Trending: second-hand shopping

USD students head to Hillcrest’s Fifth Avenue, digging through an abundance of clothes

Danielle Agnello / A&C Editor / The USD Vista

Fifth Avenue in San Diego, Calif. brings the Hillcrest community back in time with its used, vintage, and consignment thrift stores packed with their collection of fashions stretching from the 1950s to the early 1990s. With a keen eye, the thrifters dig through the overwhelming racks of clothing and from time to time can even be lucky enough to find a few gently-worn current trends that have been overlooked and tossed to the side.

Whether it’s for a themed event, holiday, reworked denim crafting, an effort to challenge fast fashion, or merely adding a few indispensable finds to a wardrobe, many students from USD frequent the second-hand shops of Fifth Avenue. Flashbacks and its sister store, Lost and Found, along with Buffalo Exchange are all within a minute’s walking distance of each other making the trip to this cherished street all the more worthwhile.

The music of the many decades amplifying from the speakers in Flashbacks, along with the friendly workers dressed from head to toe in fads from both the past and present sets the tone of this distinct shopping experience.

Junior Sophia Talese, who started a reconstruction clothing label titled Mended Threads, believes that thrift shops, including Flashbacks and Buffalo Exchange, have some great steals when searching for denim, flannels, and patterned shirts to redesign.

“There is more to this shop than meets the eye,” Talese said. “Don’t get me wrong, not everything here is a bargain, but if you take the time to look through the abundance of clothes, you’re bound to come across some hidden gems.” 

Talese isn’t the only student at USD who finds Flashbacks and Buffalo Exchange resourceful and sustainable alternatives to the average store at Fashion Valley Mall.

 Sophomore Jamie Schneider often finds herself in Hillcrest searching for different garments, especially when it comes to outfits for themed events.

“I needed an 80s prom dress for one of my events and after an unsuccessful trip to Fashion Valley, I was unsure of where I could find one,” Schneider said. “I then remembered one of my friends recommending Flashbacks and decided to go there. The place was flooded with everything I was looking for. Ever since, I haven’t even bothered with the mall when it comes to shopping for themes. Flashbacks has an outfit for nearly every event and they have yet to let me down.”

Sophomore Zoë Knafelc also had a pleasant experience at the store.

“I went in searching for a denim jacket to craft and Flashbacks definitely did not disappoint,” Knafelc said. “I found a white Carmar premium denim jacket for a very reasonable price after only 15 minutes of looking and I will definitely be back for more.”

While Flashbacks and Buffalo Exchange are a huge hit for USD’s student body, Lost and Found, which is right next door is also a secret treasure. Even though not as many people are aware of this thrift shop, it follows the same concept of the student-favorite Flashbacks, filled with recycled fashions. The store buys, sells, and trades clothes like Flashbacks and Buffalo Exchange. That said, Lost and Found has a wider selection of vintage designer and upscale brands. They also offer a bunch of items from Free People, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Madewell, Ralph Lauren, Zara, and J Crew. The second-hand store radiates with its vibrant green and blue walls. It has the appearance of a mid to high-end clothing boutique, a very different image than its sister store. Lost and Found is not the typical thrift or consignment, having a lot to do with the fact that they present well-known brands and clothes, nearly all in great condition, some even having the original tags displayed. 

Between Flashbacks’ hip vibe, Buffalo Exchanges’ quality vintage, and Lost and Found’s everyday staples, Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest is the place to go for an enjoyable, lively thrifting adventure, packed with clothing fit for a closet of all shapes and sizes.