Cool consigning

While 13-year-old Madison McElheney spent the first Friday afternoon of her summer vacation sifting through the color-coded racks at Consigning Women, she plucked out a few tops to take back to the dressing room.

After crucial decisions were made at the mirror between her and her mother, Georgia, the pair hit the checkout counter with two dresses, a skirt and a top for mom, and a 1960s-style, multicolor beaded necklace for Madison. The total: $70.90.

Bargain shopping at consignment stores and thrift shops has become a fun and fashionable mother-daughter hobby for the McElheneys.

"This is one of the best ones that me and my mom go to," Madison said of Consigning Women at 21 Magnolia Road.

As a young connoisseur of consignment, this eighth-grader is learning a valuable lesson in retail.

Instead of allowing the recession to tear the feel-good spirit of shopping into textile shreds, many local shoppers are learning that secondhand shopping is an affordable way to find good deals on clothing and accessories without sacrificing quality or high-end labels.

One consignment store owner said that since the economy has sloped south, the biggest change in her West Ashley shop is the influx of new customers.

"People that thought they were a little too good for consignment ... they're coming in to take a look," said Beth Cook, owner of Reinvented Ladies Upscale Resale at 847 Savannah Highway.

Amanda Rosen, owner of two Mount Pleasant consignment shops, believes the green movement has offered a push to make secondhand shopping more stylish.

"People understand that consignment shopping is not only a great way to save pennies without compromising fashion sense and brand labels, but also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint," Rosen said of her shops, Butterfly Women's Consignment Boutique, 624H Long Point Road, and Victoria's Consignments, 920 Houston Northcutt Blvd.

For those confused with the difference between consignment stores and thrift shops, Rosen explained that while thrift shops accept all donations and own their stock, consignment stores choose which items they want to sell in their store, and the consignee who brought in the garment receives a cut of the profit.

The staff at Butterfly uses discretion when accepting consignment items to sell so that everything in stock remains in fashion. Some of the brands that catch customers' attention and usually are sold at one-third the retail price include Prada, Nanette Lepore, Trina Turk, Marc Jacobs, Lilly Pulitzer and several trendy brands of designer jeans.

Because the items are carefully selected, some shoppers would rather shop consignment to more easily find a solid selection in one swoop.

Busy mom Kim McCaskill doesn't necessarily shop consignment to save money or to go green, but to save time.

"These guys picked the good clothes, and they screen them well," she said. "The price is nice, but I shop here because I'm busy and I don't have a lot of time to look around."

And most secondhand shoppers simply like a good deal.

Ruthie Rivers, who spent $26 on two tops, a necklace and two pairs of earrings at Reinvented, said she loves a good bargain. She shops at Reinvented about twice a month and goes to a thrift shop down the street, My Sister's House, once a week.

"My favorite thing I've bought here is a lot of Liz Claiborne blazers," she said. "I'm a jacket person."

Rivers does not mind secondhand clothing because the clothes are clean when she buys them, she cleans them again and she was brought up on her sister's hand-me-downs, she said.

Cook said that Reinvented caters toward women over 30, and brand names include labels such as Chico's, Talbots, Ann Taylor, Eileen Fisher, as well as some more high-end couture items including Gucci and Escada.

Cook's favorite thing about her store is that it changes every day. She said some stores may receive their stock and sit on it for months, but at consignment or thrift stores, new items come in daily.

Because the items change so often, Cook suggests that customers come in several times a month, and she even has customers who visit the store more than once a week.

She and Rosen offer some tips for secondhand shoppers:

--Get to know the sales people. Cook said her staff occasionally calls customers to let them know about items that fit their style, and the staff can help shoppers search for something specific.

--Be prepared to spend a fair amount of time sifting through racks. "View (secondhand shopping) as an adventure," Rosen said.

--Don't feel hemmed in by your size because a lot of pieces will have already been nipped and tucked by tailors.

--Be brave, Rosen said. Use the fitting room to try on something new and different.

--Don't get discouraged if you leave empty-handed in one trip, Cook said. "It's hit or miss. ... Sometimes you find the mother lode, and sometimes you don't find anything."

Rosen added that customers should take advantage of Butterfly's personal shoppers, who can help customers find that perfect purchase to brag about to their friends.

Browsing through Butterfly with the help of a personal shopper, one 23-year-old, wearing a white top, skinny jeans and Grecian sandals, weighed in on the popularity of secondhand shopping.

"It's more in style now than it's ever been," Mary Lake Newton said. "Everybody's looking for good deals."

Although Newton, a Charleston native, usually does her shopping in boutiques on King Street, she said she often shops at Butterfly in Mount Pleasant because it is near where she works and has great prices for designer labels.

Butterfly plans to open a second location at 482 King St. in July.