Perhaps it’s the rising price of buying straight off the rack or a heightened awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion, but south of San Francisco they're experiencing a boom in secondhand shopping.

Pre-loved shopping on the Peninsula comes in many forms: authentic, dealer-sourced vintage ranging from the 1930s to the early 2000s; gently used clothing from contemporary brands, big and small; and luxury consignment from designer labels. These four destinations sell secondhand gems at a range of price points, from Lululemon to Louis Vuitton.

Need to clean out your own closet to make room for your finds? Many of these shops also offer buy-and-sell or consignment programs, helping you earn some extra cash for items that are ready for a second life.

Julianna’s Luxe in San Bruno(Courtesy of @juliannasluxe)

Julianna’s Luxe, San Bruno

Owner Jan Regala Freeman, a San Bruno resident with a background in banking, always dreamed of opening a brick-and-mortar business to give women the chance to buy their dream handbag at a reasonable price—without the impersonal experience of resale sites.

In September last year, she opened her charming boutique, Julianna's Luxe, in one of San Bruno’s oldest strip malls on San Mateo Avenue. In it, shoppers can find a selection of high-end and contemporary gently worn pieces, all personally authenticated by Freeman.

Also offering personal styling services and hosting pop-up events, Julianna’s Luxe is more than just a haven for luxury consignment—it’s a concept store. This past January, they hosted the Iconic by Julianna’s Luxe fashion show at the Philippine Center in San Francisco, where models wore entirely pre-owned outfits in support of local schools and nonprofits.

// Email style@juliannasluxe.com to make a personal styling appointment or consign@juliannasluxe.com to consign items from your collection; 440 San Mateo Ave Suite N4 (San Bruno), juliannasluxe.com

Sainted Goods in Belmont(Courtesy of Evangeline McNeil)

Sainted Goods, Belmont

In 2021, friends Carissa Noelle Galvez Rey-Hipolito and Evangeline McNeil turned their mutual love for fashion, jewelry, and vintage into Sainted Goods, a small store packed with personality in Belmont’s Carlmont Village Shopping Center.

Inspired by the previous "sainted" lives of vintage clothing, entering the store feels like stumbling into the closet of a woman who's lived a glamorous life, racks full of party dresses, sparkly bags, and '60s fur coats. With a trove of pieces to work with, Rey-Hipolito and McNeil often style customers in-store to curate looks brimming with vintage flair.

In addition to selling pre-owned clothing, pieces from the owners’ side businesses, along with other locally-made products, have also made their way into Sainted Goods’ selection. Rey-Hipolito’s repurposed jewelry brand and McNeil’s upcycled label, Tweed Fancy, bring a personal touch to the store’s inventory.

//1027 1/2 Alameda de las Pulgas (Belmont), saintedgoods.com

Fillmore & 5th in Palo Alto(Courtesy of @fillmoreand5th)

Fillmore & 5th, Palo Alto

This longtime fixture in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Shopping Center is the mature older sister brand of Crossroads Trading, with its name referencing the original Crossroads location, which opened in 1991 on Fillmore Street. Fillmore & 5th came along in 2012 as a new concept to cater to an audience hungry for consignment.

While the flagship in San Francisco closed in 2015, the Town & Country location is in its 13th year in business and has since expanded to double its original size, with racks of activewear, seasonal pieces, trendy items, and formalwear. Fillmore & 5th predominantly sells pre-owned contemporary items at a fraction of the original price, with a smaller selection of luxury purses, shoes, and other accessories. Expect to find brands including Ganni, Anthropologie, A.L.C., and Frame.

Fillmore & 5th's buy-and-sell model is similar to that of Crossroads, offering sellers 30 percent of the item’s store value in cash or 50 percent in trade credit.

// 855 El Camino Real Suite 88 (Palo Alto), crossroadstrading.com/fillmore5th

Black and Brown in San Jose(Courtesy of @blackandbrownsj)

Black and Brown, San Jose

Black and Brown—which recently celebrated 20 years of selling pre-loved clothing in the Bay Area—is where twenty-somethings south of the city score their best secondhand finds.

The store on the west side of San Jose buys and sells men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories, styling and sharing the hottest items on its Instagram page before they hit the floor.

Owner and San Jose native Monisha Murray has witnessed Black and Brown's evolution over the past two decades. From its early days in San Carlos, where Murray hosted fashion shows and art happenings in the early 2000s, to its five years on The Alamedain San Jose, the shop has had many lives, each with the same core principles: to sell contemporary and vintage styles and to keep curation fashion-forward for all types of shoppers.

With a name that nods to Murray’s African American and Mexican American background, fostering community is at the heart of Black and Brown and its upcoming plans for expansion into the building next door. In mid-April, Black and Brown will unveil a community space where it plans to host pop-ups, DJs, and other events.

// 751 W San Carlos St (San Jose), shopblackandbrown.com