By Buffalo Exchange Sherman Oaks; Photography by Saeli Eshelman

These days, retro fashion is dominating the scene. Whether you’re into 60s space age, 70s rock and roll or 90s nostalgia, chances are you’re making a nod to styles past. The coolest part? These throwback looks feel both classic and completely fresh. Buffalo Exchange Sherman Oaks walks us through the decades, one outfit at a time.

Silhouettes of the 60s

During the sixties, space-age trends were hugely popular and are credited for the birth of boxy, structured A-line silhouettes. For a classic take on the decade, we styled a drop waist, mock neck dress with basic, low block heels. This is one of the main styles made popular by mod icons like Twiggy. For a more modern version, we paired a denim jumper in a classic silhouette with velvet ankle booties.

Far Out Retro Fashion

The seventies saw tons of styles inspired by our favorite musicians, with band tees and bell bottoms taking center stage. Did you know these styles made way for the modern T-shirt and jeans look? For a classic take on the 70s, we paired a fringed-up band tee with bell flares and boots. Talk about retro fashion at its coolest. Then, to move it into the modern day, we tried out a suede fringed skirt with a distressed Guns N’ Roses tee and buckled boots.

Totally Textured 90s

In the nineties, club scenes and rave culture drew inspo from 80s aerobics trends, resulting in bright and bold fashion statements. We put together our own version of this retro fashion using a bright red sports bra, mesh bicycle shorts and sneakers. For a more wearable look, we layered patent leather shorts and a holographic tank top under a mesh dress.

Gotta Be the ‘Oughts

Many styles of the noughties were inspired by hip-hop fashion trends. Rappers’ oversized denim made JNCO jeans all the rage. Recreate the look with a pair of exaggerated denim or go modern with one of this season’s favorite denim trends – distressed culottes.

Looking to up your retro fashion game? Stop by your local Buffalo Exchange to find styles from all your favorite decades! Oh, and if you’re doing a spring closet cleanout, don’t forget that we buy vintage and one-of-a-kind finds as well as modern, everyday staples.

By Savannah Timpani, Buffalo Exchange HQ

At Buffalo Exchange, we’re all about recycling our clothing and accessories – whether that means trading in our closet cleanout for cash or store credit or repurposing a T-shirt into a fun DIY bag! For an environmental win-win, take a T-shirt you no longer wear and turn it into a reusable tote bag to carry with you when you go shopping. This is the EASIEST DIY EVER, so why not make one this weekend? You can bring it to our Earth Day $1 Day Sale on Saturday, April 21 to carry home all your $1 finds!

What You’ll Need for Your DIY Bag

To make your DIY bag, all you’ll need is a tee of your choosing and some scissors. Did we mention this is the easiest DIY ever?

Step 1: Snip, Snip

Once you have your tee and scissors, you’re ready to get snipping! Start by cutting off the sleeves, including the seam, on each side.

Next, cut off the neckline, including the seam. Keep in mind that, the lower you cut, the deeper the opening of your bag will be.

Step 2: Fringe It Out

Now that you have what looks like a rad tank, cut the bottom of the shirt horizontally along the seam.

Next, cut some slits vertically about 2-3 inches long and 1-2 inches apart all along the bottom. When you’re done, it should look like a fringey tank.

Step 3: Tie It Up

Onto the last step! Tie each piece of fringe with a double overhand knot and VOILA, the perfect tote bag! Extra style points for adding your favorite pins or patches.

In case you didn’t know, Buffalo Exchange is a bagless company. This means that, instead of handing out plastic bags, we hand out charity tokens with each purchase. Fun fact: we’ve donated over $728,595 to thousands of local non-profits and kept over 14.5 million plastic bags from polluting the environment since starting our Tokens for Bags program in 1994. So next time you stop in to shop at your local Buffalo, bring your reusable DIY bag!

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 Jessica Pruitt, Buffalo Exchange HQ

When it comes to cleaning out your closet, there are easy wins and not-so-easy wins. I can usually stand to part with jeans that feel too tight, but what about those pieces that fit well and are actually kind of cute? You know, the ones you feel bad about never wearing? If you’re trying to wrap your head around how to clean out your closet this spring, try wearing one item you’re on the fence about for 5 days straight. To keep or to sell – that is the question!

Lessons In Overalls: Trust Your Instincts

For the first day of my closet challenge, I decided on a pair of flared Zara overalls. When I got them, they were a prized find, but over the past year, I’ve had trouble wearing them more than a couple of times. I received several compliments on them over the course of the day and even felt pretty cute, but the outfit just didn’t feel right. Though it wasn’t the easiest decision, these went in the “Sell” bag. Lesson #1: Even if everyone else tells you an item is cute, what really matters is how you feel in it. Trust your instincts!

How to Clean Out Your Closet by Going Shopping

On day 1 of my closet challenge, before I’d actually gotten rid of anything, I did the taboo…I went shopping. In my defense, though, it’s the perfect way to kick off a cleanout! Having some fresh new finds that you can’t wait to wear makes it a lot easier to part with those pieces you’re just not loving anymore.

Plus, it opens up a whole new world of styling options. For day 2 of my challenge, I chose an off-the-shoulder baby blue blouse. Every time I had tried styling this blouse, it looked strangely formal. Enter a new pair of pom pom shoes and military-style pants from Buffalo Exchange Phoenix. Outfit perfection!

I had similar success on day 3 by pairing a new flared sleeve Free People blouse with wide-legged Madewell pants I wasn’t so sure about anymore. And how about the raw-hemmed Anthropologie jeans I wore on day 4? Some new faux-furry slides did the trick!

Lesson #2: Before you clean out, go shopping and try styling those hard-to-wear pieces with your new finds. You might come up with some new go-to looks! For everything that you’re still not loving, it’s time to let it go.

Full Story

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

Lollie Shopping featured Buffalo Exchange in an article titled “Earth Day $1 Sale at Buffalo Exchange” on 3/29/2018. ” I write about it every year—the $1 Earth Day sale at Buffalo Exchange. It’s the kind of sale that makes it worth getting up early, standing in line, and digging through piles of resale fashion. It’s also a great opportunity to get into the spirit of Earth Day and make a contribution. The Buffalo Exchange Earth Day $1 Sale happens April 21st at stores nationwide (excluding outlets).”

By Amelia Gotobed, Buffalo Exchange HQ

Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen a dramatic spread of pants styles, from wide-legged trousers to high waisted skinny jeans and, of course, culottes. Cropped pants continue to be popular as we move into spring – and with good reason! Roomy and structured, they keep you comfy while giving you a sophisticated silhouette. Plus, they just so happen to be extremely versatile – read on to find out how to wear culottes three different ways!

Geometry 101

With this look, we kept it simple by sticking to black and white with rose gold accents. Grid prints are another popular geometric pattern that have been spotted everywhere, so why not add them to the mix? Since the top is mostly black and the bottoms are mostly white, it doesn’t overwhelm the eyes! To keep with the geometric theme, we picked a statement circle necklace – as you can see, we pretty much covered all the basic shapes in one outfit.  If you want to shake the monochromatic look just a little, swap out the white tassel earrings for a pair with multicolored fringe.

Full Story