A win for the environment, small businesses, and your loved ones.
Holiday shopping doesn’t have to fill you with existential dread. As many of us try to reorient our relationship to capitalism, shopping at vintage or secondhand stores is a win-win-win: It’s better for the environment, an easy way to support small businesses, and a chance to get your loved ones truly meaningful and unique gifts.
Instead of resorting to generic presents from Amazon, do your holiday shopping at these BIPOC-owned vintage and secondhand stores. Most of these are local businesses, but many sell online (or via Instagram) and ship nationwide.
BLK MKT Vintage has a famous store in Brooklyn, but they also sell online. Every item — including vintage tees, art, and decor — is carefully curated by founders Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart with one mission in mind: to “represent the richness of Black history and lived experience,” according to their website. If selecting something yourself is too overwhelming, you can always go the gift card route.
Teetering the line between vintage and high fashion, Dauphinette founder Olivia Cheng takes second-hand clothes and repurposes them to create playful and loud (in the best way) garments. I’m a huge fan of her jewelry, especially the gold plated mini pepper earring. You can shop Dauphinette online or at one of their two New York City locations.
This beloved San Francisco staple was founded by New York couple Cristina Ramos and Nu Goteh after they realized buying nice furniture and home decor in the city was too damn expensive. Together, they’ve curated an ethereal collection of vintage pieces, always with a contemporary twist. Order via their website or DM them on Instagram if you see something you like.
Owned and led by Zena Bryant, The Reinvintage Collection has been endorsed by countless celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Rihanna. The shop specializes in handbags, accessories, and women’s clothing and curates carefully-selected designer collections — with new items added weekly. You can browse and shop Reinvintage online.