Spring Cleaning, and Buying…

I”m not sure about everyone else, but the fresh Spokane bursts of sunshine have inspired me to clean out my closets and switch out my winter clothes for my summer and spring ware.  As I was loading up my closet, I realized how many sweaters I never wore this season, and was looking at some of the spring gear which, I knew was something that would not fit with some winter weight I’d added on.

By the end of the transition, I had a Rubbermaid tub filled with clothes I wanted to get rid of.  I had a hard time considering donating these classics to Goodwill, because many of them were perfectly good clothes that I’d hardly worn and would like to get some money out of.

Plato's Closet is a great place to seek out the newest trends, or even inspiration with the quirky displays, constantly changing within the stores.

I’ve heard ads for a store called Plato’s Closet where they take gently used clothing for resale.  There is an ethical, earth conscious argument for supporting such stores in that clothes aren’t wasted after only being worn a few times.  I definitely agree with this. However, resale stores like Plato’s Closet and Fringe & Fray work by weeding out some of the scuzzier used clothing, and pull out the fashionable, in-style clothes and sell them for a small percentage of what they originally were.

I brought my bin to Plato’s Closet to see what they would take.  I expected, since most of my clothes were new, had no stains, weren’t worn or frayed, and some even had tags on them, that I’d be able to either trade them for newer clothes, or get cash for my trade in.

These are the standards for Plato’s Closet Trade ins:

• Bring in gently used clothing, preferrably name brand
• The buyers in the store will review the clothes and find which are useable for the store.  They accept all sizes and clothes for all seasons (meaning they’ll buy your sweaters, even in August).
• The buyer will then create an offer based on which clothes they’ll take based on the current styles and what stock the store can handle.
• Generally offers increase by 10 percent if you’re willing to take in-store credit instead of cash.

When I brought my big tub of clothes in, I walked around the store finding some cute new sundresses, shoes and light jackets that were in style and much cheaper than if I’d bought them new.  Sometimes, Plato’s Closet will have clearance racks; these are pure gold in value.  I found some fantastic Tommy Hilfiger and Nordstrom brand shirts and skirts for $2 each.

I left the store with clothes that were new to me and in great condition.

Unfortunately, in my whole tub of clothes, the buyer only pulled out six items because many of my clothes were “too dressy,” “not geared to a teen audience” or “not in style anymore.” It stung. It was frustrating too because I only had $17 to spend on the rest of the clothes I’d picked up.

If I would have looked on Plato’s Closet’s website and sorted through my clothes to seek out the Most Wanted Items, I probably could have saved some time. Still though, I walked out of the store with five new items after trading in six.

Brand Name Vintage Clothes for Pennies

Scarves and vintage items are abundant at Fringe & Fray

When buying vintage clothes, high prices are off-putting considering they’re used clothes.  But the idea of spending hours digging through passé fashions that may have stains or tears is the worst.  Fringe and Fray takes the hassle out of vintage clothes shopping and provides the cream of the crop.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Spokane next to the Rocket Bakery, Fringe and Fray offers a shopping experience.  Immediately upon entering their trendy store, the excitement of finding something new embraces shoppers.  Fringe and Fray’s husband and wife owners, Ryan and Grace Johnson, worked to create an inspiring environment with original designs utilizing bright colors, textures and patterns, that are complimented by soothing music.

The Johnsons visit garage sales and other used clothing shops to find the “vintage” within the “used.”  They make sure to find original pieces that are good quality, and often times are name brand.

A combination of home made and vintage accessories are abundant.

Men’s and women’s clothing is offered in all sizes and styles.  While hipster is probably the most prevalent style, Ryan Johnson said people of all ages and styles can find something to wear.

While I was visiting, brands seemed to be hanging from every shelf.  Genuine Ugg boots and Michael Kors heels perched delicately in the front display with tags announcing each pair was under $10.  Accessories such as hats, purses, wallets, belts and jewelry are reasonable as well. Some, like the handmade headband scarves take old items and turn them into something totally original.

In terms of discounts, generally they’re not needed since prices are beyond reasonable.  However, recently the store offered a Groupon discount.  Other than that, watch their Facebook page for random sale times and events.  One example; January 29 is Fringe and Fray’s one year anniversary of being in Spokane.  I’m sure there will be some good sales going on then.

Happy shopping!