Pacas Recycle Store

from Inside Gold Coast Magazine Edition 5

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SH-OP AT THIS EPIC SURFERS PARADISE THRIFT STORE

Deals n’ steals await at Pacas Recycling Store.

Gone are the days when you raced into an op shop with your shades on for fear someone driving by might recognise you. Or, to source an outfit for Uncle John’s 60s-themed birthday, because those crochet hotpants you rocked like a boss at Splendour were a tad too, umm, Splendour-ish.

Well now the pendulum has swung the other way, and scoring a bag full of thrifted loot has become a perfectly acceptable means of updating your wardrobe. In fact, it’s touted as ‘the new black’ of shopping, not just because you get epic bang for your buck and unique finds, but because it’s sustainable. Circularity is the buzz word of 2022 and no industry has embraced this monumental movement quite like far-shion. Second-hand clothing meccas like Surfers Paradise’s Pacas Recycling Store are leading the charge in this space, vowing to help save our planet one thrifted garment at a time!

Passionate about conscious consumerism and the preservation of our environment, Pacas (not to be confused with Paccers a little further up the road…) encourages us to never pay retail prices – and we oblige!

Their massive haul of preloved pieces are sourced from Florida (cool) and they specialise in US designer brands like GAP, Victoria’s Secret and American Eagle. Plus, they get new drops every single Saturday so yes, a little trip to the glitter strip is set to become a weekly event. Cue the sweet vintage finds!

Their super cool range will have you popping tags and stealing Grandpa’s style (we don’t really mean that but wanted to quote Macklemore) like a pro!

Also, you’ll be doing your bit to support the environment coz friends, listen up. Thanks to fast fashion, the amount of clothing ending up in landfill is harmful to our environment, and Pacas owners Liz Marie de Ycaza and Alfonso Abril have vowed to help change that.

Relocating from Guatemala and Panama in 2018 with professional careers committed to tourism, they were forced to pivot from their original plan due to, well you can guess why (starts with Covid and ends with 19). However, this (not so) little change of plans turned out to be a blessing in disguise, paving the way for Pacas, a Spanish word which translates to “bale of clothing”. People in third-world countries commonly purchase a bale of clothing to resell, hence the catchy name.

Drawing inspo from the second-hand shops they have visited abroad, and especially in Guatemala where competition in the thrifted clothing space is fierce, they developed the green print for their very own preloved empire. Offering low-cost, high-quality apparel, their goal is to encourage Gold Coasters to embrace the slow fashion phenomenon, rather than buying new. In fact, this savvy duo have more than just our humble town in their sights, dreaming big and aiming to launch 100 second-hand stores across the country in the future. Mic drop.

So next time you decide your wardrobe is in need of a little pick-me-up, head to Pacas for some guilt-free awesome new old finds (or old new finds, and we’re just confusing ourselves now but you get the gist). Paying full price is so 2021 and the treasures you can unearth here put Pacas at the top of the thrift store food chain. To once again quote our mate Macklemore, even if you only have $20 in your pocket, this (place) is ** awesome.

When: 10am – 5.30pm Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm Saturday, 12pm – 4pm Sunday.

Words by Bianca Trathen