By Jessica Pruitt

I’m gonna be honest. I’m not much of a seamstress. So whenever a cherished piece of clothing needs a fix, big or small, it generally goes in a pile for that magical day when I decide to bust out the sewing machine and get crafty. Key word being magical. When that day doesn’t come for years and years, it’s usually time to admit that I need to give those pieces the boot. But no more! With these handy style hacks, you can easily give your pants the perfect fit or make a beloved wardrobe staple feel fresh again.

@buffaloexchangeThat perfect fit. ##stylehacks

How to Cinch Up Too-Loose Pants
Favorite pair of pants just a little on the loose side? With a shoelace or ribbon, you can easily give them the perfect fit. Just lace through a couple of belt loops and tie up!

@buffaloexchangeJeans to joggers in 20 seconds! ##stylehacks

Turn Your Jeans Into Joggers
If you’re tired of your wide-leg jeans, give ’em a fresh spin by temporarily transforming into joggers with just a couple of hair ties!

@buffaloexchangeUp your oversized button-up game. ##stylehacks

How to Tuck In an Oversized Button-Up
Button-up billowing out? Give it the perfect fit by unbuttoning the bottom and tucking each piece into the opposite side of your jeans. Voila!

@buffaloexchangeTee to crop-top in no time flat. ##stylehacks

How to Turn Your Tee Into a Crop Top
I don’t know about you, but I’ve regretted cropping many a tee. In some cases, though, the outfit just calls for a crop top! Transform any tee temporarily by tucking the bottom edge into your bra.

@buffaloexchangeBodycon dresses are so versatile! ##stylehacks

How to Transform a Dress Into a Skirt
Pretty much any body-con dress can be turned into a skirt for a fresh look – simply tuck the top in!

@buffaloexchangeRaise your hand if you love a good fanny pack. ##stylehacks

Turn Your Cross-Body Bag Into a Fanny Pack
Several years later and fanny packs are still as popular as ever! If you’re not quite sure and want to give it a try, turn any cross-body bag into a fanny pack with a single hair tie.

@buffaloexchangePerfectly tucked tee that’ll stay for hours. ##stylehacks

Dot Your Is and Tuck In Your Tees
Trouble getting your tucked-in tee to stay? Just tie up each side with a hair tie and tuck it in – guaranteed to stay in place for hours.

Well there you have it – my top 7 style hacks! Whenever I’m cleaning out my closet, I like to try hacks like these before I decide to sell an item. If I still don’t love it, I throw it in the bag and make an appointment to sell at my local Buffalo Exchange! Nothing beats trading in my cleanout for a little retail therapy.

By Marcella Willden

Wow, where did this year go? It’s already almost fall, but it feels like it was just yesterday when summer started! If you’re still not sure how to transition your looks from the warmer weather to cooler temps, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for our fav fall trends. 

Puff Sleeves & Prairiecore 
This trend is one of my personal favorites! It’s the perfect transitional piece for any wardrobe and a definite entry point for the prairiecore trend. You can dress up or dress down, wear with boots or sandals, you name it! Invest in one of these and it will become your go-to look for any season.

Sheer Volume 
Layer on the style this fall with blouses that are light on opacity and big on volume. Sheer pieces like this add something special to any look and are great for in-between temps where you can’t quite tell whether you’re hot or cold.

PSL, Please
Pumpkin spice anybody? Let’s be honest, as soon as the temps dip below 90, I pull out everything rust-hued. There’s just something about this warm tone that brings all the fall feels.

Slick Back in Metallics
I know what you’re thinking, but just hear me out! This fun metallic fabric will be your new favorite piece for out-of-this-world fall looks. Not ready to dive in with high-shine head-to-toe? Dabble in metallics with fun accessories like platform sneakers or a silver tote.

Blazer of Glory
And my final, most favorite fall trend? Oversized blazers! The layering possibilities are endless with these 80s-inspired pieces that come in fantastic runs of plaid and all variety of colors, from neutral to bright. Layer a tee underneath when it’s a bit warmer and add on a sweater as the temperature drops. 

I don’t know about you, but writing about all these fall trends gave me a sudden hankering to give my wardrobe a fast fall update! BRB – I gotta call my local Buffalo Exchange to set up a drop-off selling appointment and clean out my closet so I can trade it in for cool-weather finds. Need to clear some space for your fall-worthy wardrobe? Buffalo Exchange is buying for fall and the best of all seasons (especially menswear), so give them a call! They pay 30% of their selling price via PayPal or 50% through a Digital Store Trade Card.

