A Day at The Garment District

At the intersection of Broadway and Davis Street sits an otherwise grey building wrapped in a painted pink stripe; it’s home to The Garment District. Unlike its name suggests, it's a two-floor second-hand clothing store, not a district.

Thrifting in Boston, for me at least, often seems expensive. While I love the flea and vintage clothing markets that fill my Instagram feed, their pricing is often a bit over what I’d hope to spend.

The Garment District offers more variability in price and clothing selection. The bottom floor advertises clothing by the pound. Clothes are clumped in piles across the floor while shoppers pick through them with plastic bags in hand. It's very reminiscent of the Goodwill Bins in a smaller setting.

While picking through the piles is a bit time-consuming, I’d say it's well worth it. For just $4.40, I picked up a sweater vest, a 70s-style mini dress, a knit scarf, and a sequin top. At $2 per pound, the downstairs of The Garment District fits well within a college budget.

Here, you’ll also find the store’s costume department, housing DIY costume items and ready-to-wear outfits, and although Halloween may be over, you never know when a costume party invitation will turn up.

Upstairs, clothes are curated into categories. The majority fit into “Contemporary” and from there are broken into racks by type, including sweaters, athletic wear, camo, shoes, etc. Contemporary pricing varies from around $13 for tops to upwards $50 for certain designer styles or coats.

My favorite spot, though, is the vintage room where clothes are sorted by decade and niches. One rack features solely fur coats, while its neighbor holds flapper dresses. If you’re in search of a leather jacket or vintage peacoat, this is the place.

Formerly a soap factory, the store opened in 1986 and has added to its quirky history, including seating from an old train. In 2007, Boston Costume joined the location, providing the costume department mentioned above. Clothes are stocked daily on both floors of the store, sourced from bulk clothing providers. The store owners say they seek to maintain a green business model by recycling items that don’t sell.

To get there from BU, it's around a 45-minute walk, crossing over Harvard Bridge and heading into Cambridge. From Central or West Campus, take the Green Line to Kenmore before walking the rest of the way. Or a short walk from the Kendall/MIT stop on the Red Line if you happen to be across the river already.

Happy thrifting!