January / February 2021
Out and About
15 by Mitzi Stark
Ropa Americanas
T
he Ropa Americanas, commonly thought of as used clothing stores that you see everywhere, have survived the COVID-19 plummet, and most are doing very well. The reason? Everybody shops at them!
One day I met my lawyer friend Adilia coming from the court house in San José in a smashing blue sheath dress. When I asked her where she bought it she replied, “In a Ropa Americana.” Denia came to a baby shower in a gorgeous pants suit; she got it in a Ropa Americana. Kay came from New York for her annual two-month stay in Costa Rica with only a carry-on bag. She bought all her vacation clothes at Ropa Americanas and saved having to pack and tote a lot of luggage. One close friend proudly wears a T-shirt that reads, “It’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect.” It came from a Ropa Americana. Artists and gardeners pick out work clothes at the Ropa Americanas. Men looking for something to wear on a hike or fishing trip shop at the “Ropas.” Play clothes for fast growing kids? Try the Ropa Americanas. And
for a wedding, graduation, or special party, you may find the perfect outfit in a Ropa Americana for only a few dollars
But, where do these clothes come from? It’s kind of a mystery and I’ve heard several theories. One was that these were clothes donated to North American “charities” by wholesale distributors, manufactures, and top name stores needing to make room for new inventories, but end up in commercial hands. Then, I read an article in El Financiero which said yes, the clothes had originally been donated to charities like Goodwill and the Salvation Army in the USA, but that does not mean they were misappropriated. Those major charity organizations, which have high standards for donations, receive much more than they can use, so they sell the excess in big lots or pacos, which individual stores and chains buy through the internet. So, in actuality, buying from Ropa Americanas isn’t stealing from charitable causes, instead we are helping them. And, we can be assured that our “new” clothes have been checked and sanitized.
