By Savannah Timpani, Buffalo Exchange HQ

Ah, summer – time to pull out your favorite pair of shades and dust off your party pants. Whether you’ll be beachside working on your tan, adventuring in the outdoors or shopping your way across the US, here are some packing tips to help make your summer vacation the best one yet!

Opt for Versatility

If you’re like me, you’ll be tempted to bring everything in your closet. To avoid getting overwhelmed, start by pulling out items you’re naturally drawn to and then piecing looks together. Try matching one blouse with a few different bottoms or consider a dress that can easily change from day to night. Choosing pieces that can work in a variety of different ways is one of the most important packing tips to remember! Definite must-haves: a reliable pair of jeans, comfortable walking shoes and an on-the-go bag like a crossbody or backpack.

I also like to think about when and where each look will fit into my summer vacation. For example, if I’m going to be out all day brunching, shopping and then beaching, I’m going to choose something comfortable and cute like a breezy sun dress and my favorite casual sneakers. I’ll throw my swimsuit and flip flops in my bag for an easy transition to the beach. Bonus: while packing, if I happen to run across any pieces in my closet that I’m just not loving anymore, I also take the opportunity to pull ‘em out of and throw them into a bag to sell at Buffalo Exchange! There’s no better way to start a vacation off than with a clean house and a clean closet.Full Story

By Aarian Frye, Buffalo Exchange HQ

There are many things I love about my mother, from her sense of humor to her generous spirit. If I had to choose one of my favorites things about her, it’s that she’s never been risk-adverse. She’s braver than I am by a long shot, and doesn’t back down from a challenge… unless the challenge is allowing me – her one and only daughter (Hi, Mom!) – to dress her in outfits outside of her comfort zone. However, she agreed when I added in this one important caveat: my mom could dress me as well *cue ominous lightning strike*.  Read ahead for our Freaky Friday  of an afternoon shopping session at Buffalo Exchange Tucson to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Check, Please

First, my mom picks out this checkered skirt and off-the-shoulder blouse for me – good job, Mom! This actually looks like a lot of the things I already own. My only hang up is the silhouette of the skirt – I don’t find the knee-length bell shape to be particularly flattering on me. This would be an ideal look for a Mother’s Day brunch, though, and I could definitely see myself wearing this outfit beyond the Buffalo Exchange dressing rooms!

The Clash

“Oh, Aarian, no,” is my mother’s response to this striped ruffle blouse and floral jeans. Oops. Guess my mom is not much of a pattern clasher. Nonetheless, she tries them on – and doesn’t totally hate it! This is a huge victory in my eyes. If you’re also hesitant about mixing patterns, I recommend keeping the color scheme soft and simple, like we did here.

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By Jessica Pruitt, Buffalo Exchange HQ

Attention all Earth Day $1 Day shoppers! If you stopped by to score some $1 finds last Saturday, April 21, you ought to give yourself a huge high five. Thanks to everyone who came out, we raised $51,471 for The 5 Gyres Institute, a non-profit doing great work in the area of ocean plastic pollution. That’s a whole lot of happy turtles – and we couldn’t have done it without you! In the four months leading up to Earth Day, we also collected over 1,464 furs through our Coats for Cubs Drive, which are shipping out to animal rehabilitators across the nation as we speak.

A Little Bit About Our Earth Day $1 Day Sale

On Saturday, April 21, customers lined up around the block at 47 Buffalo Exchange stores nationwide to shop a special selection of clothing for $1 apiece. For these shoppers, brunch could wait – they knew that $1 items go quickly, so it’s best to get to the store early! Whether it was pouring rain (we’re looking at you, Texas) or hedging on 90 degrees (ahem, Tucson), the sale went on!

Over the past 20 years, Buffalo Exchange’s Earth Day $1 Day Sales have raised more than $665,000 for a variety of charities and environmental causes. Last year, all funds raised went to the Humane Society of the United States and their efforts to promote pet adoption. Other charities we’ve supported include Center for Biological Diversity and their water conservation efforts.

And Don’t Forget Coats for Cubs!

From January 1 until Earth Day every year, we invite customers to donate their unwanted furs in any condition to our Coats for Cubs Drive. We then ship these off to wildlife rehabilitators across the country, who repurpose them into bedding to provide warmth and comfort to recovering animals. Since taking this initiative over from The Humane Society in 2006, we have collected over 15,108 furs for animals in need. This year, we collected over 1,464 furs, all thanks to you guys.

