmy.com/"><b>Belmont Army</b></a></p> <p>855 W. Belmont Ave.</p> <p>By: Andrew Simpson</p> <p>For a renowned thrift store, most of the clothes in Belmont Army’s flagship shop are new and expensive. That’s because only the top out of five floors actually has thrift clothes, and, honestly, even those clothes aren’t extremely cheap. But after hiking your way up 3 floors of “oh my God I can’t afford any of these things, not even those socks,” the prices will be looking very thrifty indeed.</p> <p>There is little rhyme or reason to the layout. The racks of goofy 80s running jackets, fur coats and Hawaiian button-ups are scattered near the entrance, distracting you from exploring the deep rows of “normal” clothes. A dead tree holding jewelry is surrounded by racks of socks, and the t-shirts are all in a row, but you’re likely to find a Shorewood Elementary School shirt mixed in with the group of old Bears tanks you saw.</p> <p>Maybe the weirdest thing available are the racks of very personal Boy Scout and cheerleading uniforms. It’s mesmerizing and thought provoking to sift through the high school leftovers. Why did Janice decide that her cheerleading career was over, and what expensive habits was an Eagle Scout of troupe 168 developing that he needed to sell a uniform?</p> <p>Belmont Army seems to gladly embrace its role as a place for shoppers to find weird shit. Sure, there are probably some good jeans hidden somewhere, and they had a nice Bears and Bulls t-shirt collection, but only 1 of the 12 customers at 11:30 last Saturday were looking at something besides goofy clothes.</p> <p>At the same time, Belmont Army has seemed to build its own thrift “brand” (if that’s a thing), and, like all brands, uses its name to increase prices. A pair of very enticing cliff-paulish golf pants was marked as $24, but the fraying and fading color made it obvious that that $24 dollars would buy, at most, two rounds of golf (or maybe one rambunctious Halloween party).</p> <p>A shopper at Belmont Army will never leave without finding something they would totally wear twice a week at least. Instead, their biggest challenge will be deciding if they maybe want to go elsewhere and spend $10 bucks more on something new.</p>-->
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