Boomerangs is a collection of thrift shops in the Boston Metropolitan area that support the AIDS Action Committee, a non-profit organization based in Boston. While they have
locations in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Cambridge, their flagship boutique, named
Boomerangs Special Edition, is located in Boston's South End, at
1407 Washington Street, a few blocks from the Broadway or Prudential T stops. It's also right on a stop of the Silver Line 5 bus.
While I had a few chances to visit the Cambridge location in Central Square, the high-end boutique store sounded alluring, so I decided to pay it a visit and document my trip here. Apparently the best and most desirable of the donations from all locations are funneled here- and they also don't really carry any cheap brands, so if you are looking for a one-stop shop for more luxury and upmarket used items, this is your place!
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| Shirts included makers such as Vineyard Vines (pictured, $26), Thomas Pink, Brooks Brothers, Zegna, Ralph Lauren, Orvis, Hickey Freeman, and several other brands. Shirts were priced about $20-$30 each which is expensive for a thrift store, but at least they are all sorted by size, and you won't need to sift through tons of junk to find the good stuff. |
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| The men's section occupies the back half of the store. The organization and layout of the store offered an open atmosphere, and not too crowded or cluttered which is one of the downsides of many thrift stores. |
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| Ties on display, Spotted were a few Brooks Brothers ties, as well as several other trad-approved makers. Not the largest selection in the world, but at least they aren't in a giant tangled heap like some stores.. |
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| Perhaps one of the most tastefully decorated thrift stores I've visited, decor is arranged throughout the store and much of it is also for sale (such as the duffle bag, or wooden duck carving (very preppy). Seen on display were two sport coats, one made by Ralph Lauren Purple Label, the highest-tier label offered by Ralph Lauren. |
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| The men's suit section was also well organized, each suit had a tag listing the jacket and trouser size, as well as the original price of the suit. Makers such as Brooks Brothers, Canali, Hickey Freeman, and Burberry were well represented. Prices again were not cheap ($150-$300) but even $300 is a great price for a high end suit that may have been $1,000-$2,000 new. It appeared that prices were reduced if the item had been there a while, making them a bit more affordable if you are lucky. |
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| A Brooks Brothers 1818 Regent (slim) fit suit in wonderful condition. This is a great suit and they run about $800-$1100 new. |
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| Brooks Brothers Supima Cotton sweater vest, $18 |
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| The women's section featured a long rack of coats, dresses, scarfs, and other wares. Accessories such as jewelry and handbags were present as well. |
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| A glass display case held these high-end ties, including a couple by Hermès. |
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| A creative idea -- notebooks and journals by a company called "Paperblanks" who produce notebooks that look like old hardcover-bound books. Can you spot the prep-friendly plaid? |
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| I normally never even bother to look at the CD/Music section of thrift stores just because they are usually full of really weird stuff, but this one caught my eye with a Ben Folds CD (He was my one of my favorite artists throughout my high school years haha). |
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| Some prep-friendly prints and a octopus bag that caught my attention. |
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| Men's shoes - On display were some suede penny loafers, Ferragamo leather loafers, leather cap-toe lace-ups, tassel loafers, and suede plain toe bluchers-- all the essentials of a versatile shoe wardrobe, and all from decent (or better) brands and in pretty good shape, which is a big step up from the majority of thrift stores where the shoes are well...really gross. |
Final Verdict: Boomerangs Special Edition is definitely worth the trip, even if you leave empty-handed as I did. The organization and decoration of the store makes it fun to browse, and the staff were friendly and helpful. While not the easiest store to get to, if you feel like taking a walk or a bus, it's not the hardest to get to either. The clothes were all of great quality, albeit the prices were on the steep side. That being said, the proceeds from the store support a great cause, so you can feel good while looking good. It seemed summer items were the focus during my trip in July (makes sense) so I will be interested to see if they change anything up for the Fall or Winter.
If you've ever shopped at Boomerangs, leave your comments below!
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