When I lived in Boston as a student, I was always on the hunt for bargains. One of my favorite things to do was to head to Cambridge to grab some great finds from the local thrift store in a nondescript old textile building called the Garment District. My friends and I would dig through a pile of secondhand clothes and fill our bags with bargains we could buy for just a few dollars. Now, in 2024, I am now the father of a thrifty teenager and the Garment District is still very popular. A trip here was perfect for us!

I hadn’t been to the Garment District in many years and was curious to see if it looked the way I remembered it. This simple sign outside was the only clue that led to the hidden bargains.

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS

My daughter and I entered the building and discovered a whimsically decorated interior full of vintage decorations and colorful walls. We decided to start our shopping on the ground floor.

I was so happy that the store still had the option to pay by the pound. Even though clothes now cost $2 a pound, it’s still a great deal. We wasted no time digging through the huge pile of clothes scattered all over the warehouse floor.

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS

We searched through shirts, dresses, pants, ties, Halloween costumes, and kids’ stuff and found some really great finds. As the bag grew fuller, I wondered how difficult it would be to carry it to our hotel across town.

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS


We pared down our purchases, doused ourselves with hand sanitizer (I honestly don’t know how we ever got by without that stuff), and headed to the checkout, where the truth hit us. I heaved the bulging bag onto the scale and watched in amazement as it weighed 7.8 pounds. The final price was $15.60. What a bargain!

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS

The cashier put a tag on our bag and stashed it behind the counter. My daughter and I went upstairs to look at some more bargains.

As we rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, we found ourselves in front of a rack of clothing of all kinds. There were concert t-shirts, flannel shirts, overalls, dresses, jeans, and shirts. We also spotted numerous displays of jewelry, handbags, hats, sunglasses, and shoes. While most of these were secondhand items, there were also some brand new finds.

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS

There were also plenty of vintage items from the 80s and 90s, as well as a wide selection of costumes and accessories. The Garment Store building also houses Boston Costumes, a high-end costume rental and retail store with lots of wigs, theatrical costumes, and makeup.

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS

I’ll definitely come back before Halloween!

My daughter and I spent several hours browsing that day. In addition to our 3.5 kg finds on the ground floor, we also found a few more bargains on the upper floor.

Kimberly Falchek/OIYS

We left the store without spending a fortune and headed back to the hotel with our arms full of new treasures.

Have you visited the Garment District yet? Do you have another favorite thrift store near you? For information about this unique store, visit the Garment District website and the Garment District Facebook page. I can tell you that you’ll probably be hungry after all that shopping. The Miracle of Science Bar + Grill is a science-themed restaurant just a short walk from the thrift store.

For even more great thrift store finds, hop in the car and take this clever road trip to Massachusetts thrift stores.

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Selected addresses

The Garment District, 200 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA