Secondhand shopping is the sustainable and increasingly popular way to purchase quality clothing without breaking the bank.
Thrift shopping is great for finding jeans that fit like a glove, your new signature accessory, and other additions to your closet that you didn’t even know you needed. It could be designer shoes you never could have afforded retail, or a vintage crewneck from your alma mater that isn’t produced anymore.
Shopping secondhand takes patience, and the thrill of thrifting is scoring a deal or that one-of-a-kind find. That all starts with knowing where to look.
These Jersey Shore spots sell clothing with character that will have people asking, “Where did you get that?”
Chapter 2 Thrift Boutique, Lanoka Harbor
Chapter 2 Thrift is a Christian-based nonprofit located in the Lanoka Harbor neighborhood in Lacey.
They carry both men’s and women’s clothing organized by size and color, and feature items from local vendors in store — including gemstone jewelry and beauty products.
The store has different deals and sales going on constantly, and rotates vendors and clothing inventory to help shoppers find what they’re looking for.
Chapter 2 Thrift also donates a portion of their proceeds each month to charities that, according to their website, “help people in our local communities and around the world.”
Go: 509 N. Main St.; 609-756-5233, chapter2thriftboutique.com.
Deja Vu Consignment, Point Pleasant Beach
Deja Vu is an upscale resale boutique in Point Pleasant Beach’s shopping district, and is a go-to for buying luxury or designer discounted items.
Deja Vu boasts a wide selection of women’s apparel, highlighted by designer shoes, handbags and other accessories selling for far less than retail.
Renovated and reopened in 2020, the shop’s style is cleaner than your usual secondhand store, and it is aptly curated with seasonal wear and a blend of classic and trendier styles. Items sold range from gently used to new.
Go: 630 Arnold Ave.; 732-899-2020, facebook.com/pointconsigment.
Pearl Street Consignment and Custom Clothes, Red Bank
Step into the rose-colored eclectic storefront on Monmouth Street and you know that you’re somewhere with style. Pearl Street Consignment and Custom Clothes is best known for its upcycled and custom pieces, which bring secondhand shopping to another level.
The price tags on reworked items are on the higher end for thrifting, but steals for buying one-of-a-kind items. The store also features punk and Y2K styles, and carries vintage designer items.
Along with the storefront, Pearl Street sells some items on their website, as well as on the fashion marketplace app Depop.
Go: 117 Monmouth St.; 732-939-6814, pearlstreet.shop.
Rebel Supply Co., Asbury Park
Looking for something with edge to round out your wardrobe? Rebel Supply Co. is a well-curated staple for locals. With inclusive sizing and an abundance of funky prints and graphics, this woman-owned business has gained an almost cult following.
“Packed with unique stuff, from art to boots to patches to mugs to clothes,” said one Facebook user. “It’s an everything’s cool store”
Happenings like surprise sidewalk sales and an annual $25 bag sale are announced on the store’s social media.
Rebel Supply also opened an online store at the beginning of the pandemic.
Go: 550 Cookman Ave.; 732-455-5080, rebelsupplyap.com.
Squan Dry Goods, Manasquan
This local favorite, a member of the Manasquan Chamber of Commerce, has women’s, teen’s and children’s clothing and accessories.
The shop is on Main Street in Manasquan, and emulates a beach bungalow brimming with familiar brand names and funky finds.
From bowls of vintage statement jewelry to a room stocked with jeans of every size and label, you can spend hours looking through the store’s ever-changing inventory.
Squan has an additional location in Point Pleasant Beach and a Mini Dry Goods children’s clothing boutique behind the storefront on Main Street.
Go: 73 Main St.; 732-612-3258, facebook.com/squandry.goods.
Get thrifty
Here are a few more local consignment shops to check out:
2nd Time Around, Toms River: 200 Corporate Circle, Suite 3; 732-341-5191, www.rwjbh.org.
Back on the Racks, Ocean Township: 1121 Route 35; 732-272-1416, backontheracksnj.com.
Greene Street, Red Bank: 40 Broad St.; 732-268-7913, greenestreetstores.com/redbank.
Shore Hands Dressed & Blessed Thrift Store, Toms River: 800 Bay Ave.; 732-929-0077, facebook.com/dressedandblessedthriftstore.
The Vintage Wave, Asbury Park: 723 Bangs Ave.; 732-742-4122, thevintagewave.com.
Intern Pari Walter of Monmouth Beach is a rising junior at the University of Miami.
