It only took 15 years, but it finally happened: my teenage daughter has finally developed an interest in clothing and fashion. Sure, she went through several phases as a child where she’d only wear princess dresses, then leopard print anything (with her signature cat ears), and most recently all she wore day in and day out was a hoodie and jeans. But, just a few months ago, something shifted and she has now carefully curated her own personal style and has started wearing super cute outfits to school and on the weekends. After years of feeling like going shopping with my daughter just wasn’t going to be in the cards for me, I suddenly have new hope.
Not only is my daughter suddenly interested in clothing, but she’s also rather frugal. She doesn’t care much about brands or labels, but she likes what she likes. Online shopping is always tricky for her because she’s hard to fit and pretty picky, and shopping malls just aren’t what they used to be. So, this spring I’m planning to introduce my teen to the joys of shopping at resale boutiques for some fun, new clothing for spring and summer. I know better than to drag her into a legitimate thrift store, because frugal as she is, she also appreciates order and merchandising (as does her mother), so I’ve compiled a list of some local resale boutiques that we’re planning to hit up and score some cute (sort of) new clothes for my teen—and maybe a few things for myself too.
Here’s our list:
Clothes Mentor
There are currently three Clothes Mentor locations in San Antonio, so if you’re willing to travel around a bit you will surely find just what you’re looking for at one of the locations. Clothes Mentor believes in sustainable clothing and supporting their local communities with low carbon footprint shopping, so you can feel good about supporting this business
Uptown Cheapskate/My Fashion Exchange
I’ve always been intrigued by the name Uptown Cheapskate, but it looks like the store is in the process of rebranding and now goes by the name My Fashion Exchange. But, whatever its name is, know that you’ll find a carefully curated collection of used clothing that is sure to delight humans of all ages. This store boasts high-end brands at sharply-discounted prices and has a men’s clothing department that is great too.
Plato’s Closet
Locally owned and operated since 2009, Plato’s Closet carries clothing, accessories, and shoes for both guys and girls. Check out their wide assortment of styles and brands under one roof, all at prices you’ll love. They also receive new items every single day, so you never know what favorite pieces you may find!
Buffalo Exchange (Outlet)
I’ve had good luck at both the Austin and Houston Buffalo Exchanges in the past, but in doing research for this post, I saw that San Antonio is home to the Buffalo Exchange outlet. Everything in the store is $8 or less, and on weekends they often have further reductions on their merchandise. Any teen, with any budget, should be in heaven shopping at this thrift-lover’s spot.
MOSS Designer Consignment
This is the second location of MOSS—a high-end resale boutique that originated in Austin. The San Antonio store opened in 2019 and is 1,700 square feet of name-brand clothing and accessories for even the pickiest fashion-followers. Just by the looks of it, I would suspect that I might find more at MOSS than my teen daughter, but for formal shopping or for splurging on a nice handbag or other couture piece, MOSS should be your first stop!
With prom season upon us, resale shops are a fabulous place to look for formalwear for teens. Not only will you save a lot of money by purchasing used, but there’s also a better chance that your teens won’t show up to the dance wearing the same dress as three other kids who also shopped at the local department store. Oh, and did I mention how much better for the Earth resale shopping is? The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry on the planet (only behind the oil industry), so if you can refrain from buying new and instead repurpose something pre-owned, you’re doing a small part to help the environment—which will make you and your teen feel even better about your choice to shop resale!
Do tell—what’s your favorite San Antonio resale boutique?
