Thrifting in Boston: From Salvation Army to Raspberry Beret

As spring takes its sweet time to roll onto my dreary college campus, I’ve been looking for ways to encourage the sun to come out with my outfits. Sometimes if I wear a sweater that’s brightly colored enough, the sun will shine brighter as the day goes on. The beginning of spring in New England needs encouragement; it needs hand-holding and hope and cheering on in order to break through the cloud cover it’s hiding behind. To do my part ushering in spring, I needed to switch out my winter blacks and grays for something brighter. 

In general, I try to avoid buying new clothes because I recently learned we currently have enough clothing on the planet to outfit the next six (!!) generations. Plus, shopping secondhand encourages me to find items of clothing that fit my personal style, instead of whatever microtrend is lining the racks this week after it went viral the week before. In this shopping practice, I feel like I’m getting to know myself and my style more directly. I get to use my imagination to consider the possibilities of an article of clothing instead of seeing a piece styled by a Zara or Urban Outfitters model.

Thankfully, there’s a plethora of thrift and secondhand stores close to my dorm in Somerville, Massachusetts. The two stores that Tufts students flock to are Buffalo Exchange and Goodwill, both are conveniently located in Davis Square, which is a short walk from campus. In my experience, these stores tend to be over-picked and overpriced. My assumption is that mostly college students frequent these stores for cute, trendy items, not the typical secondhand clientele that’s shopping for affordable clothing, so the two stores jack up prices. The Goodwill has an extensive homegoods section where I’ve gotten fabulous things in the past, and the Buffalo Exchange has some finds as well — one time I got Prada kitten heels for $30. But today’s trip was focused on closet staples and dorm-room must-haves. 

On Saturday, I decided to visit two stores that cater to the broader Somerville community, not just Tufts students. My first stop was the Salvation Army in Winter Hill, a neighborhood just a short bus trip from campus. 

This store was sprawling, both in quantity and quality of items. They had everything from luggage sets to Easter decorations to kitchen appliances. Upon entering the sweet smelling musk of old clothes surrounded me — a surefire sign that I was about to find awesome things. That’s a note to a fellow thrifter: If the store doesn’t kind of smell like mothballs it’s probably going to be overpriced.

Despite being somewhat of a seasoned thrifter, I always feel overwhelmed when walking into a store that looks like a giant hangar filled with rows and racks and shelves of clothes. What if I give up looking at one rack too early and miss the piece of my dreams? What if I find nothing and waste an afternoon I should have spent studying?

My therapist likes to tell me that for every bad possibility I conjecture there’s also probably an equally good possibility that exists. Today, her voice was ringing through my ears and I dove into these endless racks of possibilities.

And good thing I did because what I found was amazing. 

I knew, going into spring, that I was in the market for some lighter long-sleeved shirts that I could wear on cool spring mornings under a light jacket, and also on their own as the day warms up. My winter long sleeves are mostly black and gray and feel too heavy for the lighter weather that’s (hopefully) coming our way. 

I did my obligatory look through T shirts and skirts and sweaters, but made my way to the blouse section where I really started getting serious. When I’m thrifting it’s important to take at least a quick look at each piece and think about if it could be ugly in a cute way. Even if a pattern seems off putting from afar, the impression of an item as a whole is important when getting in touch with your true style. I diligently flipped through this rack that lined nearly the entire length of the store, when I came across a white shirt.

Breathable, cute, delicate but comfortable, she checked all of my boxes, especially the price. Something to be wary of when thrifting is buying outside of your size range. The ubiquity of the baggy-everything trend where clothes hang off wearers has decimated thrift stores' supply of bigger clothes. As a result, prices for large second-hand clothes have increased while supply has rapidly dwindled, leaving the people who need this larger clothing out of luck. Which is why, as a person who usually wears a size medium or a small, I try to stick with clothes around my size range.

A few shirts later, I found the same shirt in a beautiful lively green! I’m planning to style these under a T-shirt or blouse or on their own.

Next, I went to the home section where I found this gorgeous mug amongst a lot of flower pots that still had dirt in them, and old DVDs.

My last stop at any second hand store is always the book section. Used books are one of the wonders of the world in my opinion because books are one of the few items whose function/value stays the same even when used! The book selection at the Salvy was pretty small, but I did find a cool copy of Heidegger’s The Question Concerning Technology. This copy was annotated by a previous reader  — another gem about second-hand shopping: I can read a random stranger’s notes, reactions, and questions about a topic I find interesting. Also I’m just nosey.

Somehow the total of these four items was just 11 dollars. I got what I was looking for, and some fun gifts for the spring season. 

Next, I hopped on the bus to Mass Ave. and made my way to the Raspberry Beret, a funky vintage and consignment shop in Cambridge. The stock here is curated with a particular style in mind. That’s something to consider: someone else’s style has already been transposed onto this collection of goods, which means they’re more expensive and potentially less personally resonant to me. 

But their stock is not to be scoffed at. Burberry coats and Missoni sweater vests span two floors. At a vintage store, I shop based on intuition and what pieces are jumping out at me. 

Sadly, nothing caught my eye on the first floor, so I headed downstairs, where I found an extensive shoe collection with lots of Doc Martens and loafers as well as cool T shirts and a Y2K collection. Even more sadly, price was an inhibiting factor at this location, much more than at the Salvy. I tried on this cute springy vest that would have fun over a white T-shirt and jorts, but had to put it down because it was almost $40. If I had seen that at the last place and it was $10, I would have considered it, but at the Raspberry Beret I’m also paying for the Raspberry Beret coolness factor. 

I scanned the accessory section — often the only place within my price range at a vintage store — and sighed with relief that I wouldn't have to commit the cardinal sin of thrifting: leaving empty handed. I found a green floral Vera Bradley handbag, just large enough for my camera, a book, my phone, wallet, sunglasses, and lipgloss — a recipe for a perfect spring  afternoon. I’m thinking of crocheting a little flower to attach to it. 

As spring takes its sweet time to grace us with its delightful presence, I’m doing everything I can to tell it I’m ready for its crisp breeze and long, warm days. What’s that quote about dressing for the job that you want, not the job that you have? After today, I’m ready to dress for the job I want (spring) and quit that job that I’ve been with for way too long (winter).

In this seasonal transformation, it’s tempting to scroll through Zara or Forever21 and learn how I could have an entire new wardrobe for $20 at the click of a button. But thrifting and shopping secondhand reminds me of the importance of consuming clothes responsibly, and to only buy what I really think I like, and what I really think I need. In finding my own personal style, I’ve had to get to know clothes in a way that fast-fashion does not allow. Secondhand clothes have stories — past places, owners, and spills, therefore they have character, which is at the heart of a true style.