But it doesn’t stop there – we give back to the community all year round! At every one of our 47 Buffalo Exchange stores, we support three local non-profits at a time through our Tokens for Bags program. Instead of giving out plastic bags, we give out 5 cent charity tokens – the result is over $728,595 raised for thousands of local nonprofits and almost 14.5 million plastic bags kept out of the environment. Want to give back just by shopping? Stop by your local Buffalo Exchange to recycle your closet cleanout and shop fun spring finds!

By Danielle Hargett, Buffalo Exchange HQ

Every year, we choose a different environmental charity to support through our Earth Day $1 Day Sale. For 2018, we’re thrilled to announce that all proceeds from the sale will go to The 5 Gyres Institute! 5 Gyres is an organization dedicated to using science, art, education and adventure to understand and reduce plastic pollution.

Mark Your Calendars

Clear your schedule – our 21^st annual Earth Day $1 Day Sale is coming up on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at all locations, excluding outlets. A special selection of men’s and women’s fashion will be available for just $1 apiece. All proceeds of the sale will be donated to The 5 Gyres Institute in support of their efforts to research ocean plastic pollution and engage communities in the responsible use, design and disposal of plastic materials.

So, What’s a Gyre?

A gyre, pronounced jy-yure, is a ring-like oceanic current system. There are 5 subtropical gyres in the ocean (hence the non-profit’s name!) and, in 2011, 5 Gyres discovered evidence of plastic in all of them. Since then, they have been studying how plastic travels to these gyres and the effects it has on marine ecosystems, wildlife and human health.

#BeadFree

5 Gyres may be relatively new, beginning in 2009, but they’ve been at the forefront of major environmental challenges and accomplishments. A notable example is the 2015 U.S. ban on plastic microbeads – tiny pieces of plastic found in cosmetics that you can’t see or filter out. Thanks to their research on plastic pollution and their #BeadFree campaign, the sale and manufacturing of these plastic microbeads are now banned in the United States.

Moving Towards a Plastic Pollution Solution

Current 5 Gyres programs include their TrawlShare, Plastics BAN (Better Alternatives Now) List and Mi Mar educational initiative, just to name a few. Through their Trawlshare program, they engage citizen scientists and are able to broaden their data collection on marine plastic pollution. Their Plastics BAN List gives consumers the chance to learn about the materials they regularly use and provides options for better alternatives to plastic.

One of their newest initiatives, Mi Mar, or My Sea in Spanish, is a program that encourages underserved high school students to learn about plastic pollution through one-day research expeditions off the coast of L.A. Through their programming, they work to spread awareness about the issue, create community engagement and spark ideas for long-term solutions.

BYOB!

Like what you hear? Support 5 Gyres and their mission to reduce plastic pollution by shopping our Earth Day $1 Day Sale this April! To minimize plastic use and maximize your clothing carrying capacity, be sure to bring your own reusable bag to the sale (or buy one of ours, made from 70% recycled bottles)! Don’t forget that the sale is cash only and that $1 items go quickly, so plan to arrive at the store early! For opening hours, check your local Buffalo Exchange. To learn more about 5 Gyres and find out other ways to get involved with this year’s Earth Day $1 Day Sale beneficiary, visit 5gyres.org.

By Danielle Hargett, Buffalo Exchange HQ

For our annual Earth Day $1 Day Sale, we’re teaming up with The 5 Gyres Institute to help turn the tide on plastic pollution in the ocean! At the sale, we will offer a selection of clothing for just $1 apiece. All proceeds from the sale of $1 items will be donated to 5 Gyres in support of their efforts to research ocean plastic pollution and engage communities in the responsible use, design and disposal of plastic materials. Fortunately, it’s easy to be a part of the solution! Here are a few simple things you can do at home to reduce your plastic use:

1. Carry a reusable water bottle. Not only does a refillable bottle make good environmental sense, it’s good for your bank account. Three cheers for staying hydrated without contributing to plastic pollution in the ocean! Full Story

By Danielle Hargett, Buffalo Exchange HQ

“Art is not something that humans do when they have nothing else to do. Art is an essential part of the human condition. It happens everywhere and in all circumstances.” – Spencer Block, Co-founder of Buffalo Exchange

Every year, the Buffalo Exchange Arts Award honors an emerging artist in Southern Arizona with $10,000 so that they can continue doing great work for the local community. This year, the award went to Nathanael Gregory Myers. On January 24, 2018, family, friends and other local artists gathered at the University of Arizona Poetry Center to celebrate as Nathanael accepted the award. Luckily for everyone in attendance, he also offered up a very cool performance!

