Thrift Thrills & Designer Deals: The Sustainable Fashionista’s Guide to Salt Lake City’s Secondhand Market

“Doesn’t the crocodile print remind you of Alexander McQueen’s ‘Plato’s Atlantis’?” My friend Allison Hurd Watts, a local style content creator, nods in agreement from the other end of a steel rack neatly crammed with countless secondhand steals. I’m still holding the brown turtleneck dress when I notice and exclaim, “Oh my God, it’s Proenza Schouler!” I feel the rush you can only get from a remarkable pre-loved find. In the new fashion economy, the miraculous origin story of a unique wardrobe piece holds more value than equally-priced new garments—and spending roughly $200 instead of $2,200 on the total haul, it’s my best day of shopping in Salt Lake City ever.

“In the new fashion economy, the miraculous origin story of a unique wardrobe piece holds more value than equally-priced new garments.”

We’re on our first of three swoon-worthy local stops that every sustainability-minded cool girl will adore, standing beneath a very Barbie-core chandelier as Hilary Duff’s 2003 film soundtrack plays softly. It’s impossible not to sigh in admiration at the dozens of Y2K bags from cult-classic labels Liz Claiborne, Michael Kors, Kate Spade and countless others, before I decide on a black leather Guess minibag priced at $15. I clock a multicolor dress from the Coperni summer 2022 runway on a mannequin and ask to try it on. Here at Revive Boutique, Utah’s newest thrift store at 342 East and 900 South, the shopping is truly what dreams are made of.

Their team was eager to see the curated treasures we’d leave with—or leave behind. Cherish, a personal stylist at the boutique explains, “We just want you to come in here and make sure that you leave feeling beautiful. Whether you buy something or not, we want to get to know your style.” It’s a refreshing mindset that seems pervasive in the growing SLC fashion community, where personal style trumps novelty. Becoming more fashionable is a sustainable practice in itself, when you learn what suits you well enough to leave behind what does not. Among the pieces we tearfully parted with after the fitting room were a pair of khaki Jil Sander shorts and a Maison Margiela pixel-printed midi dress.

“Fast fashion is at a threshold right now where they can’t get any faster without violently exploiting people So I think that secondhand and reworked clothing is going to make its way into the mainstream, which has been exciting to see.”

Stopping in at Copperhive Vintage, a store focused on mid-century clothing and housewares, owner Jacqueline Whitmore explains that “trends are, for lack of a better word, the gateway drug into vintage.” Some of the buzziest 2024 trends are easily thrifted, like “Office Siren,” “Mob Wife” and “Eclectic Grandpa”—and secondhand shopping is steadily growing in popularity as a more ethical choice. “Fast fashion is at a threshold right now where they can’t get any faster without violently exploiting people,” Whitmore says. “So I think that secondhand and reworked clothing is going to make its way into the mainstream, which has been exciting to see,” she continues.

Our conversation reminds me of agenda-setting fashion moments such as Miuccia Prada’s reworked vintage leather jackets on the fall 2022 runway or the Coach (Re)Loved program. This approach to fashion is also catching on locally, which I see while exploring Annata Collective. The storefront carries local brands like Checkered Out, a mix of vintage, handmade and reworked pieces. Hannah, the creative director of the brand, tells me Annata has been in business for a year.

“Opting to hunt for hidden treasures alongside friends means ultimately curating a more fulfilling wardrobe I’ll wear more often from clothes that didn’t create new waste.”

After our final stop, I’m sad we aren’t able to visit The Preppy Bohemian, another secondhand favorite Allison introduced me to that recently rebranded and is preparing to reopen soon. It’s where I found my vintage leopard print Miu Miu clutch and ETRO sequined shoulder purse, both of which I wear multiple times a week. Counting these pieces among the two designer dresses I scored today for $75 and $120—which retail for $490 and $1,690, respectively—I’m still blown away by how much cooler our humble pioneer city is growing to be. These outings remind me how important it is to invest the time to select clothes mindfully beyond clicking “add to cart.” Instead, opting to hunt for hidden treasures alongside friends means ultimately curating a more fulfilling wardrobe I’ll wear more often from clothes that didn’t create new waste.

Read more about what to see in the local community:
The 16th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival
 Urban Beekeeping: The Collaborative Practice That Benefits All