You never know what treasures you will find while thrift shopping. Image supplied.
Auckland has a range of vintage and second-hand places to shop for rare finds, with a variety of clothing on offer and the chance to give a great piece another chance to be worn. When I was recently browsing in Tatty’s, there was a pair of Gucci shoes for a tiny fraction of the original price which was a significant find. Second-hand shopping is a financially savvy option for those on a budget, or for anyone who wants to support a sustainable lifestyle by recycling clothing. It’s also an opportunity to find pre-loved designer items at a much more affordable price, as well as a chance to look through a wide range of clothing for every occasion to suit your style.
1. Recycle Boutique is a consignment based fashion company specialising in helping you buy and sell your second-hand designer clothing. They have one of the largest selections of recycled designer clothing, where you can find anything from a designer piece to a quirky vintage gem. Recycling clothing is a great action to take in order to reduce the textile waste in our landfills. There are plenty of clothing, accessories and shoes to look through, and you can also check out the $4.50 rack for great bargains.
2. Tatty’s has a city outlet on High St and a store on Ponsonby Road with a mixture of designer and vintage clothing. Everything is colour-coordinated, which makes looking for a certain colour and style of clothing extremely convenient. The Ponsonby Rd store has been there since 2006, selling designer second-hand clothing. Prepare to save a lot of money from the original price and spend a good amount of time there. Tatty’s has a wide range of clothing, accessories, shoes and handbags.
3. Paper Bag Princess is your one-stop shop for affordable second-hand clothing. With branded second-hand clothing and awesome 70s, 80s and 90s vintage clothing, there is something for everyone. Paper Bag Princess stocks cool new trends and stylish items for customers to choose from. The Karangahape Road store has a quirky nature much like the street that is its home and has lots of second-hand items that are affordable. Paper Bag Princess loves to support charities around New Zealand and donates a percentage of its proceeds to a variety of charities.
4. Emporio U is a high-end designer recycle clothing store hidden away down a set of stairs on High Street. It has a strong vintage atmosphere and is the perfect destination for luxury brand lovers. They sell designer labels such as Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Max Mara, Dries Van Noten, Hermes, Chloe, Ferragamo, Armani, Zambesi, Adrienne Winklemann, Marilyn Sainty, plus many more designer items. They have a great range of different clothing everyday wear or special occasions.
5. Coucou is situated in Britomart near all the designer stores. It’s a colourful and sweet place, where you can discover new styles, one-off vintage pieces and items at a lower price. It’s the place to find feminine and colourful clothing with lots of pieces from European stores. There are a variety of dresses, tops, skirts, jewellery, handbags and rare, hand-picked vintage pieces among the treasures to be discovered.