Nathanael Myers accepting the 2017 Buffalo Exchange Arts Award from Kerstin Block, Founder of Buffalo Exchange

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By Buffalo Exchange Brooklyn (Boerum Hill)

When you’re getting excited for spring style, but freezing temps and snowstorms keep popping up, what to do? Dressing for in-between seasons can be difficult, so here at Buffalo Exchange Brooklyn (Boerum Hill), we’re taking inspiration from street style seen on some of the top NYC fashion bloggers. Copy these looks to stay warm while wearing some of the pieces you’ve been stockpiling for spring!

Man Repeller’s Layering Magic

To get this Man Repeller-inspired look, we went for a fun combo of bright colors and textures. We started with gold Nike Cortez sneakers and a puffer jacket, then added plenty of textures in between to really develop the layered effect. We can definitely see wearing these gold sneakers all the way into spring and are already envisioning all the outfits they might be paired with!

Aleali May’s Casual Cool Street Style

For this look, we got our street style inspiration from Aleali May, pairing chic distressed denim with heeled booties, a fun corset top and a faux furry jacket. This is a great way to start wearing your favorite new spring pieces now! Sporty and bold, Aleali May’s streetwear style is casually chic. Her staple piece? An oversized jacket worn with joggers or jeans and heels or sneakers.

Brooklyn Blonde’s Timeless Look

The Brooklyn Blonde has a classic, polished style with go-tos like black shades, chic handbags and classic coats. We took street style inspiration from her for this outfit by pairing a Zara jacket with Reformation jeans, an oversized scarf and simple flats with a pop of color. Come spring, simply peel of the scarf and jacket and you have yourself a look that’s casual and polished all at once!

If you’re living a spring daydream, but it’s still 14 degrees outside, don’t despair! Look to your favorite Instagram accounts (including @BuffaloExchange!) for winter-to-spring street style outfit inspiration. Then, stop by your local Buffalo Exchange for tons of spring pieces you can start wearing now. Oh, and while you’re there, don’t forget to bring in your spring cleanout for cash or trade on-the-spot!

By Jessica Pruitt, Buffalo Exchange HQ; Outfits styled from Buffalo Exchange Tucson

Valentine’s Day may have been invented by Hallmark way back when, but hey, I’ll take any excuse I can to dress up. Er, to celebrate my loved ones, I mean! Whether you’re planning on getting drinks with friends, going out for a fancy dinner, staying in to make dinner for two or having an impromptu snowball fight, these are some of our favorite Valentine’s Day outfit options!

She’s So Metal

I love this Valentine’s Day outfit for a night out with your besties. The metallic trend takes a turn for the romantic when paired with a fuchsia lace blouse. Add an extra pop with hoop earrings and a beaded clutch, then complete your look with tights and slides. Bonus: you’ll definitely want to re-wear this metallic origami skirt all year long.

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By Aarian Frye, Buffalo Exchange HQ; Photos from Buffalo Exchange Ventura.

After the holidays, when all the champagne is gone and all the sparklers are burnt out, it’s not unusual to find your closet stuffed to the gills with fun pieces you bought and only wore to one – albeit spectacular! – party. If you’d like to give ‘em one more chance to make an appearance in your #OOTDs before you sell to your local Buffalo Exchange, read ahead to see how easy it can be to bring your NYE looks from night to day with a few key pieces.

Night-to-Day Incog-neato!

A metallic dress befitting a starry night filled with fireworks can be brought back down to earth with a low-key trench jacket made from a comfortable jersey knit. Incorporate a chic translucent cross-body from the night before and slip-on trainers. Top it off with a dad hat to stylishly hide the bed head you may or may not (totally!) have.  Full Story

By Buffalo Exchange Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Having a job in fashion is a great way to explore new styles and refine your own personal tastes – especially when that job is at Buffalo Exchange, where new inspiration comes into the store daily! Buffalo Exchange Los Angeles (Santa Monica) employee Danyel loves bringing her streetwear-inspired personal style to work every day and constantly discovering new things about fashion. As she puts it, Buyers are “50% fashion encyclopedias, 50% curious.” Read on to find out more!

How would you describe your personal style?
I like to think of my style as street mixed with a touch of elegance. My go-to look is tomboy/chic, which basically means an oversized T-shirt or dress, jeans and sneakers (or heels if I’m going out on the weekend). Add a cute cross-body bag and, of course, BIG HAIR and I’m all set!

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