Top Drawer

I’m a total name brand snob (admit it is the first step to recovery, right? lol) I just moved back to TC after spending ten years downstate and while my experience with thrift stores is limited I’ll say I’ve been more than thrilled with Top Drawer!
After pinning 30+ inspiration photos on Pinterest, I decided I wanted to make my own cut off jean shorts. I went down the street on my lunch break and picked out maybe a half dozen pairs of jeans that had potential and made my way to the counter.
Like a hawk eyeing it’s prey, I spotted familiar designer prints out of the corner of my eye. A Coach purse? FABULOUS! Just in time for my mom’s birthday! To make things even better it was Friday and if I paid cash I got an extra 20% off.
Now here’s the kicker– I was able to return the jeans that didn’t fit exactly how I wanted and my mom think’s she’s totally fetch with her swanky new bag (did I mention it looks brand spankin new?)! After toiling away with a dremmel, needle, matches (for burn marks duh) and rekindling my bedazzling skills from my childhood I am the proud new owner of not one but THREE new pairs of high fashion cut offs. I’m seriously obsessed with them too. Of course my favorite pair is from k-​mart and are straight up mom jeans (but they’re soooo comfy!!) and were literally $ 2. I guess that’s what I get for being such a label brat. :-/​
To summarize — I was really, really pleased with my experience. The ladies are really honest and gave me all the info after I inquired about possibly selling my excess fashions. I’ll definitely go back and have highly recommended them to my friends and colleagues (and perfect strangers to be quite honest).
Cons– it’s pretty packed in there, but that’s just a testament to how popular they are I guess. Personally, I don’t dig that they show the date the item is going to go on sale, but I’m sure others love that. Lastly, I had THREE women ask about my Louis Vuitton bag while it was on the counter while I was paying, two point blank asking me how much I paid for it. That kinda made me uncomfortable, but could be flattering to someone else. Regardless, none of these reasons are going to keep me from coming back :)

I LOVE thrifting. There’s a feeling of victory when you find that hidden gem between racks and racks of odd sizes and styles. I’ve found such gems at Top Drawer, including a brand new– with tags– black skirt to wear to work for $ 7, a Gap blazer for $ 8, and a variety of name brand cardigans perfect for any time of year. I especially love this shop because the prices go down the longer the item is in the store. My mom swears by this place, and she is the epitome of class and style. If she approves, I usually do too.
I brought a few things in that weren’t taken by another consignment shop due to their seasonal nature. I had some tanks (Banana Republic) and summery tops from some Royal Oak boutiques that had barely been worn, so I wasn’t optimistic Top Drawer would accept them. Surprise! They took the limit of pieces (6) and then snuck another one in too. The women are delightful and chatted with me about my clothes, and my mom, and suggested I take the remaining items across the street to Top Drawer Exchange, their sister store geared more toward teens.
I walked across 8^th Street and brought my bag of tops, filled out my info, and shopped around while the very nice girl went through my stuff. She took everything! The way the Exchange works is they determine the prices for each item and give you store credit (good for all 3 shops) on the spot. This is where I found the perfect, like new, size 2 Gap blazer. This will be perfect to pair with jeans or a dress for fall.
I received a store credit for $ 37, which goes a LONG way with the great deals. The staff at all the stores are friendly, helpful, and obviously love their job. It’s a pleasure to come in, whether you’re shopping or dropping off items.

My friend went and thought they had a great selection of winter apparel. I went in and saw just over priced items. A Banana Republic cardigan for 15.95??? An Old Navy fleece for 5.95??? Really, wow if I just wait for the instore clearance I could get a brand new one for less. Rip off.

A great place to find lightly-​used consignment clothing (men, women, and children). Selection may vary*, but then you just return another day. Lots of accessories, too. How could you not feel good shopping here, it’s recycling.
p. s. They have a teen & a furniture shop across the street.