On my trip to Milwaukee, I stopped to shop at three different Goodwill stores. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint!
Each was bright, airy, and well organized. The look was modern and fun, not your grandma’s Goodwill. Go see for yourself! For inspiration, here are some of the highlights from my trip.
I visited the Retique store first. Styled as a boutique, it’s chic, artsy and young. The store is filled with hand-selected dresses, jeans, vests, hats, and blazers for business or nights out (plus great boots). The staff is stylish and fun too.
I found a pair of leather pants (I have some ideas for refashioning these that I’ll post later), a hoodie, and a great sequined dress. If you are shopping to add a little spice to your holiday wardrobe, look no further. The store has a great selection of designer pieces and very small price tags.
My next stop was the Oakland Avenue store. This store is larger than Retique with a layout similar to Marshalls. They have many registers for fast check out, a great shoe selection and tons of clothing to choose from. I found a short fur coat that makes me feel like I’m straight out of a music video (who doesn’t want that?). Lots 
of good sweaters (for theme parties, loafing around the house, or just surviving the winter) and other essentials line the racks with some bizarre, fun, pieces thrown in.
The final stop was the Wauwatosa store. This store is by far the most adventurous of the three. It’s housed in an attractive building with nice brickwork and once inside, you will find a jackpot of fantastic things. The store displays a large selection of furniture, housewares and electronics (including printers, fax machines, computers etc). You can use these as is, or take them for parts (google circuit board and capacitor jewelry: or look for ideas here: http://inhabitat.com/greengiftguide/). I found a great wingback chair for $4.95. $4.95??? Unbelievable. Great for anyone with a new apartment, dorm room, house (or yard?) For $5? Come on people, that’s great, you can find a place to put it later. (Check out this simple refashion idea for painting old furniture (so easy!): http://www.rashoncarraway.com/p/before-and-afters.html )
This store also sells extra runs of designer clothing, which has never been worn. They have a good selection of costume jewelry and the dressing rooms are modern with great mirrors. It is worth taking the time to search because the prices are the best of the three stores I visited.
New clothing, furniture, electronics, jewelry, great dressing rooms, what more could you want? Everything was delightful.
Whether you want designer brands, furniture, electronics, great deals, adventure, or outfits for festive occasions, Goodwill’s got you covered (all while giving back to your community). Feel good about shopping, add some interest to your wardrobe, and go explore your local stores.
