Nashville is a vibrant city known for having the full package: music, upbeat night life, top universities, unique dining options and, of course, style.
Not only does Nashville have infamous chain clothing stores like Urban Outfitters, Madewell and Lucky Brand, but it also houses hole-in-the-wall thrift stores like Buffalo Exchange, Music City Thrift and Hip Zipper Vintage.
“Two of my favorite places to shop are luckily close to campus,” Lipscomb senior Emily England said. “Native + Nomad and Castilleja have definitely changed my personal style. They’re both pretty affordable shops and have something for everyone.”
Within recent years, the Nashville skyline has been expanding and, along with this expansion, street style has evolved as well. Campus style varies between the big three schools in Nashville: “hipsters” at Belmont, “preppy” at Vanderbilt and “southern granola” at Lipscomb. But the manifold shops around the city unite everyone.
With all the gentrification taking place within the city, some of the best places to shop are hidden gems and involve leaving the Green Hills area. Some of the hottest, best-kept vintage secrets are Goodbuy Girls, Hang the Moon and Star Struck Vintage.
Most people are gravitating towards thrift stores rather than full-priced shops to save money and acquire a unique sense of personal style. Once bigger chains like Urban Outfitters started to match this vintage look, but with full prices, people started going straight to the source.
“As a college student, it’s obviously harder to maintain a certain look when you’re shopping at expensive stores in the mall or on 12 South,” England said. “Which is why I switched to mostly shopping at vintage places and saving some money to buy something that I really love at bigger, name brand stores.”
The Shoppes on Fatherland in East Nashville have been growing and offer diverse products for reasonable prices (and Local Taco is nearby which is always a bonus!). As for fellow Lipscomb students looking for cute clothing for a good price, the shops in Hillsboro Village near FIDO are fun to explore. Each shop has a distinct vibe that doesn’t overlap with any of the others, and, after an afternoon of shopping, the new Grilled Cheeserie is a tasty break.
Shopping near campus does make for a relaxing day of food, friends and cute clothes, but the real fashion scene is pulsing from East Nashville. Green Hills offers the Green Hills Mall, 12 South and the Hill Center. However, the further you go, the lower the prices are and your chances of having individual style are higher.
Here is a custom map showing the best locations to shop in Nashville, as mentioned in the article.