Chances are you’ve donated gently used or never used clothes to the Salvation Army and non-profit charities before. Perhaps you’ve even shopped at thrift stores for a Halloween costume or for a themed party because it’s more affordable if you’re wearing it just once or twice for the occasion. However, beyond those occasions, there are many benefits to shopping at thrift stores all year round.
Shopping at thrift stores is a good way of practicing sustainability. Not only is it eco-friendly and reduces waste and mountains of landfill, but it also saves you money when you shop at thrift stores compared to buying brand new stuff at retailers. It also allows you to refresh your closet with interesting unique and vintage pieces that could be completely one-of-a-kind.
Depending on your luck, you could really score high-quality pieces at a great bargain (#HuatAh). Here are 10 thrift stores (that are not the Salvation Army) to buy second-hand stuff.
#1 The Barn (Located At Katong And Penjuru)
The Barn is a volunteer-run thrift shop that sells preloved clothes, bags, household items and other small range of items. You can donate to them, and the proceeds received are then channelled to the Cornerstone Community Services to fund various welfare programmes
Locations: The Odeon Katong, 11 East Coast Road #01-11/12 Singapore, Singapore 428722, and 27 Penjuru Walk, #01-01, S608538, Singapore 608538. The Barn at Ang Mo Kio is currently closed till further notice.
Opening Hours: Katong outlet is open 11am to 2pm (Tuesday to Saturday), and 9:30am to 12:30pm on Sunday. Penjuru outlet is open daily from 2pm to 9pm.
#2 Thrift Shop Ministry (Located At Yio Chu Kang)
The Thrift Shop Ministry is part of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP). The items available range from books, electronics, household items, shoes, bags and clothes. Located within the church, the Thrift Shop also sells religious items like statues, sculptures and paintings donated by their parishioners.
Location: 301 Yio Chu Kang Rd, 2nd floor, Singapore 805910
Opening Hours: 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, from 8:15am- 12pm
#3 The Fashion Pulpit (Around CBD)
Swap clothes, accessories, bags and shoes that you no longer want to use at The Fashion Pulpit. To start swapping items, you would have to sign up for a membership. The items you bring in for swapping will be assessed for “swap points”, which will act as your budget for your swapping basket.
Location: 5 Straits View, Marina One The Heart, #01-04, Singapore 018935
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays and public holidays.
#4 Deja Vu Vintage (Located At Millenia Walk)
Offering designer vintage clothes that can go up to 80% off their original prices, Déjà Vu Vintage carries quirky dresses as well as stunning cocktail dresses. According to them, what’s in store is completely unpredictable from week to week.
Location: 9 Raffles Blvd, #01-70, Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday – 12pm to 8pm, Friday to Sunday – 11am to 9pm
#5 Loop Garms (Around Jalan Besar)
Selling a range of used and new vintage clothes, Loop Garms (shortened word of ‘garments’) buy, sell and trade 80s, 90s, and 00s pop culture apparels. If you’re looking for old school with a flare of nostalgia, Loop Garms is the place to be.
Location: 635 Veerasamy Rd, #01-148, Singapore 200635
Opening Hours: Friday to Sunday – 12pm to 7:30pm.
#6 Refash (Located In Major And Neighbour Malls Islandwide)
Going Marie Kondo style and decluttering your room and closet? You can sell your ladies fashion items to Refash and get paid in cash or credits. At Refash, every item is pre-owned. However, you still can get items still with their tags on on top of a great discount. Their dresses and tops can be found for under $20 to $15, too.
Location: 11 Stores Islandwide
Opening Hours: Opening hours depend on the shopping mall. Best to check directly with the outlet.
#7 A Vintage Tale (Located at Joo Chiat Rd)
A little boutique carrying vintage pieces from designer brands such as Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Versace, etc,. Tucked in the corner of A Vintage Tale is a bar that offers alcoholic drinks, so that shoppers can sip and shop at the same time. Their payment concept for the Kilo Vintage selection is unique. Clothing from this selection costs $100/Kilo. This means that you will need to put the item on a scale and weigh it before purchasing it, and depending on the weight of the outfit, you may be able to walk out with a few outfits only for $100.
Location: 277 Joo Chiat Rd, #01-01, Singapore 427531
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 11:30am to 7:30pm
#8 Nonmainstream (Around Jalan Sultan Area)
Looking for oversized tees and retro sporty sweatshirts? Nonmainstream carries preloved vintage pieces at affordable prices ranging from $20-50 for t-shirts and $40-65 for outerwear. They carry men’s wear mostly, however ladies are rocking many of their clothes from their Instagram stories.
Location: 462A Crawford Ln, #02-73, Singapore 191462
Opening Hours: Friday to Sunday – 1pm to 7pm.
#9 Something Old Something New (6 Outlets)
Something Old Something New (SOSN) is a social enterprise thrift shop selling preloved items and a platform to train and equip persons recovering from mental health issues with retail and logistic skills to boost their employability.
Shopping at SOSN is a great way to support a “green” enterprise that reduce, reuse, and recycle with their thrift shop. On top of giving preloved clothes a second chance, you are also supporting the associated cause which help people to deal with mental health issues.
Location: 6 care centres currently operating. They are at Jurong West, Pasir Ris, Simei, Tampines, Woodlands and Yishun.
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday – 9am to 3pm. Closed on Weekends and Public Holidays.
#10 Threadlightly (Located at Queensway Shopping Centre)
Threadlightly is a multi-concept thrift store featuring collected and curated items, as well as prints from local artists. All items are donated, second-hand or reworked, and they carry products from local brands such as Wacky Wears, Peach Glam Beauty and Bologna Jam. Portion of their sales proceeds go to different beneficiaries every month.
Location: 1 Queensway, 02-22 Queensway Shopping Center, 149053
Opening Hours: 11am to 8:30pm daily
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