Classy Closet

I adore Classy Closet! I’ve been coming here for years, even after moving to California. I still use a genuine Chanel chain purse I bought here for $ 40. Check it out!

I don’t have a lot of experience shopping in consignment stores, but I had a great time at Classy Closet.
I’ve always been greeted with a smile and an offer of assistance when I enter. Yes, it’s very crowded — they have lots of merchandise, which makes for a delightful time of rifling through the racks and hopefully stumbling upon some good deals. I certainly did — I got a Nine West silk skirt for $ 8 and a black cashmere Banana Republic short sleeve sweater for $ 8. There were quite a few other items I was tempted by, but decided to pass on for now.
Their pricing system works such that the longer the item is in the store unsold, the steeper the discount — the items I purchased were both at 50% off. So there’s a huge mix of prices and also quality in terms of the brands they stock — which I think is the point of a fun consignment store experience, you never know what you’ll find.

Emanuel and his team are the best — friendly, attentive, and courteous. The selection is ever changing so it’s always an adventure and it’s an absolute joy to shop there!

I went to Classy Closet today for the first time, and found it to be okay. The clothes were priced a little higher than I liked, and they were very poorly sorted, especially in the sale section in the basement, where things were sorted very roughly. There were five basic categories: tops, bottoms, longer items like coats and dresses, bags and belts, and shoes. It’s also really, really crammed; things are jammed on shelves and there are bags of clothes everywhere.
The labeling at this store is also a little strange — there was no real explanation of how the sale section worked, and I ended up having to ask the girl at checkout (who was really polite and nice). There was another employee having what seemed to be a loud personal conversation in the basement behind a curtain, which was really strange.
There are changing rooms here, which is a huge plus for me, but it’s tiny and not very secure, with really terrible lighting.
Overall, I might go back, but it’s definitely not high on my list of places to thrift.
Things I purchased: J. Crew midi skirt ($ 5), Collection Fifty-​Nine top ($ 5).

The selection of clothes in Classy Closet are generally geared towards people who are 30+ years old.
Pros
–Large selection of men’s suits and dress shirts
–Reasonable prices
Cons
–Clothing could be organized better — the clothes are organized by type (tops, coats, etc.), but not by size or color
–Dressing rooms are in a sad (if functional) state
–The downstairs part of the store needs to be organized better and have brighter lighting
If you’re willing to dig through the racks, you’ll probably find a good deal (as ever, check to make sure the article of clothing is in good enough condition for your tastes).

I just moved into the neighborhood and was excited to find an upscale resale shop. I walked in twice, and was ignored the entire time I was there. Merchandise is jammed onto racks, not sized well. There is good merchandise mixed in with cheap stuff.
I could have bought a few things, but I have to say– after being ignored the first time, I thought it had to have just been a bad day for the person working. Having it happen a second time? I owned my own upscale resale shop for a few years– to me, ignoring a customer the entire time she is in there is the hallmark of a bad business. I won’t return.

Classy Closet is a great place to both shop and consign old clothes. The staff is friendly and the selection is great, especially for the prices. I’ve purchased Prada, St. John, Diane von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan and Ferragamo shoes, Bakelite jewelry, fur coats in good condition, and other pieces here. The dressing rooms are a little sad and the building is old, but the merchandise is really great for the prices. They are SO much friendlier than other consignment shops in Evanston.

Don’t go here. They didn’t open on time and everything is too expensive. Nothing was in my size and the racks weren’t divided into sections. Two stars because the stuff looked like it was in good condition at least.

To say my experience with Classy Closet was terrible and disgusting is an understatement. I brought it approximately 33 items in May of 2011 — all high end men suits, blazers, slacks etc. with designer names such as Armani, Zegna and Ferragamo. The store promises in their contract to send checks quarterly and I didn’t receive anything for a whole year until I personally had to call TWICE and ask them to send a check for the items that had sold. Only 11 items had sold so I decided to visit the store to pick up my belongings after a full year had passed. The store tells you that if you want to pick up your clothing you have to go find it yourself. I spent 3 hours and could only find 3 pairs of pants and the staff was not helpful at all. Finally the owner (Emanuel) decided to come and look for another hour and still was unable to find my belongings and had no record of it in his computer and promised to pay me for losing my clothing. I would like to reiterate that this was extremely expensive merchandise, at least half of everything still had tags. The owner and I created a new «contract» in which he promised to pay for those remaining items. After 5 trips to this store, I was left completely devastated. Some items the owner had paid for like promised but for approximately 10 items he may as well just spit in my face. His behavior was absolutely atrocious and went back on his word to pay me for the items that I had trusted him and his store with and then trusted that he would pay me for his mistakes. He made as if he was always going to pay making me come back to the store over and over again when I live 45 minutes each time saying he needs more time, doesn’t have a copy of the paperwork of my account etc. He literally admitted he lost my clothing and was going back on his word and basically just didn’t want to pay me because legally he didn’t have to. I highly suggest you STAY AWAY from this place as you can leave feeling extremely betrayed as I did.

Am I just too picky or having extremely bad luck…
This place seem to be over priced. Also it’s not vintage when I see t-​shirts from Hollister or Old Navy. Nothing special in women’s clothes. Maybe some sweaters… but I refused to pay $ 20 for something I can buy new from the same store.
I saw lots of men’s suit jackets and shirts but I didnt bother looking at price since I dont need any of that.
I did look at their purses… really… I saw a fake white chanel bag for $ 40. That’s a little too much dont you think? You can easily go to any of the shops in china town and get a better and new one for $ 20 or $ 30. I moved on to jewelry and little nick nacks… another disappointment there! I saw a cute little asian style vase (size of a perfume bottle maybe) for $ 50. Come on now! Jewelry was just the same. I saw a handmade necklace with a plastic heart beads (the one you get for your kid ages 8+) for $ 14!!! Seriously, let me just stop by Toys’r’Us and pick up some beads and save money. Over all I was not impressed. BUT as any other vintage store it’s hit or miss, so I will stop by one or two more times and see if I can actually find something good.

