From high prices to lower quality of materials, shopping for clothes from big retailers kind of sucks nowadays. Besides hurting your wallet, fast fashion also isn’t great for the planet. Plus, sometimes you don’t want to accidentally match with people everywhere you go. If you want to be eco-friendly, upgrade your wardrobe, and even shop locally, I have some options for you. Here are some ways to not only be stylish but also be sustainable, all within the Tampa area.
Second-hand Online Retailers
Apps like Depop or Poshmark are a great way to shop second-hand without going into a store. Both apps have filtering to find certain styles and colors of items, and often, you can use the search bar to look for certain terms relating to your style, like “coquette” or “downtown girl.” There’s always a ton of unique items on both apps to show off your original style. Plus, you can also make offers on items you’ve been eyeing for even cheaper than it was listed. One of my favorite Tampa depop sellers is KY Vintage, which sells a bunch of cool vintage items like sports team windbreakers.
Thrift Stores/Second-hand Stores
Most people know about the typical thrift stores like Salvation Army or Goodwill, but you can also find second-hand stores around your area. There are the chain options like Plato’s Closet or Uptown Cheapskate, but you can also find independently owned second-hand stores too! My personal favorites in Tampa are Avalon Exchange and La France.
Flea Markets
While they’re generally unknown, there’s one flea market I absolutely adore: Indie Flea. They have a ton of vendors for not only vintage clothing but vintage accessories as well. Plus, their vendors are all small businesses! They started in St. Pete but have recently expanded to Ybor City, giving people another option in case they can’t make it to their first date and location.