Can’t decide on an outfit to wear for formal dinners? Or perhaps you have an upcoming career networking session or internship job interview, but can’t find “something appropriate” to wear to impress a potential future employer? If you can relate to this – read on, as this article may be the answer to all your outfit woes!
University graduates (like all of you reading this) ultimately seek to secure the job of our dreams and make meaningful connections. Thus, having a set (or two!) of formal attire for events such as formal dinners, job interviews and graduate career networking sessions has become strongly necessary. However, many of us are still unsure of what constitutes a formal outfit, and where to purchase them. As students, many of us balk at the idea of paying $50 for a whole outfit. Most of us also are unwilling to spend such a large portion of our allowances on such clothes because “only wear once in a while mah!”
Today, Residential Life brings you our very own rendition of “Budget Barbie” for the ladies (and also for the men!) by introducing five retail stores where you can purchase decent-looking outfits for a reasonable price, without burning a hole in your pocket.
- New2U Thrift shop
Featured in influencer Bong QiuQiu’s edition of “Budget Barbie” in 2014, New2U thrift store offers preloved clothes for sale, and profits are raised to help the less fortunate.
Established in 2000 and nestled in central Singapore, in Chinatown, New2U is managed entirely by volunteers. Although their storefront is slightly old fashioned, itis a haven for those of us who want our very own set of designer clothes but lack the money to buy first-hand. Designer items are displayed in a section and are marked down to a range of $15-$100 only. So if you’re discerning and lucky enough, you can definitely snag a few good buys! For example, an Armani Xchange dressed picked out by QiuQiu in her video was priced at only $30 – what a steal!
New2U also offers work dresses for executives and office ladies that were donated by office personnel. Such items would be perfect for those of us who have an upcoming formal dinner or graduate career networking event, but be sure to check first before buying! Donated items could be from many eras past, and could even be from the 1960s. So, do not to buy those unless you intentionally want to NOT get that dream corporate job you’re dressing for…
For those of you looking for a place to sell your old clothes, New2U also functions as an alternative platform to a flea market sale, to reach out to customers and make a profit from your preloved apparels. Thus, its duality and functionality as a thrift shopping haven makes it an attractive destination to buy inexpensive formal clothes and clear our wardrobes of our own preloved items, creating a community of budget shoppers who help each other look out for the best deals. Indeed one (wo)man’s trash could be another’s treasure!
Address: 96 Waterloo St, Singapore 187967
Opening hours: 10:30a.m. – 2.30p.m. daily, closed on weekends
- Refash.sg
A trendy fashion retail store located in Orchard Gateway, Refash.sg caters to those of us who are into blog shop fashion. They also have a store at West Coast Plaza – a short bus ride away from campus!
With its aesthetic-looking, white-walled store interior, one would not guess that it would be a possible destination for thrift shopping at first glance. However, Refash carries preloved and even brand-new apparels from fashionable brands such as Zalora, Topshop, The Tinsel Rack and Love, Bonito. This makes it an ideal destination to purchase aesthetic, modern outfits.
Similar to the New2U Thrift store, Refash.sg encourages customers to use Refash as a platform to sell their preloved clothes and apparels. With fleeting fashion trends and the rising affluence of consumers, Refash recognizes that brands are increasingly releasing new designs to the market and many consumers are buying fashion faster than ever. Hence, it offers cheaper prices for preloved clothes to help them find a new home.
Most of their apparels range from $15-$35 on average for dresses, with prices sometimes going up to $45. However, as the fashion brands and clothes sold are trendier, thrift shopping at Refash could be more productive. At least that’s our experience!
Address: Orchard Gateway #02-08/09 // #01-24
Operating hours: Monday-Sunday, 12pm – 9pm
For a full list of outlets, visit Refash’s main website here.
- Salvation Army’s Praisehaven Mega Thrift Store
Everyone knows that you can go to the Salvation Army to donate your old clothes and items, but not many know about their largest thrift store located at Hillview. User ratings and reviews have dubbed this place to have “anything and everything”, from clothes to furniture to any sort of miscellaneous bric-brac. This means that in addition to clothes, you could even find accessories to go with your outfit!
Praisehaven has a stringent policy when it comes to accepting donations of preloved items. It carries renowned brands such as Esprit, Love, Bonito, ASOS apparels and more, along with a variety of shoes, bags, and accessories to go with your outfits.
Praisehaven also stands out from other stores in terms of its atmosphere and comfort. Its air-conditioned and airy environment provides a comfortable atmosphere for customers to shop for their clothes. Furthermore, unlike other thrift stores where you pick off items off the rack and gauge for fit on-the-go, Praisehaven has fitting rooms for customers to try on clothes to get the best fit. Zero risk of wasting money on bad fitting formal clothes here!
Address: 500 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678106
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 10am – 6pm, Friday – Saturday 10am – 9pm
- Something Old, Something New (SOSN)
SOSN goes all the back to 1977, when it was founded by the Anglican Community Services. It is a thrift store that aims to provide training and employment opportunities for individuals recovering from psychiatric conditions, by giving them a chance to start anew and contribute to society. The store also supports green initiatives and emphasizes on “reuse, reduce, recycle” as its core ethos. Thus, purchasing items from them would help to support this social enterprise and ultimately contribute to a worthy cause!
With a wide range of bags, shoes, clothes and hats, there is something for everyone in SOSN. It carries renowned preloved brands such as UNIQLO, as well as vintage brands, consisting of an interesting mix of the old and the new. They also accept donations from those of us who have preloved clothes who need a new home.
Address:10 Simei Street S529897
Operating hours: Monday – Saturday, 9am to 5pm. Closed on Sundays.
For a list of other locations, visit their Facebook page here.
- Style Theory
Style Theory is a fast fashion rental service that allows users to rent unlimited designer outfits, with three plans to choose from. For a ‘Starter’ plan at $69/month, you can rent three pieces of clothing in one box, for that month! For the ‘Pro’ plan, you can rent unlimited pieces, with three pieces of clothing in one box, at $129/month. The ‘Pro’ plan has a $99/month promotion, for your first month. Finally, with their ultimate “Pro” plan at $179/month, you can rent unlimited pieces, at five pieces per box.
Although it’s not quite in the same league of thrift shopping as the other options we provided, Style Theory can still help you to save money and rent beautiful outfits. For instance, when interview season rolls around and you know friends who are also internship-hunting, you could share a plan together for a certain number of months to save cost! It’s similar to how people share Netflix accounts – easy, affordable and everyone gets to enjoy new designer clothes! You and your friends would be able to pick new clothes each month and don the latest styles for any networking event or job interview to make an impression.
However, because Style Theory runs on a rental concept, we never really own the pieces and have to return them shortly after. For people looking to own these pieces eventually, it may be a little hard to part with – especially after you’ve seen how great you look in an outfit you rented! Also, coordinating renting schedules with friends may be a hassle since everyone probably has events and interviews scheduled at different times. People may also not be too keen to jump on board, if they have no upcoming formal event.
Nonetheless, Style Theory boasts unlimited rentals, free dry cleaning, free express delivery and a liberal policy that allows you to cancel anytime – what’s not to love! If you have an upcoming career event, and have a group of fashion-loving friends to share the subscription cost with, you can totally check this option out.
You can visit Style Theory’s website for more information here
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Hopefully by the end of this article, you’ll have more new ideas on where to get the best bargains and buys in Singapore. Have any other suggestions on where to do thrift shopping for formal outfits, or comments on our options? Do share it with us in the comment section below too, and help out our community of fellow budget shoppers to get the best bang for their buck! J