Well after 2 years writing the review inspired me to get my husband to start calling and complaining as well. They must have hired new staff because YAY — I finally got my check!

The selection and prices here cannot be beat.
Plus, the staff and the owner are extremely nice and helpful!

I LOVE this place! It’s worth the trip to drive to Evanston or jump on the train (both CTA and Metra are less than 1 black at Main St. stations). I have found many lovely things here. This store is a treasure trove of designer clothing — great shoes, dresses, men’s clothing, everything. A little packed so allow time to weed through it all. Discounts for items that have been around for more than 30 days — check it out!

It’s funny how life has a way of coming back full circle. When I was in my early twenties, I used to leave Schaumburg and go on these crazy resale shop adventures. I would drive 20 miles or more to find these far reaching stores just to do something when I was bored on the weekends. As soon as I walked into the Classy Closet, I had a flashback: I was there only one time previously probably 14 years ago! This store is «OK». If you read my other reviews, I’m quite the resale aficionado. I have some favorite stores that are hard to beat. I read the other reviews and got really, really excited, thinking it would be a more designer version of My Sister’s Closet. There was a lot of merchandise at ground level and even a basement with more stuff, mostly vintage items (great for costume parties). I just felt that the prices were pretty inflated, considering it was the same kind of stuff I’ve seen at the bargain basement thrift stores. Yes, there were some cool pieces –but I shouldn’t have to pay $ 50 plus dollars for used clothing. There was a coat downstairs I really liked ($ 48) and this cute ethnic dress that would have made a cute beach cover up ($ 52). But there is no way my cheap a** can pay those prices for merchandise that doesn’t knock my socks off, *especially* when that same merchandise would be only $ 15 or less at one of my other, preferred stores. I think this store would be more successful if they took donations, gave some of the profits to a charity and only did consignment on the really, really nice pieces. Without the consignment factor, they wouldn’t have to inflate the prices. I will give this store another chance and see if they have any gems that will be available at a later date. Then I’ll update my review to see if I get more excited about this place.

Classy Closet is well-​run, has friendly employees, and I have always found something unexpected there. From interesting, fun jewelry (some vintage) to clothes I wear to work, this small space is a treasure trove. Don’t miss downstairs, too — lots to look through. Prices are very fair, and the owner is a cool guy. If you are a bargain/​resale shopper, I’d say definitely stop by here. (I do wish they’d post their hours online, though!)
–WHOA! I used to think these things until … the $ 400 leather jacket I «consigned» to the owner mysteriously disappeared. I heard a different story every time I went in to inquire about the jacket. «Oh, it’s on our eBay site.» I checked the eBay site. There was one item on the site and it wasn’t the leather bomber jacket. «Oh, it’s downstairs… do you want me to get it?» Yes, I do. But … surprise, he couldn’t find it.
I hate to prosecute without evidence, but my strong suspicion is that this jacket was sold almost immediately, and I saw no money. I have dropped many a fine garment there, and never, not once, been issued a check. Crowded Closet, over on Dempster, however, runs a reputable show. For some strange reason … my clothes sell over there like gangbusters. And I do receive checks.

Until I moved to Evanston, I had NO interest in shopping at thrift and consignment stores. There are three within less than half a mile from my apartment (including the Salvation Army and Junior League Thrift Shop), so why not check them out.
Classy Closet has the best selection of men’s apparel, specifically suits of the three stores! I have found blazers of many variations including herringbone, windowpane, corduroy, and tweed. There are suit sets, but most likely one would need to tailor them afterwards. Most of the suit sets were for larger sized men, so if you might need to browse more if you’re less than a 42R. Don’t fret because Classy Closet has two floors, and the basement is where most blazers and suits are kept.
While I don’t normally shop for myself (too lazy), they have a great variety of women’s apparel too. You can find anything from sequined tank tops to designer jeans to structured purses. I purchased a pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans for $ 25. No lie.
Btw, expect to pay more than the usual thrift store price for a dress or suit here. It’s a consignment shop! Their suits are generally in great condition and many are even Italian brands.

Many vintage clothing stores focus on kitschy apparel – Polyester disco pants? Oh, yeah, we’ve got ‘em!
Not this place.
This is the place where you’ll find genuinely nice dress clothes – the kind of clothes you can wear to work in professional settings. Men’s suits from Brooks Brothers, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Stuart, and well-​known designer names sold by upscale stores like Saks, Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, et cetera. I’ve been here a couple of times with a female friend who always finds lovely professional clothes in the women’s section, as well. They’re particularly well-​stocked in men’s and women’s suits, pants, skirts, and dress shirts. And nary a polyester disco shirt to be found – most everything is (hallelujah) natural fibers.
The staff, led by owner Emanuel (sp?), couldn’t be nicer. Expect to spend at least an hour if you’re planning on seeing everything, because they have a LOT. I live in Chicago and don’t get to Evanston more than once about every six months, and there’s always plenty of new stuff to see.

This thrift store has a lot crammed into a small store. Just about everything is in good condition and they carry some name brand items. It’s a good place to go for casual or more spiffy clothes.