Thrifting:Noun to Verb

There was a time, not so very long ago, that clothing was so precious it was disposed of in wills. A father might bequeath “my grate coat” to his son while a mother might designate which of her dresses and linens were to go to her daughters.

Fast forward to the 21st century and “fast fashion.” Clothing is no longer a sentimental or generational thing. Since the 1990s, consumers have shopped for new clothing at a breakneck pace, discarding it, on average, after wearing a garment seven to eight times. In less than 20 years the volume of clothing thrown away each year doubled.

The average U.S. consumer throws away approximately 81.5 pounds of clothes annually leading to an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste.

But all this excess comes at a cost—quite literally. It is estimated that the average American spends about $1,500 a year on clothing, with an impact on the environment that is even more telling. According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt and more than two centuries for that shirt to decompose in a landfill—during which time it generates greenhouse methane gas and leaches toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and soil.

This is altogether too costly for man and planet. Happily, a counterculture is growing. “Thrifting,” shopping for used goods at second-hand stores, has become a force in the U.S. economy propelled most enthusiastically by Generation Z. Seventy-five percent of all United States consumers reuse and repurpose items found in thrift shops while 83 percent of Generation Z shoppers have either shopped or are willing to shop for second-hand goods, according to the online consignment and thrift platform ThredUP.

Economy and sustainability are behind some of this movement, but then there is also the pure joy of the hunt. “I enjoy thrifting because of all the unique clothes you can find,” said Abigail Adam, a young professional who grew up in Canaan. “The stock is always changing, and each outfit is one-of-a-kind. If I’m looking for something specific, I tend to shop at online thrift stores such as Poshmark or ThredUp (sic). Not only do they have a huge stock but they also allow you to sort by brand, color, occasion, etc. Otherwise I enjoy thrifting at chains like Goodwill or small local thrift stores. It’s especially fun to go thrifting with friends.”

Rachel Bernhardt, owner of Rachel’s Quality Consignment, 465 Bantam Litchfield Road in Litchfield, agrees.“People like the idea of repurposing but it is also like a treasure hunt,” she says.

“I’ve found quite a few treasures while thrifting,” affirmed Adam. “I found my graduation dress at Goodwill in Old Saybrook. I’ve also found a beautiful pair of maroon Oxford heels and heeled combat boots—just remember to properly disinfect secondhand shoes.”

The thrill of the hunt has never worn off for Bernhardt who went to work for the shop’s previous owner when she was only 15. “I’m a people person,” she said. “I love people and was going to school for human services when the former owner offered to sell the business to me.”

She purchased it when she was 22. “I’m 45 now, so it has been my life,” she said.
Set amid affluent Litchfield County towns, the store features quality brands and upscale designer clothing and she never knows what will come through the door.

“I’ve had a number of cool things,” she said. “I love the vintage coats; high quality jewelry and I bought some filmy dresses from a former opera star. I don’t know where you would wear them but they sold. It’s all fun.”

She said the rural nature of the communities sends many people through her doors seeking apparel of outdoor activities. “It was cold last week so now everyone wants cashmere.”

Adding a homey feel to the shopping experience is Uriah, a rescue cat, who has been there for three years.

There are too many thrift shops in the tristate region to possibly list them all but some draw rave online reviews from patrons who praise the quality and display of the merchandise and the staff.

One of the queens of the scene in Litchfield County is the Stella Rose Boutique and Consignment Shop, 255 New Milford Turnpike in New Preston. The shop offers both new and pre-owned clothing, shoes, jewelry and bags in a variety of styles along with home and garden décor.

The owner, Theresa Mieczkowski, maintains a lively presence online, presenting her newest and most tantalizing wares, which pour through the doors with the changing season and out again almost as fast as they arrive. The shop carries everything from a herd of adorable mink cows to gorgeous sweaters to designer handbags.

Stylists are on hand to help customers draw together stunning new looks. She writes of a client who came in recently saying she “hated her clothes.” “We had a nice chat about wearing clothes vs. styling them,” she reported. “(I) got her set up with a couple major new accessories to jazz up her wardrobe and get her feeling put-together …. Today’s lesson is: You do not need to throw your clothes away; you need to learn to style what you have.”

The result of this personal attention is that Stella Rose was short-listed in CT Insider’s list of the best thrift shops in the state.

