Buffalo Exchange, on 14th Street, is one of the area’s best resale shops.

Hipsters revel in them. Fashionistas make them their mecca. Macklemore wrote a song about them. And many, including freshman journalism major Melissa Seitz, say they help them express individuality better than anything else.

Thrift, consignment, resale and vintage shops are home to some of the most unique styles on the market — plus, they’re affordable.

College students can always afford to save a buck or two. Staying trendy? Well, that’s just a perk.

“I think it is really important as a college student on a budget to go thrifting. It saves money and it helps you express yourself through clothes,” said Seitz.

Luckily for students at this university, Washington is right around the corner. The city houses a wide array of shops that can meet almost anyone’s style needs. You just have to know where to look.

Buffalo Exchange

1318 14th St. NW and 3279 M St. NW

With two locations in Washington and several more across the United States, Buffalo Exchange is cool enough for hipsters to frequent yet friendly enough to feel welcoming to novices.

Bright colors and cheery music are the first things you notice when you enter. Then there are the racks upon racks of brands such as Urban Outfitters, Fossil Gap, as well as some of Buffalo Exchange’s own designs separated by size and style, making it easy to find whatever you are looking for. They sell both men’s and women’s clothing.

The prices are decent, too. Pin-up style bandeaus sell for about $5, while dress prices hover around $27.

“We are not a thrift shop, so we sell better condition, fun, wearable vintage. We offer a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces, too,” said Kara Perry, manager of the 14th Street location.

The store identifies itself as a resale shop, meaning they offer to buy, sell and trade while also selling new items.

Perry noted Buffalo Exchange gives customer service the utmost importance. She is organizing several events at the store, including an Earth Day sidewalk sale, during which everything sold outside will go for $1.

TARI

1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW

The friendly staff, unique decor and high-end pieces set Georgetown consignment shop TARI apart from others.

The almost-two-year-old store itself is pristine, featuring several fashion-themed sculptures and highly organized racks.

The clothes themselves are expensive — sale items run around $45, while high-end dresses could cost up to $900. However, the unique, designer styles carried by TARI make the store the perfect place to find a dress for a formal or the perfect blazer for an internship.

“I feel like we have a number of current on-trend pieces college students would like,” said Tamika Williams, the store’s fashion consultant. “The clothing is on a more sophisticated, trendy end, which makes it perfect for an internship or part time government job.”

Meeps

2104 18th St. NW

Meeps, a Washington vintage staple for more than 20 years, is home to vintage sportswear, classic sunglasses and one truly unique feature — the Cosmic Costume Room.

The owners were not sure how to sell the more costume-y pieces they oftentimes did not want to pass up. And so, a costume room was born during renovations that took place last summer.

Filled with pieces from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, the Cosmic Costume Room is home to vintage costume pieces that are much cheaper than many new Halloween costumes.

“I adored the costume room, and I am definitely going to go there around Halloween,” said Seitz.

While the store has perfect items for anyone attending a costume party, their vintage T-shirts are also of note. Many Goodwill T-shirt gems have been aggregated into one store for reasonable prices. The best part? You do not have to dig through “World’s Best Grandpa” tees to find the perfect one.

Meeps is also incredibly involved in the community. The store acts as an art gallery as well as a music venue, and owner Katerina Herodotou hosts special events at least once a month.

“We do special events all the time. We have an underground comedy night that is coming up,” said Herodotou.

Dr. K’s Vintage

1534 U St. NW

“The vibe of Dr. K’s Vintage was just incredible. If I could afford it, I would buy the whole place,” said Seitz.

The store’s obscure hours and lack of online presence are made up for by the huge vintage selection of everything from Keds from the late ‘80s to pin-up-style dresses, cowboy boots and military jackets.

While the store carries some women’s clothing, its men’s selection really shines. Upon entering, one is met with a wall of boots — all vintage and all men’s. It’s enough to make a girl jealous.

That being said, Dr. K’s is expensive. Prices hover around $50 for garments. However, the pieces are what modern vintage lovers shop for. Not to mention, the cluttered and grungy vibe is fun — it makes shopping feel like a treasure hunt.

Junction

1510 U St. NW

Junction is Dr. K’s neighbor and kind of like its passionate younger sister. Smaller, more intimate and of course, far more girlie, junction offers a hand-selected take on vintage.

“Everything is hand selected, literally hanger by hanger,” said owner Shannan Fales, who goes thrifting about once a week to supplement the store’s resale items.

The garments range in style from cowboy boots to oversized sweaters and leather gloves to pillbox hats. Each the garments’ handwritten tags have suggestions on how to wear them and stories of where the pieces came from.

Fales also sells vintage records, luggage, jewelry and housewares at Junction.

“Junction is a very small, quaint shop. I really liked the jewelry,” said Emily Singer, a freshman enrolled in letters and sciences who picked up an oversized sweater from the shop.

Fales agreed. “We try to make Junction feel almost as if you’re walking into someone else’s closet. People come to hang out and talk. We’re a really open place.”

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