Secondhand Finds

The benefits of buying vintage and used clothing

By Brighid Driscoll | Dec. 9, 2023

A couple of months ago, The Atlantic published an article titled “Your Sweaters Are Garbage.” In the piece, writer Amanda Mull details how drastically clothing quality has declined over the past few decades. Sweaters, in particular, were once crafted with care and natural fibers like cotton and wool. Nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to buy a new sweater that doesn’t have any plastic woven through its material (usually polyester, acrylic, or polyamide).

What changed? Most notably, the onslaught of fast fashion. When lower-end retailers started aggressively competing with each other to keep up with trends, they began to produce huge amounts of cheaply made clothing and, consequently, huge amounts of waste.

Is there a way off the hamster wheel of low-quality overconsumption? Yes: The answer is buying secondhand. It’s easy on your pocketbook, the environment, and more luxurious than you can imagine. Northern Express connected with a few Traverse City based secondhand shop owners to talk about the perks of being thrifty and what to shop for this season.

Zany

A locally loved gem, Zany has been dressing shoppers in Traverse City (and beyond) for nearly two decades.

“We’re celebrating 20 years in January,” says owner Kate Kohler. She started Zany in 2004 a few years after moving to TC. “I felt like there was room for something a little more boutique-y and selective.”

Zany is a classic consignment store, following a simple model of selling items on behalf of an individual and splitting the proceeds. Items are kept on consignment for 60 days and can be picked up at the end of that window or donated by Zany. Sold items are split 60/40, with the seller receiving 40 percent of the price.

Every consignment store is different in what they’re looking for and willing to accept. Zany stocks everything from women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories to select home décor. But no matter what clients bring in, for Kohler, it’s all about the quality.

“Number one, we’re looking for high-quality items. For me that means natural fabrics like linen, leather, wool, cashmere. We want the kind of items that are going to last. Not fast fashion where you’re going to buy it this season and then get rid of it the next.”

That means trends are not always in demand by Zany’s staff. (In the not so distant past, low-rise jeans were the thing, and no one was better for it…let’s not let that come back around!) Instead, Kohler looks for well-made items that will stand the test of time.

“Quality clothing has such a long life; cheap clothing does not. I want to sell items that are still going to look beautiful in 10 to 20 years and still be in style.”

As we transition into winter, Kohler says that a cashmere sweater is a great piece of clothing to have for the season. She also says cropped denim and baggier, boyfriend styles are great go-tos that look modern but won’t fade into fashion obscurity by next year.

For gift giving, you can’t go wrong with handbags or jewelry. “We have beautiful, handmade, art-show-quality earrings that you’d pay $50 for at a show but only $12.99 here,” Kohler says. “We have lots of great little finds all over.”

Find Zany Consignment at its two Traverse City locations—4630 US-31 (Zany East) and 318 Vine St (Zany West)—or online at zanyconsignment.com.

slip.vintage

Katie Asher’s downtown vintage boutique (pictured) started before she opened her doors in 2021.

“I’ve always loved vintage clothes and thrifting, so I started selling clothes at pop-up shops and on Instagram in 2018,” she says. Her Instagram story sales were a safe and sustainable way to shop local, especially during the pandemic. As life began to normalize, though, Asher’s thoughts drifted towards opening a shop of her own.

In April 2021, those thoughts became a reality when slip.vintage opened in the Front Row Centre building downtown. Asher’s shop now is an eclectic curation of her own vintage finds, as well as locally-made items.

“The thing that has always stayed constant is that I buy stuff that I like,” she tells us. “I buy stuff that I would wear, or if I wouldn’t wear it, I would admire it on someone else. The shop changes with my taste.”

As for what winter clothing staple Asher recommends this season? “A long wool coat. Like a mid-calf, structured, single-breasted with a lapel is the one thing I think everyone should have. I’ve seen people wearing sweatsuits with a long wool coat, and it still looks so put together.”

Within slip.vintage, racks of yesteryear delights line the walls, including quality jeans, retro T-shirts, outerwear, and more. Beyond the racks, a tarp hanging from the ceiling hides a section of the shop. Asher, speckled with paint splatters, explains that she’s renovating that half of the space for Secondhand Social Club, an art cafe and creative social space.

“We’re going to have lots of workshops and classes—I’m hoping to have a full calendar of events,” she says. “I’d love to host people’s clubs, like if they have a knitting club or something like that. And it’ll be available to rent out too. The art cafe aspect will basically be like ordering at a restaurant. You’ll come up to the counter and order a project, and we’ll provide you with everything you need to work on that project.”

Find slip.vintage at 121 E Front St Suite 108 in Traverse City and online at slipvintage.com. Reservations for Secondhand Social Club can be made online at secondhandsocialclub.com.

Penny Lane

Waves of color will beckon you into this downtown TC storefront, and owner Jena Wright’s vision will make you want to wander through.

“I grew up in Arizona, and the thrift stores out there were awesome,” Wright tells us. “When I moved up here permanently, there was a lack of thrift stores in comparison.”

Penny Lane is unique in that it hosts a variety of local sellers with dedicated spaces. The racks are divided by seller, with each getting their own designated block of space to peddle their goods. Some sellers have vintage clothing items, others sell from their own personal collection, and others are artisans who create their products.

The shop opened earlier this spring, and Wright’s fears of not being able to fill the store were quickly quelled. “I was worried that I might not be able to find enough people, or have enough stuff, or it would be a store full of junk because I don’t dictate what people sell,” she explains. “What I think is cool, not everyone else is going to think is cool.”

The first week, Wright relied on friends to fill the seller spaces with items. As business began to grow, Penny Lane hit its stride. Now the shop has seller spots booked out over a month in advance and regular sellers continue to have success.

To host a booth for one week, sellers pay just $30. The week starts Saturday, and a quick glance at the calendar shows Penny Lane booked up through December. Setup takes place from 9am-11:45am before the store opens at noon, with regular hours Tuesday-Sunday. Wright can offer breakdown assistance at the end of the week on Friday (an extra $10), and there’s an option to donate unsold items. Commission payouts are sent the following week on Monday, with Penny Lane keeping 35 percent of the revenue on sales and sellers getting 65 percent.

Wright considers Penny Lane an easy choice for holiday gifting. “One of the great things about Penny Lane is not only are you supporting my small business, but also all the individual sellers’ small businesses. I really love the idea of supporting small, local vendors who are doing something creative.”

Find Penny Lane at 501 E Front St in Traverse City or online at pennylanetc.com.