It’s tough to throw together a few decent outfits on a college-kid’s budget, but there is a trick to finding thrifty threads that don’t look like they were bought from the sale section at a fast-fashion outlet mall.
Consignment shopping at stores like The Main Exchange on East 16th near Main Street means you can stock up on pre-loved quality brand-name clothes for a discount that is usually half the price or less than the items cost new.
“I need to get a deal [of] at least half price,” Main Exchange owner Miranda Dendewich says, summing up what she loves about consignment shopping. “I need to be able to experiment with trends, experiment with silhouettes. I don’t want to spend a lot. I need to get a deal, and I need to be able to do something with it after I am done with it, because realistically I’m going through my clothes quickly.”
The Main Exchange, which she opened last December, offers a carefully curated selection of on-trend and classic threads that include designer jeans from brands like Rag & Bone and J. Brand with the average price hovering around $40, also many Aritzia offerings, including a stunning beige Talula Babaton wool hooded coat for $129.99. The same coat new would probably retail for around $350.
The racks also include a darling Banana Republic wool tunic in soft cream ($24.99) – perfect on a crisp fall day with a pair of black booties and the Wilfred plaid tailored overcoat in forest green (nothing reads fall like plaid). A delicate necklace with a gold leaf pendant, originally from Blue Ruby, sells at The Main Exchange for $25, likely a fraction of its original price tag.
Other gems include an edgy oversized camouflage vest for $22.99, which could be paired with an Isabel Marant red-and-black plaid wool blouse ($44.99). Yes, that’s right, cool-girl French designer Isabel Marant’s clothes sometimes turn up on Dendewich’s store racks.
Consignment shopping offers shoppers the chance to buy “trendy cute stuff that people see in the stores and want … and aren’t ready to splurge on, it or they are on a budget,” Dendewich says.
The goods that move the fastest in her shop are wool coats, premium denim, and leather jackets, particularly biker jackets.
“I’ve sold six of them in the last two weeks,” Dendewich adds.
A number of her regular customers are of college age and are looking to extend their buying power as far as possible. They also appreciate how streamlined the store is in terms of stock.
“People come in and say, ‘Wow, everything in here is great. Not like every fifth item is good,’” says Dendewich, who previously worked down the road at Turnabout, a large-scale consignment store.
She was with the company for five years before leaping out on her own with The Main Exchange late last year. So far, business has been solid as she works to make a name for her relatively new business. Dendewich loves the idea of consignment not just for the sweet deals on quality threads, but also likes to unload her own clothes that have sat too long in her closet.
“I like being able to go in and get great clothes for a price and then I like being able to have somewhere to bring my stuff too when I’m done with it and I don’t want to wear it anymore, I need to get some money for it,” explains Dendewich, a petite brunette dressed in a snug pair of cuffed jeans, low-heeled black booties, and a fitted white sleeveless midi-shirt. “There is always something in your closet you’re not wearing – you might as well get money for it. You’ve realistically already replaced it with something you are actually wearing.”
Of course, the drawback of shopping consignment is that the size options are slim, so you’ve got to be able to have the time to hunt and keep stopping in, but there are a number of consignment stores to check out on Main Street, including longtime staple Front & Company. Other standouts in the city include downtown’s Mine & Yours, the west side’s Dragon and Phoenix (a favourite of a former style writer friend of mine) and Hey Jude (not consignment per se but a specialty vintage brand of seasonal on-trend pieces available at Charlie & Lee boutique in Chinatown). As well, the duo behind Hey Jude are opening a permanent storefront at 315 Abbott in Gastown in October.
At The Main Exchange, Dendewich takes in consignment every day of the week (expect Mondays because they are closed), though she’s selective about what she carries and how she prices it.
“You gotta know what you are doing because the last thing you want is someone coming in and going, ‘that’s overpriced,’ and you know for a fact that it is by jumping on Google and finding the item for the same price or a better price new. I try to stay away from really affordable brands just because you can get them so easily and so cheaply. You gotta know what people want. You gotta know style, and you gotta care.”
For those who aren’t fans of consignment shopping, check out these shops for thrifty back-to-school wears;
Oak + Fort
Vancouver-headquartered Oak + Fort has a storefront in Gastown (and many more beyond) where it sells comfort clothes – perfect for fall. The simple-yet-thoughtfully designed Oak + Fort line, which runs between approximately $50 and $170 in both menswear and womenswear, is filled with sophisticated and fun classics that defy trends. And it’s getting noticed. Oak + Fort has expanded across Canada and into the US market.
Jackson Rowe
Jackson Rowe started as a scarf line and has blossom into an ever-expanding collection of ready-to-wear free-spirit favourites that include dresses, hats, socks, and more. The eye-catching boho-inspired scarves, blankets, and kimonos start at $50 and add a hit of warmth and texture that elevates classroom style.
Nouvelle Nouvelle
With two locations in Vancouver (one in Gastown and one near Main Street), it’s hard to miss this darling little shop – and you shouldn’t. While it’s not necessarily the thriftiest option, Nouvelle Nouvelle does carry Cheap Monday, a hip line made for college-age bodies. The boutique, which also sells menswear, is a one-stop favourite of many Vancouver fashion fiends.