Can you feel the chill in the air? Halloween is almost here! Even though we may not be able to go door-to-door trick-or-treating or attend a public Halloween bash this year, there are still plenty of ways to party. Here are a few activities to help you get into the Halloween spirit:

• Carve pumpkins with your besties on Facetime
• Virtual haunted house tours
• Halloween movie marathon + (online) viewing party
• Visit an outdoor pumpkin patch or corn maze 
• Send Trick-or-Treat emails to your friends (and don’t forget to send along something sweet, like a gift-card for goodies)!
• Host a virtual costume party on Zoom

Now that you’ve got a few ideas for how to celebrate while staying socially-distant, scroll through for some of our favorite Halloween costumes!

Crown yourself the May Queen of Halloween in a Midsommar group costume! 

Brave Halloween night as one of our favorite fearless book characters, Coraline.

We’re off to see the wizard — and the wonderful world of Halloween costumes at Buffalo Exchange!

Cross Halloween costume shopping off your list with the Kill Bill duo.

A Mean Girls group costume? That is so fetch!

DIY spaghetti and meatball costume? Now that’s what we call an ‘outfit recipe’!

Zoinks, it’s the witches – actually, it’s the Hex Girls! Team up with your squad, Zoom style, for a Mystery Inc group costume.

Put a smile on everyone’s face this Halloween with a spot-on Joker costume.

For a well-balanced breakfast – we mean, Halloween costume – shop at Buffalo Exchange.

One of our favorite dynamic duos from under-the-sea, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy from Spongebob Squarepants!

For Halloween looks that really snap, crackle and pop, DIY your own cereal mascot ensemble.

We’re seeing double with this Tethered ‘US’couples costume!

We SPY a groovy group costume: Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and more!

Spotted: Cruella De Vil and 1 of 101 Dalmatians!

Spotted: Cruella De Vil and 1 of 101 Dalmatians

Racing to find a last-minute costume? Mario and Princess Peach costumes will take you to the finish line!

Before the party’s over, dress up like our favorite ‘Bad Guy’, Billie Eilish!

Now that you’ve seen just a few of our favorite Halloween costumes, head to your local Buffalo Exchange to recreate one of these looks (or create your own — the possibilities are endless!). Before you go, you might want to take a look through your closet to see if you have any costume pieces to sell — we’re buying for Halloween (and fall, of course), and your costumes from last year could transform into cash or trade to spend on a spooktacular new look. Have a happy, safe and socially distanced Halloween, from Buffalo Exchange!

By Marcella Willden

As I’m sure it did for many of you, 2020 sure shifted around my plans for the summer, but after spending LOTS of time at home, my family and I decided to do a 3-day social distancing vacay to the lake to get some fresh scenery and fresh air. Read ahead to see some of my packing essentials for a quick and safe family trip.

As Many Cute Swimsuits as Possible!
Whenever I know I’ll be swimming daily, I like to pack multiple swimsuits so that I can 1) maximize my outfit possibilities and 2) have a dry one to put on every day. As a bonus, these can be mixed and matched with your other items to create cute lakeside outfits.

Fresh and Comfy T-shirts
I live in Arizona where summers are H-O-T hot, so when I’m packing for local trips, I like to include plenty of lightweight, breathable T-shirts. Cotton is great in the summer because, if you get it wet, it’ll keep you cool.

Cute Shorts and Skirts
Even though I know I’ll mostly wear swimsuits, I always like to pack a pair of my favorite jeans shorts or a cute skirt to wear at the end of the day and while we’re driving.

Sandals, Sandals, Sandals!
For trips to the lake like this one, I always like to bring two pairs of sandals: one that I can get wet and a cute pair that’s good for walking around the marina.

And last but not least? Don’t forget to pack cute masks to wear while you’re on the road. If you’re heading out on a roadtrip to a nearby destination, happy packing! Need to refresh your summer vacay wardrobe? Head to your local Buffalo Exchange to shop for some late summer finds, social distancing style. And if your packing happened to inspire a closet cleanout, make sure to call ahead to schedule a drop-off selling appointment!

This past July, Buffalo Exchange Tucson hosted a socially distanced Dollar Sale to raise money for the Equal Justice Initiative. This fantastic organization works hard to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., challenge racial and economic injustice, and protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in America. The sale generated $2,390, with all proceeds going directly to the Equal Justice Initiative.

During this sale, we tried out a variety of new strategies to ensure a safe shopping environment for customers and employees. For example, we limited it to no more than 45 shoppers at a time in the large parking lot of the store; customers signed up in advance for a shopping time slot; and boxes of clothing were spaced at least six feet apart, while proper use of masks was required for all. We also had customers count their items into trash bags to reduce contact and encouraged contactless payment options like Venmo and PayPal.

Overall, the sale was a great success! Customers were able to shop safely while scoring some amazing deals and supporting a great cause. Soon, we hope to hold more socially distanced $1 sales at all of our stores to raise money for a wide variety Black non-profit organizations.