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Secondhand clothing shopping is on the rise: Raspberry Beret in Boston shows exactly why

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Katie Delaney

Feb 18, 2023

 

            Walking into the Cambridge consignment store Raspberry Beret—yes, as in the kind you find in a secondhand store—customers are greeted by a splash of bold colors and textures and an equally eccentric staff.

“If it doesn't make your jaw drop, I don't want it,” store manager Rachel Higgins said as she held up a blue tulle dress with ruffles rivaling an ‘80s prom dress. “I'm going to make an Instagram post with a picture of a Carvel ice cream cake and this dress that just says like ‘who wore it better,’” she said.

            Over ten minutes straight of Paul McCartney, “Band on the Run” and “Silly Love Songs” back-to-back, set the mood for shoppers.

            Raspberry Beret is a unique secondhand clothing store that has been around for 20 years, and now has two locations, in Cambridge and Maynard. Their specialty? “Vintage statement apparel or less than two years old, hot off the press,” Higgins said. The shop has a collection of funky dresses, jackets and accessories, and a whole basement full of sale items. Everything from wardrobe staples to a leopard print fedora. “We try to keep it exciting and fun and fresh. And local and sustainable,” Higgins said.

            The uniqueness and sustainability of secondhand stores like Raspberry Beret is why more and more people, not just in the Boston area, but nation-wide, are flocking to secondhand stores.

According to a report by ThredUp, an online consignment and thrift store, the secondhand market in the U.S. saw record growth in 2021, at 32%. The resale market is expected to grow 16 times faster than the retail clothing market by 2026, revealing that more people are turning away from traditional shopping.

            Rebekah Pavelle, longtime Raspberry Beret shopper and self-proclaimed fashionista, showed off her purchase: a black St. John’s sweater from the ‘80s with gold embroidery. “I love consignment, it’s treasure hunting,” she said.

In addition to the thrill of the hunt, it's the sustainability that keeps Pavelle secondhand shopping. “I deplore fast fashion,” she said. “So buying secondhand is picking up in someone's footsteps when they wore a gown or a sweater or anything, but it's also literally helping the environment.”

            Fast fashion, the cheap, mass producing of clothing, is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, among other environmental issues, so many shoppers, like Pavelle, have turned to secondhand shopping as an alternative.

            Raspberry Beret tries to stay eco-friendly and help the community by donating everything they don’t sell to charity. The store has been working with Mass Appeal International for almost as long as Raspberry Beret has been in business.

            “They redistribute goods and clothing to families and individuals like literally in your own backyard in the greater Boston area that actually need them,” Higgins said. She said that last year, they donated about 10% of what was consigned, adding up to about 20,000 items. “That’s a pretty good amount of clothing that we’re directly putting back into our community,” Higgins said.

            Somerville resident Caroline Hanly bought a trio of light cardigans from Raspberry Beret—including one that was 50% off—for her upcoming trip to Florida. The “hidden gems” are what keep her coming back. “You can find some brands and pieces that are different, but also at a better price,” she said. According to ThredUp, saving money is the top reason people shop secondhand. Especially as inflation is on the rise, that can make a big difference for people. 

            Higgins said that the rise in popularity of secondhand shopping is twofold. First, “because of the societal shift that happened in the year that we don't want to talk about” she said. “I think everybody had to take a step back and reassess what they cared about in 2020,” she said, including people reassessing their spending habits and environmental impacts, leading people to be more conscious shoppers.

            Her second theory is that secondhand shopping has become “kind of like a cultural phenomenon. It’s like pop culture,” she said. Higgins explained that it’s trendy to thrift shop and wear vintage clothes, particularly among young people, more than ever before.

            Higgins said that Raspberry Beret has seen an increase in young shoppers in recent years. Data shows that younger age groups are increasingly secondhand shopping. According to ThreadUp, “62% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers said they look for an item secondhand before purchasing a new item.”

            In addition to saving money, more young people are following the secondhand trend to find one-of-a-kind items and to have more fun while shopping.

            “We don't have much in this life but expressing ourselves is one thing that we do have, and it's one thing that we have to hold on to for dear life,” Higgins said.