It's January - too early to wear the cute summer clothes now being sported in most brand name clothing stores. Most students don't have enough money to buy winter clothes that will only be worn for a few more months. Plato's Closet gives new meaning to second hand shopping, while providing a cheap solution to between-season fashion.
They purchase only brand name clothes, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, and Polo, and sell them back to the public at bargain prices.
After losing a lot of weight, Dhruv Gupta, a senior accounting major, had trash bags filled with clothes that didn't fit.
"Some of them stretched and are now too big. Others I just didn't like," Gupta said. "I was just going to donate them."
After hearing about Plato's Closet from a friend, Gupta took his assortment of jeans and dress shirts to sell them to the franchise. It took about ten minutes to check the quality of the clothing and to decide how much they would give Gupta for them.
"A good brand that you can get at the original store that costs no less than $40, you can get here for less than $20," Gupta said. "It's almost in similar condition, it's just not new."
Although only nine items were selected from what he brought in, Gupta still took home $38.50 in cash.
For those who want to fill their closets without breaking the bank, Plato's is the destination for the trendy college student on a budget.
"I buy everything myself," said Heather Craddock, a recent graduate of Kenmore East High School. "Everything is nice and cheap."
Although the store offers everything from clothes and accessories to outerwear and even DVDs, everything is well organized, color-coded and dated.
The store separates items by brand names or the type of clothing. For instance, long-sleeved shirts and tank tops have separate locations on either side of the wall. Plato's separates by size as well, ranging from girls' size junior 0/1 to 15/16, and up to size 40 waist in men's. Jilleen Calvello, the store manager, explained that every item that comes into the store has a date on its tag that keeps it from sitting in the store for too long. Items not sold within a year are put on clearance.
Most of Plato's own stylish employees wear outfits bought entirely from the store.
"My whole wardrobe is from here," Calvello said. "Everything I own."
Previously enjoyed jeans average in price from about $15 to $18, while t-shirts are sold at prices around $6 to $12. There are also six dressing rooms, making it convenient and comfortable to try on clothes. It is easy to find new shoes to go clubbing in or pants and a blazer for the office.
"It's a great thing for kids who can't afford stuff," said Marie Jeffery, a business graduate from ECC. "The clothes are cheap and they check them so they really aren't too worn down."
Plato's Closet is located in the Northtown Plaza off of Sheridan Dr. and is open seven days a week. To learn more, check out their Web site at www.platoscloset.com.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
