Unitiques: The Ultimate College Marketplace

Girl meets shirt. Girl buys shirt. Girl wears shirt. Girl breaks up with shirt.

We're all guilty of ditching our (formerly) treasured threads. After all, a fashionista's closet is the epitome of "out with the old, in with the new." Though we very well know where to acquire brand new pieces, what about your old clothes and accessories? While post-grads have numerous options to choose from, campus dwellers can now turn to Unitiques. 

Photo courtesy of Unitiques. 

Started by Alex Shadrow, a junior at Boston University (snaps for being classmates), Unitiques is the hottest way to sell your old pieces and pick up some fashionable finds. Call it "a fashionable (and risk-free) version of Craigslist" or "virtual Buffalo Exchange," but one thing is for sure: it's pretty major.

Before Unitiques was a multi-university phenomenon, it was humbly known as BUtique.

"I decided to start 'BUtique' because I needed money and I had clothes I wanted to get rid of," Shadrow recalls. "I was tired of the physical pain of bringing my clothes to Buffalo Exchange, only to get ripped off. I also didn't want to turn to Craigslist because I was afraid of the safety issues associated with making such a public listing. "

Ergo, the PR major created a Facebook page that acted as a virtual marketplace. For BU's fashion community, it was a dream come true-- it seemed as if everyone was posting their glam goodies or negotiating prices. Perhaps without knowing it, Shadrow publicized the harsh reality of being a style savant: breaking up with your clothes is hard to do, partially because it's difficult to find a safe (and profitable) place to sell them. Of course, breaking up with your clothes is also hard to do because of the memories and the faint hope that the CFDA will want to create an exhibit dedicated to your clothes. I mean, it could happen.

In what seemed like a New York minute (Boston minutes are too slow), the lovable BUtique was just too big for Commonwealth Avenue.

"I decided to expand BUtique because the group was growing dramatically everyday," says Shadrow. "People from other schools even reached out to me and asked if I could bring the service to their campus-- guys too! I realized it was something everyone needed."

If you're not craving a wardrobe makeover (and would rather keep your threads hanging in your closet), you now have the option to sell furniture, appliances and much more on the site. And since Shadrow doesn't take a profit, college students finally have the democratic bazaar they've been praying for.

Now that you're completely smitten with Unitiques, how does it work? Once you sign up with a valid university email and create a profile, it's up to you to post sale items and contact that girl in your math class who is selling that super cute sweater. You know... the one you're borderline obsessed with. Though it's the norm to vend within your own school's network, you can choose to talk business with students from other colleges.

Though it seems as if Unitiques could not get any better, keep a look out for new elements. With an established live chat, Shadrow says that there's more to come!

"They will have to be a surprise," she teases.

So what's the harm in starting an account? We all know that you're dying to get rid of some things!


xx