Looking back many years ago, one could argue that shopping second-hand and buying used clothing was looked down upon. Some might have said it was “uncool,” a sign of being poor or cheap or lacked any potential to be considered stylish or trendy. Those days are over. This generation of young people have ignited a thrifting movement that celebrates the vintage aesthetic and promotes the rotation of past trends, adopting a new sense of creative fashion identity within the dusty bins and clothing racks of thrift shops.
Eugene is home to many thrift and second-hand clothing stores that serve as the perfect resource for broke college students who seek an affordable way to elevate their style. Buffalo Exchange on East 5th Avenue in downtown Eugene is a great place to start your thrifting quest. A place where anyone can buy, sell or trade clothing, this store brings together members of the Eugene community and offers a variety of used pieces from locals.
As a nationwide brand with over 30 stores across the U.S., Buffalo Exchange has a mix of both general clothing you might find at any location as well as unique styles and collections you’ll only find here in Eugene. The store provides the basics and closet staples that follow current trends, typically the kind of pieces that all Buffalo Exchange stores will offer. Along with the more general items, the store also has a wide variety of one-of-a-kind pieces with a fun, retro style to broaden the store’s selection.
Alexa Jaramillo, a store manager at Buffalo Exchange’s Eugene location, emphasized their goal to offer a little bit of everything.
“We want to have something for everyone who would walk through the door,” Jaramillo said. “We want to have all genders, shapes and sizes represented.”
The store experiences a large demographic of college students. And, with this group as their largest target market, they cater a lot of their items toward students and campus activities. They offer a wide range of Duck gear, athletic wear, game day attire, Halloween costumes around the holiday, outfits for fraternity and sorority events and pieces for other student functions.
“That’s just the nature of Eugene,” Jaramillo said. “The college is a huge influence on the community, so we see a ton of students, and the student schedule really affects us.”
Eugene Jeans is another local shop that adds to the city’s extensive thrift culture. Located on East 13th Avenue just a couple blocks from campus, this quaint shop has a fun mix of just about anything you could ask for in a modest vintage store. Their collection of patterned vintage dresses, retro leather boots, graphic tees, unconventional pants and old-fashioned jewelry give the store its quirky ambience that it’s known for. Living up to its name, the store has a reputation for their broad selection of jeans with all kinds of looks and styles for any lover of retro bottomwear.
“I think it’s really great that people are buying used things,” Barbara Long, a co-owner of the store, said. “I feel like we get a lot of new stuff, and it’s always pretty trendy and retro.”
Eugene Jeans buys all their clothing from the public, contributing to the store’s unique presentation with diverse tastes and themes, but still holding true to the overall vintage aesthetic. Over the years that Long has been in the business of vintage clothing, she has acquired a deeper appreciation for the way fashion pieces used to be made, a primary reason she holds more value for older, retro styles.
“The different fabrics they made then, people put more time into the creations of those things,” Long said. “I feel like people appreciate it more since people took more time to make it; there was thought put into it.”
Providing the Eugene community with their eccentric vintage style for over 20 years, Eugene Jeans is another inviting resource for students and locals to revamp their look with original pieces you can’t find anywhere else. With a vast supply of nostalgic pieces that has something for everyone, this shop encompasses the nature of the treasure hunt that gives vintage shopping its fun and magic.
Thrifting truly provides students with an affordable way to express themselves to the world in stylish new ways through unique and trendy fashion. And in doing so thrifting contributes positively to the environment by shopping in a way that makes our community a greener place.
“It’s something that we really like to celebrate and are excited about because it’s always been the core of our culture,” Jaramillo said. “The focus on sustainability and second-hand fashion gives people the opportunity to make a more positive impact and reduce clothing pollution and waste while still being stylish and having cute clothes.”
You truly can never get bored while browsing through these city staples, and it makes for a fun weekend activity with your friends. There really is nothing like the excitement and thrill of hunting for treasure through the mysterious aisles and clothing racks of a funky Eugene thrift store.
Below is a list of other great Eugene thrift stores you can check out:
Assistance League of Eugene: 1149 Willamette St, Eugene, OR 97401
TC Resale & Donation Thrift Store: 555 River Rd, Eugene, OR 97404
Goodwill: 855 Seneca Rd, Eugene, OR 97402
Thrift King Thrift Store: 365 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
S.A.R.A.’s Treasures (Shelter Animal Resource Alliance): 871 River Rd, Eugene, OR 97404
Plato’s Closet: 26 E 17th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
St. Vincent de Paul: 2167 W 11th Ave, Eugene, OR 97402
