Pictured is the outside of Unique Thrift, located less than five miles from Butler’s campus, a popular thrift store among students. Photo by Lauren Jindrich.
EMMA QUASNY | CULTURE EDITOR | equasny@butler.edu
Thrifting clothes has become a popular form of shopping in the last several decades. Not only do people enjoy getting unique and vintage clothing, but there is a strong stigma around fast fashion, and thrift shopping avoids that.
Sophomore physics major Enali Rogers grew up thrift shopping with her family since her dad buys and sells vintage clothing. Rogers loves thrift shopping not only for the environmental aspect but also appreciates the hunt for unique clothes.
“I like to be able to feel clothing and the idea of being able to stick my hand in a pile of clothes, and being able to feel the textures and stuff is something that I really enjoy about thrift shopping,” Rogers said. “There’s just so many different eras of clothing that are really fun to find.”
Butler students agree that there is always something for everyone when it comes to thrift shopping. If you are looking for a specific style or type of clothing, thrift stores have got you covered.
Here are four thrift stores Butler students recommend to check out in the Indianapolis area.
Although not having much of an online reputation, Butler students agree that Unique Thrift Store is an unexpected gem in Indianapolis. Located off of 52nd street, this thrift shop has a wide variety of men’s and women’s clothes for affordable prices.
Olivia Simcox, a sophomore biochemistry major, said that although this store can be misleading from the looks of it, she always comes out with good finds.
“It looks a little sketchy on the outside, but it’s literally a goldmine on the inside,” Simcox said. “I find such good stuff there … it’s really cool, and the people that work there are really nice.”
Unique Thrift Store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and noon. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Photo by Lauren Jindrich.
Naptown Thrift is another popular thrift store amongst Butler students. This store carries hand-picked vintage clothes from all around the Indianapolis area. According to their website, their mission is “to create genuine connections with people who have genuine connections to their clothing.” Naptown Thrift was founded during the summer of 2015 in a storage unit and has grown significantly, becoming widely known across Indianapolis and the state.
Macy Cansdale, a sophomore exploratory major, said she enjoys going to thrift shops to find rare clothes and Naptown is one of her favorite thrift stores.
“I think I just like the idea that you can have sort of unique things that no one else would have,” Cansdale said. “With Naptown specifically, they have a lot of cool streetwear, and [Aaron Marshall] that owns [Naptown Thrift] is a Butler grad, and he’s super nice.”
Naptown Thrift is open noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and closed on Mondays. If you prefer to shop online they have a variety of their products listed for sale on their website.
Photo courtesy of Naptown Thrift.
Since 1998, Broad Ripple Vintage has been selling an assortment of vintage clothes to the Indianapolis community. According to their website, they are one of the largest vintage clothing dealers in Indiana. They offer men’s and women’s clothing from the 1940s through the 1980s.
Simcox is also a huge fan of Broad Ripple Vintage due to the nice staff and unique ambiance.
“[It] is just a really cool atmosphere on the inside,” Simcox said. “Obviously it costs a little more than a regular thrift shop, but it’s definitely curated better than going into a regular thrift shop, and the people that work there are also really really cool.”
Broad Ripple Vintage is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.
Founded over 100 years ago, some would call Goodwill the ‘OG’ of thrift shops. This non-profit is widely known for not only selling clothes but also household items. With over 70 locations in Indiana and over 10 in the Indianapolis area, Goodwill is accessible to many Butler students.
To find specific locations and hours visit the Goodwill website.
Photo by Lauren Jindrich.
As Macklemore & Ryan Lewis say in their popular song “Thrift Shop,” ‘Fifty dollars for a T-shirt, that’s just some ignorant b*** s***.’ Thrift shopping is sure to save you from buying overpriced clothes while still adding some flair to your style. With many more thrift shops around the Indianapolis area, you’re sure to find a store that will spice up your closet.
