The first day of autumn is behind us and as the weather dips closer and closer into the low 60s it’s time again to start thinking about warm clothing. Soft sweaters, long sleeve shirts, nubbly socks and favorite hoodies can be seen on students walking around the Quad, sitting in the UC, eating dinner at the loft or relaxing on the balcolny of their apartment.
With most of the school year taking place in cooler weather months, obtaining a large wardrobe to accommodate all those days trekking to class in the cold can seem daunting and expensive. Evansville has a large collection of thrift shops to save the eternally broke, yet savvy college student some cash.
Plato’s Closet, located across from the mall on Evansville’s East Side, has made a name for itself by buying and selling gently used name brand clothing, such as Abercrombie and Volcom.
“That’s where I get all my clothes from,” senior kinesiology and dietetics major Rachel Yanis said. “I don’t even really go to the mall.”
World Wide Missions Consignment Shop is another large thrift shop also located on Evansville’s East Side, near Toys R Us. The building holds thousands of items ranging from children’s to adult’s. Jackets, blazers, jeans and sweaters each have their own individual section in both men and women’s sizes.
A woman’s elbow patch tweed jacket costs around $5 while a men’s fleece hoodie can be purchased for under $10. Jeans for both sexes can also be bought for under $10.
If the dip in temperatures coincides with a new job or internship, the East Side also features the Opportunity Shop where upscale clothing can be found. Operating for more than 10 years, the “OP Shop” benefits the Evansville Day School and is ran by parent volunteers.
“Some people come in every week, some come in everyday but we always appreciate new costumers,” David Sponseller, a volunteer parent worker said.
A gently-used Limited skirt in fall trend of tweed cost around $6 at the OP Shop, and men’s dress slacks in equally recognizable name brands cost around $10. Other items sold at the shop include women’s accessories, men’s blazers, general clothing, household goods and children’s items.
Evansville also has four Goodwill locations. Goodwill has been a part of the Evansville community for over 70 years and offers clothing for both men and women at extremely low prices. The West Side location is closest to campus and is located next to Los Bravos in the Schnucks shopping area.
Sweaters cost about $3 with outerwear and pants costing under $10.
Senior theatre major Daniel Kopp is a regular shopper at the Evansville Goodwill stores. The low prices and the finds are both reasons behind Kopp’s decision to shop there.
“I haven’t been shopping in a long time,” Kopp said. “I have so much stuff from Goodwill, I don’t have room for anything else.”
Kopp’s Goodwill shopping hobby has led to an entire bedroom of refurbished thrift and Goodwill furniture and two Facebook photo albums. Goodwill also has an online auction website which can be found at shopgoodwill.com.