my experience with crossroads

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     I've always been big on buying lightly used clothes for cheap, since it not only saves the environment, but my wallet as well. While I do like apps such as Poshmark or Vinted, it's never as great as actually going to a store and trying on clothes (stay tuned for a post about my experience on Poshmark). Enter Crossroads Trading Co, a mix between thrift shop and consignment store.

     Crossroads isn't the only type of store like this, there's also Plato's Closet and Buffalo Exchange. The Crossroads near me just had the best reviews on Yelp so off I went.

     I went off with a giant bag of clothes. And while my opinion may be somewhat biased, I think I have a pretty good sense of style. And yes, most of my clothes were summer, and they were buying for winter. BUT, I still expected to have them take more than 3 clothes out of my pile, giving me $12.75 store credit (for those of you who don't know about their policy, they give you 50% store credit, and 35% cash). I somewhat happily took the store credit, given they had a pretty good selection of clothes.
     I can't speak for all CTC stores, since I've only been to one, but here are a few things I noticed at my particular store. The clothing is all organized by color, which is aesthetically pleasing, but makes it a bit harder to find things in my size. I did not see anything upwards of a size L, so I would not take my chances if I were plus sized. I did find lots of Forever 21 priced the same as tops from Free People and Nordstrom, which makes absolutely no sense to me. The shoes are scattered around on the tops of displays, so that made it a lot harder to find my size, especially because I have very small feet as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had fitting rooms, since many thrift shops/stores like this don't, and I've resulted to wearing long flowy skirts and large sweaters to make changing in public a lot easier. I even did it once Black Friday shopping at American Eagle. Weird looks all around, but it did save me the 15 mins waiting in the fitting room line.

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     Anyways, after looking around for about 1 hr (that's how long it took me, but I'm a slightly slow shopper), I found 4 pieces I adored. A while ago online, I saw this adorable Nastygal top (ON SALE TOO!), and unfortunately it was sold out in my size. Lo and behold, I find the exact same top at CTC in my size! I almost fainted.

     In addition to the miracle top, I also grabbed a red and blue C&C flannel, a VS PINK mint sweatshirt, and a grey Theory tee. This all cost me $55, with tops averaging at $10.50, with the exception of the Theory tee at $15. In a regular mall, $55 would have bought me one of these items.
     I paired my sweatshirt with some soft black crochet trim shorts from Ecote. It's super comfy, but still cute enough to wear outside on days when you're just not feeling it.

       The Theory shirt is insanely soft and comfy. It's a little big on me, but I like how well it drapes. Plus, it would have retailed for over $100, and I got it for $15, basically brand new! I paired it with white Bullhead shorts and a geometric necklace from Forever21. It's a quick, no-fuss look that would be perfect for lounging outdoors in the summer.

     This look I would wear more often in the fall. This flannel was sooo soft (sensing a trend here?), so I had to get it, even though it felt too bright for me originally. I feel like I'm walking the line between normal person and lumberjack, but paired with some pointy leopard print flats really turns it around.

     On the way home, I rummaged through my bag of rejects, and found several winter items the salesgirl clearly had not even looked through. I had a new Free People heavy cardigan, several lighter cardigans, and some Brandy Melville (popular any time of year with teens). I didn't particularly mind, because they would've offered $20 for it all, but still.
     All in all, I'm pretty happy with Crossroads as a buyer. As a seller, I would not come here unless you really need cash, or want to get swap some clothes quick (and don't mind losing some money). Definitely try your hand at selling online first, which is more time consuming, but so much more rewarding in the end. The selection of clothes is great, and appeals to many styles.    
     Have you shopped at Crossroads or another type of store like this? Let me know in the comments!

xx

Angelina