The owner recently announced that she decided to be trained as a professional authenticator. “Stella Rose has recently been accepted as an Entropy Affiliate meaning we now have the hardware set up in our store to provide authentication scans on products and produce paperwork to verify their value,” she wrote on her website. “We will also be listed on the Entropy website as one of the few locations in Connecticut where buyers can come and have their own items authenticated for insurance or resale purposes.”

She can authenticate items from high-end manufacturers such as Prada, Hermes, Coach and Louis Vuitton among others. Authentication is by appointment and there is a fee.

Another “chic on the cheap” happy hunting ground is found in Sharon, where The Bargain Barn is a shopper’s paradise. Customers come from as far away as Maine to the location at 3 Low Road for an inventory that is replenished frequently by donations from an affluent community and nearby prep schools.

The Bargain Barn is a year-round, full-service thrift shop featuring designer and vintage clothing for men, women and children, fine art, jewelry, antiques, household, linens, furnishings, books, audio, seasonal items, gifts and more. Sales from the Bargain Barn help to support Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation.

A new thrift shop in Winsted is also focusing on upscale clothing and a variety of items for the home. Peacocks & Lilacs Thrifty Boutique, 452 Main Street was opened last March by Pam Fiorillo and her daughter, Danielle Bilodeau. Like Mary Poppin’s handbag you are never sure what you might find inside. Christian Dior, Burberry, Coach, Chico’s and Talbots are just a few of the brands they seek out. “Save the clothes, save the planet,” is their motto.

In addition to high-end brands of clothing, the shop features houseware items, artwork and décor, as well as handcrafted items such as soaps, candles and jewelry.

Berkshire County in Massachusetts offers its fair share of upscale thrift shops. Notable among them is Boho Exchange, 252 Main Street in Great Barrington which offers both new and used items. The sweetest little store in the sweetest little house, …one of the best places to stop” for clothing that ranges from dressy to casual.

The boutique is nestled in a former home that has been painted bright yellow, bedecked with flowers and converted to a shop filled with offerings that range from chic to quirky.

Farther north in Pittsfield, one finds Designer Consigner, an upscale consignment shop that sells brands such as Free People, Anthropologie and LL Bean.

Located at 5 Cheshire Road Suites 101 and 105, Allendale Under Ground, it is owned by Amy Kotski, who sells new and used fashions for men, women, juniors and children with a focus on brands and modern styles. Designer Consigner also carries shoes, new accessories, jewelry, toys and gifts.

Kotski takes in items that are often like new, noting that, with online shopping, many people get items that either don’t fit or don’t flatter. Instead of sending them back, the consignors often make their way through Kotski’s door. She accepts quality items, gently worn that are no more than three years old.

Ever heard the phrase “the cat’s pajamas” to denote something superlative? Well, you might just find the cat’s pajamas at the Catwalk Boutique which has two locations: 51 Church Street in Lenox and its flagship store at 325 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington. An upscale women's resale shop, it benefits the Berkshire Humane Society.

The clothing is “hip, fashionable and affordable” according to its website, with all proceeds going to help homeless animals in the Berkshires and beyond.

Prices vary depending on brand and style—some items are a steal at $10 and others at $50. Everything sold is like-new or gently used and some even have their original tags. In addition to clothing, Catwalk Boutique carries handbags, wallets, scarves, gloves, hats and jewelry.

Moving past clothing, you can furnish a home for pennies on the dollar. “Clothes aren’t the only things you can find in thrift stores,” said Canaan’s thrifty shopper, Abigail Adam. “My friend Ewa recently found some uranium glass (a rare type of glass popular among glass collectors) at the New Brunswick Flea Market at 601 Migeon Avenue in Torrington.”

In Pittsfield ReStore at 399 Hubbard Avenue, makes home decorating easy while aiding a good cause, Berkshire Habitat. Operating exclusively on donated products, it offers an array of building supplies with prices well below retail, one-of-a-kind items, household goods and treasures at significant discounts.

Finally, we come to the thriftiest solution of all: transfer station swap shops. Municipalities pay to dispose of municipal solid waste that comes into their facilities by the ton, and many are finding that a way to cut costs is to get usable items out of the waste stream.

Many have established swap tables or shelters where residents can leave items that they don’t want but that are still usable by others. With items accepted and taken at no cost, these swap shops are a perfect example of saving the planet while saving dollars.