Since moving to the downtown area about a year and a half ago, Second Closet, a thrift store operated by the Junior League of Tacoma selling new and used clothing and household items, has seen a healthy increase in business mostly due to the shop’s close proximity to offices in the downtown core.



This space is lighter and airier with high ceilings, a whole back of nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious dressing rooms. Previously located in the Stadium District, Second Closet has smartly priced its items to make it easy to do quick, impulse-driven power shopping on one’s lunch hour.



Donations from the public are carefully looked over by Junior League volunteers with only the gently worn items being selected to stock the merchandise shelves and clothing racks.



Though the large percentage of the shop’s space is dedicated to women’s items, check out clothing and accessory items for men and children as well, including name brand designers Tommy Hilfiger, Style & Co., Gap, Frenchie, Eddie Bauer, Nordstrom, and Mossimo.



With summer in mind, an entire rack of ladies’ tank tops has been positioned next to the front doors in plain view of the windows. Not one is priced over $5. Even designer jeans are not priced over $10. The majority of the racks seem to be stocked with the business professional in mind: blazers, pant and skirt suits, matched outfits, fitted slacks, pumps, belts, and coats.



Prefer to shop from the comfort of your home or office and not into used clothing? Junior League has opened a virtual mall. The idea driving this mode of shopping is that a portion of the funds generated by purchases made through Junior League’s virtual mall Web site go to the Junior League of your choice. Junior League has a motto: Women Building Better Communities. What easier way is there than shopping to help with that?



[Second Closet, 1003 Pacific Ave. S., Tacoma, 253. 383.9269]