Circular Fashion in Action: 8 NYC Thrift Stores Leading the Way
Thrift shopping is cool now, but it wasn’t always seen that way.
Secondhand clothing shops first emerged in the late 19th century at a time when mass-produced clothing was on the rise, and cities were experiencing a massive influx of new arrivals seeking work — many of them immigrants.
These impoverished newcomers were the driving force behind such shops, and prejudice toward these groups, and poverty in general, resulted in the unfair stigmatization of secondhand shopping.
Long before Christian charities like the Salvation Army and economic downturns like the Great Depression made thrift shopping more mainstream, immigrant communities were relying on secondhand clothing both as shoppers seeking affordable essentials and as entrepreneurs creating new opportunities.
Today, this tradition is alive and well, with a technological twist, thanks to online marketplaces like ThredUp, Depop, and The RealReal, which have massively expanded the secondhand market.
At Custom Collaborative, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful this connection remains. Take Cristina Harris, a Cohort 6 graduate from our Training Institute.
Born in Brazil, Cristina moved to New York City in 2017 with her two daughters. Two years later, Cristina faced domestic violence — a turning point that led her to seek refuge in a local shelter. The shelter connected Cristina with the Custom Collaborative Training Institute, where she discovered not only a talent for garment construction but a renewed sense of purpose and love for fashion.
After graduating, she went on to launch Cristina Harris Consignment Boutique, an all-in-one sustainable fashion brand that curates vintage luxury, creates unique upcycled designs, and offers custom tailoring if you’re lucky enough to live nearby!
Fortunately, attitudes surrounding secondhand clothing have shifted dramatically over the years thanks to a rise in sustainability discourse, the emergence of curated high-end vintage boutiques (like Cristina’s!), and a decline in modern clothing quality, which makes vintage items ever more appealing to consumers hunting for long-lasting pieces.
In our last blog post, we discussed the fashion industry’s rampant overproduction, the alarming rise of textile waste as a source of plastic pollution, and what Custom Collaborative is doing to invest in circular fashion systems.
This time, we’re spotlighting just some of our favorite local NYC thrift shops that are making sustainable fashion accessible and doing their part to give discarded clothes a second life.
According to a 2023 report by ThredUp, if every consumer this year bought just one secondhand garment instead of a new one, it would lower CO2 emissions by more than 2 billion pounds. That’s equal to taking 76 million cars off the road for a day!
Thrift shops don’t just sell clothes; they challenge the status quo of the fashion industry by proving style can be circular, community-centered, and accessible to all. From donation-based shops to curated vintage boutiques, these businesses (all woman-owned!) and their customers are making sustainability mainstream and forging a future where fashion works for people and planet.
Harlem Creative Collective
Luxury Vintage With Stoop Sale Roots
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Cassandra Goins launched a stoop sale outside her brownstone to foster community through clothing. Eventually, her collection of carefully curated luxury clothing found a permanent home in a converted one-bedroom apartment right behind the original stoop sale site. Now the shop is a neighborhood go-to for finding one-of-a-kind pieces and discovering other local creatives.
Location: Garden Level, 736 St Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10031
Hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 7pm
@harlemcreativecollective
Berriez
Sustainable Style For Every Body
Inside her grandma’s closet, Emma found bold, beautiful pieces that helped connect her with fashion that celebrated her body. This discovery changed her perspective on fashion and inspired her to start selling plus-size vintage from her own collection in 2018. That Instagram page grew into a permanent Brooklyn location that’s on a mission to make fashion fun and accessible for people who’ve spent too long on the sidelines.
Location: 544 Park Ave, Suite 510, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Hours: Appt only Mon - Fri; Sat & Sun 12pm - 5pm
@shopberriez
Modify Thriftshop
Modest Clothing at Modest Prices
This thrift shop is the new kid on the block, having just opened earlier this year! After struggling to find modest clothing while thrifting, Kadjahtou Balde decided to fill the gap by opening her own special thrift shop with her dad. Together, this immigrant father-daughter duo is bringing the environmental stewardship values of their Islamic faith to the fashion scene.
Location: 371 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027
Hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 7 pm
@modifythrift
Madame Matovu
Shop Green in Greenwich Village
This sustainable hideaway has been serving eco-conscious style to Greenwich Village since Rosemary Wettenhall founded it in 2007. To survive all this time is no small feat! A true testament to Wettenhall’s sharp eye for unique and glamorous goods, many inspired by her Ugandan heritage and extensive world travels.
Location: 240 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014
Hours: Wed - Sat 12pm - 6pm; Sun 12pm - 5pm
@madamematovu
Vintage Reserve
Curated, Consigned, & Locally Crafted
This Puerto Rican woman-owned shop tucked away in the East Village has a bit of everything! Hand-picked vintage clothes and accessories? Of course. A smattering of home decor? Absolutely! Upcycled finds and a rotating selection of local artists? Yes and yes! This one-stop shop gets new stock twice weekly, so add it to your regular rotation!
Location: 328 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003
Hours: Mon - Fri 12pm - 7pm; Sat & Sun 12pm - 8pm
@vintagereservellc
tth Vintage Boutique
Uplifting Women & Giving Back
All of the proceeds from this non-profit vintage shop are donated to Hearts of Gold, which has been working to break the cycle of homelessness for single mothers and their children since 1994. With options for everybody, women, men, children, and even home decor, you can feel extra good knowing that every purchase funds this vital work. And the best part? This shop also serves as hands-on job training program for the homeless mothers that Hearts of Gold serves.
Location: 40 W 25th St Front 2, New York, NY 10010
Hours: Tue, Wed, Fri 10am - 6:30pm; Thurs 10am - 7pm; Sat 10am - 6pm, and Sun 11am -5pm
@tthvintageboutique
Bliss Vintage & Handmade
Wonder & Whimsy in Sunnyside
The owner, Violet, turned a childhood dream into a slow fashion community hub on Bliss Street. Voted Best Vintage Clothing Store in Queens two years in a row, this store sources fantastic vintage finds from every era, intermixed with ethically produced art, accessories, and clothing sourced from local makers.
Location: 41-03 46th St, Sunnyside, NY 11104
Hours: Tue - Sun 11am - 7pm
@violetsvolition
Cristina Harris Consignment Boutique
The Borderless Boutique
No list of CC favorites would ever be complete without this one! Now you know the backstory, but not the full story. An experienced reseller, Cirstina’s online shop provides a curated luxury experience that transcends borders (though the brand’s roots are NYC through and through). If you’re local to Orlando, Cristina will alter any piece you bring her, whether it’s a hem adjustment or a full re-work. For the New Yorkers, you can follow along on Instagram and place an order for Cristina’s best-selling piece — a one-of-a-kind upcycled crochet/denim scarf she personally designed and handmakes.
@cristinaharrisusa
Alumni Spotlight:
Follow @cristinaharrisusa on Instagram to get your next one-of-a-kind sustainable piece.