CUT It Out, We Only Want The Good Stuff

Thrifting Made Easy With C.U.T. Market Maui.

For many women, the rush of finding the perfect piece (for a fraction of the price) is indescribable. But trust us, we know how exhausting it can be to sift through thrift shops for hours, only find a stained j-crew t-shirt that smells like mustard. If we’re being honest, thrifting isn’t always easy – but did you know that buying your clothes from a thrift store is one of the most sustainable things you could do for your closet? Yup, thrifting isn’t just good for your wallet, it’s good for the planet, too. When you thrift, you’re making sure that those pre-loved pieces aren’t being thrown in landfills to sit for hundreds of years, if not forever.   

Oh, and if you wanna get straight to the good stuff, we’ve met two thrift queens who have done all of the hard work for us. Best friends turned lady-bosses, Leslie and Lacey, are the owners of C.U.T. Market, a local thrift shop on Maui. They’ve curated the most vibrant selection of thrifted pieces and put them all in one place for you to enjoy. Disclaimer…as soon as you walk in the store, you might be struck with the sudden urge that you’ve just gone to heaven. Have no fear, this isn’t just a dream.  

Leslie and Lacey had talked about opening a clothing store for 8 years. They’d always make day trips to Savers in Kahului and spend hours sifting through their selections.  After word got out that Savers was closing its door they knew something needed to be done. Leslie quit her job bartending and approached Lacey about finally pulling the trigger on their idea. Lacey was on maternity leave and the timing could not have been more perfect. They found the ideal location within a week and began remodeling, relying heavily on repurposed item as to stay true to their brand.

“We both grew up thrifting so it really helped us define our style and express ourselves through fashion. One of our biggest pet peeves is when you show up to an event and someone else is wearing the same outfit. Thrifting allows you to express yourself individuality without just relying on the trendy pieces that you find at the mall. ‘Sustainable fashion’ to us doesn’t mean buying a $100 organic cotton T-shirt; it means prolonging the life cycle of a garment. We are proud to offer a platform where most of the  items are second hand and consumers are encouraged to buy and sell items therefore extending their lifecycle.”

 Together, they’ve curated the most alluring selection of second-hand clothing Maui has ever seen. But don’t let us tell you – see for yourself. Here’s our lookbook from our day with CUT Market, Maui’s one-stop shop for the best pre-loved pieces.

And if you’re not on Maui — Leslie and Lacey have shared their all-time tips for thrifting the right way!

Our biggest tip for thrifting is to give yourself plenty of time. It’s easy to get discouraged when you have to sift through an entire store of goods but don’t give up! We think thrifting should be less about feeling like you scored because you found a certain brand and more about manifesting your “perfect piece”. When you put on one your thrifting scores and you feel like a million bucks then you know you’ve really scored. Also, staying out of major cities and sticking to the smaller thrift stores in the outskirts is key. Most of the thrift stores in big cities like San Francisco are completely picked over.

Photography: Kiana Kanoa

Models: @_sagenelson @malia_nicole @aylaray @daevryc_

Words: Kiana Kanoa