We’re about midway through summer and your clothes closet is probably pretty well-stocked for this season. But if you’re like me — or most women, for that matter — you wouldn’t mind adding a few more things to wear if you could find cute, current fashions at hard-to-resist prices.
Right now, Clothes Mentor, 1509 S. Virginia St. and Plato’s Closet, 1535 S.Virginia St., in Reno’s Midtown neighborhood, are offering secondhand but stylish summer clothing and accessories at a fraction of what you’ve pay for new. And at the moment, their selections are likely more bountiful than what you’d find in most shops at the local malls, where summer clearance racks are “picked over.”
According to its Web site, Clothes Mentor is part of a chain of 85 stores located across 25 states that provides cash on the spot for attractive, gently used, ladies’ clothing and then resells it for someone else to enjoy. Well-known brands are preferred and clothing must be fresh and in good condition — no rips or stains, no broken zippers or missing buttons.
Plato’s Closet has a similar business model, but sells clothing for both guys and girls in sizes and styles geared to teens and young adults.
On a quick visit this weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Clothes Mentor
is a clean, well-organized store with merchandise neatly grouped by style, size and color.
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| Clothes Mentor, Midtown Reno |
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| Clothes Mentor, Midtown Reno |
Prices here were rather remarkable. I saw nice, name-brand tops for $5-10 and even fancy dresses for less than $20. Fellow shoppers or browsers at Clothes Mentor seemed to range in age from 30s to 70s and the merchandise included both playful and work-appropriate items.
At nearby Plato’s Closet, there was a line for the fitting rooms, but female and male customers of high school and college age appeared to be having a positive experience.
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| Plato's Closet, Midtown Reno |
I’ve seen really mixed reviews on Yelp, for both the local Clothes Mentor and Plato’s Closet locations. That’s typical of Yelp, of course. Each person’s expectations are different and much depends on the date and time of their visit, since even the best-run businesses can have “off" days or stressed-out staffers.
In a nutshell, when shopping at a secondhand clothing store, be humble and remind yourself, as one Yelper put it, that “it’s not Nordstrom." Maybe you'll strike gold. If not, don't sweat it and just move on!
And if you're deliberately seeking clothing that’s not currently in style — that is, retro, Bohemian or Burning Man attire — venture farther north in Reno’s Midtown neighborhood, to the fun, funky Junkee Clothing Exchange, 960 S. Virginia St.
For information about Clothes Mentor and Plato's Closet in Midtown Reno, visit: http://www.clothesmentor.com/reno# and http://www.platoscloset.com/locations/list/nv .
To learn more about Junkee Clothing Exchange, visit: http://www.junkeeclothingexchange.com/ .
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