Saving in SO on Back-to-School Clothes

It's time. Banners reading "Back to School" at local stores and displays of lunch boxes are proof that the calendar doesn't lie. School is almost here, and back-to-school shopping is well underway. And along with it comes sticker shock.

Clarke McCarthy has a remedy. Along with her husband, Timothy, she's the owner of South Orange’s Other Mothers, a consignment store. She has seen a shift in customer habits that she attributes to new economic realities.

“They come here first,” she says of her customers, “before they go to the mall.” Her own two children,  Alex and Jenny, are consignment store veterans; they help in the store and serve as informal models by wearing clothes that McCarthy purchases from her own wares.

“You can save thousands,” she declares. “No question, thousands of dollars, on your kids’ clothes by shopping consignment stores.” She points to a nearby pair of shorts that still bears its mall store label. Its Other Mothers price is about 25 percent of that. 

This year’s high-demand items, according to McCarthy, are boys’ pants and shoes. “Shoes are a very popular item,” she notes. “And I can see why when you look at what they cost.”

Another big seller for McCarthy is school uniforms. (She sells uniforms specifically for Our Lady of Sorrows School but also standard uniform pants.) She notes that convenience is a factor in buying locally, especially for school uniforms, which are often available at just a few outlets. Also popular, especially for pre-teens and teens, are Abercrombie and Hollister apparel.

Amy N. of Union is a regular consignment store shopper and at Other Mothers, especially when it comes to children’s clothing and supplies. “Buying gently-used clothes stretches the money, which is a concern this year.” she explains. “And with kid stuff, they wear it once and that brand-new look is gone anyway.”

McCarthy agrees, comparing the purchase of new clothes to a new car. “It’s like a car losing value once you drive off the lot,” she says. “Kids might wear a suit or dress once. It’s still good, but it’s considered used. And it could end up here.”

According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, some 12 to 15 percent of Americans shop consignment stores each year. McCarthy plans to boost those numbers, starting with back-to-school shopping for her own kids. “A great thing about this kind of buying, whether it’s my store or any other consignment store, is that it’s an easy, invisible way to save. It’s not like skipping a vacation. You’re still getting what you need, just in a different type of store.”