Shopping local is very important to me.  It helps small businesses and boosts the local economy. Shopping local is a great way to find more unique and meaningful wardrobe items.  I’m only putting stores on this list that I’ve personally visited, and I’ve made it a goal of mine to visit more local shops.  As I discover more gems, I’ll add them to the list.

Thrift

Second Image:  My favorite Tampa thrift store.  It has an excellent, large selection and  a separate boutique area for better brands.  The prices are closer to consignment level than thrift level, but the quality and cleanliness are great, and they often have fantastic sales.  Only downside is the very small parking lot, which is often full.

Sunshine Thrift:  This is a fantastic store for bargains, but be prepared to dig.  If you’re short on time, hit the accessories section.  I’ve found some amazing belts and costume jewelry here before.  This store can sometimes be picked over and crowded, so I recommend going on a weekday.

Lighthouse Ministries Family Store (Brandon)- Located about twenty minutes east of Tampa, this little thrift store is quite a hidden gem.  The prices are very reasonable (about $2 – $5 for many items), the store is relatively clean, the majority of the items are in gently used condition, and the staff is very friendly.  I found a lot of vintage and name brand items for remarkable prices here.  Plus, all the proceeds go to supporting their charities, which include job rehabilition for the homeless.

The Spring Boutique – Located in South Tampa, the Spring Boutique has a great selection of formal wear, suits, and some casual wear.  They also have a small room with vintage items.  The prices are closer to consignment level, and I had a few quality issues with some items.  Still, it has the best selection of formal and work wear that I’ve seen in a thrift store, and the fact that they separate it from casual clothes is a plus.  The store is very clean, and the staff is very friendly.

Consignment

My Mosh Posh – This is a beautiful, high-end consignment boutique that is clean, well lit, and looks like a well-edited closet.  They carry a variety of brands, including Ella Moss, BCBG, J Brand, Chanel, Tiffanys, etc.  I found two lovely dresses here for a mere $40 each.  The staff is extremely friendly.

Classy Consignments (Lutz) – This store is just north of Tampa.  I frequented it at it’s old location almost weekly when I was a teenager.  It’s off the beaten path, but it’s a nice, clean store with a friendly staff, and lots of good brands at reasonable prices.  I love how they mark the hooks in their fitting rooms with cute little signs to help you remember which items you love, and which you’ll be putting back.

Triage Consignment: Triage is a wonderful clothing and furniture consignment store tucked away behind a Macy’s off Gandy.  This hidden gem offers some amazing deals on really good brands.  The average prices range from $15 – $30 for most items.  I have found J. Crew, Anthropologie and Ann Taylor items here that were new with tags, for fractions of the original price.  The store is very clean and well kept, and they have a really good range of sizes.

Exchange Stores

Revolve Clothing Exchange:  Revolve is a unique gem in Tampa.  The way it works is that you bring in your old clothes that you no longer wear to Revolve.  They decide which items they would like to take, and then you get store credit for them.  Plus, they will donate the clothes they don’t want to charity.  They have a great selection of stylish used clothes, as well as new items by indie designers.  And since they’re in Ybor, La France and Tribeca Color Salon are close by.

Salvation Army, Goodwill: While there’s several of these classic places to thrift located throughout Tampa, my favorites are the Salvation Army on MacDill in Hyde Park and the Goodwill on Hillsborough Ave near Dale Mabry.

Boutiques

Penelope T – This beautiful boutique is in South Tampa.  The store is gorgeously laid out, and they have a good selection of brands including Tulle, Geren Ford and J Brand.  The store is very on trend, and everything they sell is high quality.  And the owners are really nice to boot.

Why Not Boutique: Why Not specializes in high quality, sustainable fashion – lots of clothing made with organic materials, handmade jewelry and products made by local artists.  The store is really nice, and it’s always good to find a boutique that is concerned about its impact on the environment.

Vintage

Sherry’s Yesterdaze:  The amazing Sherry’s Yesterdaze has affordably priced accessories, clothes, furniture and household items.  Most of their items are 50s, 60s and 70s vintage.  They have really reasonable prices, and a very friendly staff.  Their vintage accessories selection is amazing.

La France: Located in historic Ybor City (and within walking distance of Revolve Clothing Exchange) this is the place to go in Tampa when you want high end vintage clothing.  The store is beautiful, and they have a great selection of vintage jewelry.  Great selection of men’s vintage too.