Thrifting With a Purpose: The Wardrobe to Open New Malvern Store

An elevated thrift store with a mission of giving back to the community is bringing its offerings to the Main Line this fall.

The Wardrobe will open its latest location at Lincoln Court Shopping Center, taking over the former Goodwill store and donation center space.

Executive Director Sheri Cole told Whatnow Philadelphia the team began searching for a new location after its Exton Square Mall store closed. 

“We are thrilled to open just 15 minutes away in Malvern. We didn’t want to go too far. The Exton site was our second busiest of all locations, so I expect [Malvern] to be similar. It will be our permanent home for Northern Chester County, the Main Line, and Montgomery County, and accessible for shoppers, volunteers and donors,” Cole said.

The new shop will join The Wardrobe’s existing locations in Philadelphia, Kennett Square, Upper Darby and Norristown. The organization also operates a temporary pop-up at Plymouth Meeting Mall, which opened following the Exton closure and will remain open through January 2027.

The Wardrobe serves as a free resource for individuals returning home after incarceration, rebuilding after violence, navigating health issues or experiencing homelessness, while also operating as a thrift store open to the public.

Individuals can access the resource by appointment, either through referrals from The Wardrobe’s partner organizations or by self-referring with a walk-in application.

“We provide clothing for free to anybody who qualifies and is in need. We use a broad qualification scope because our goal is to give away as much clothing as we can. We also are open as a resale store, so anyone can come in and shop at a thrift store price,” she said. 

The organization got its start in 1995 as The Working Wardrobe, helping low-income women transition into the workforce with interview clothing. It soon expanded to include men’s clothing becoming Career Wardrobe and later rebranding as The Wardrobe in 2020.

“Over the pandemic, we really saw an emerging need for everyday clothing for people, so we now provide, what I call, outfits for work and outfits for life. We take all adult clothing, and we don’t require people to be on an interview or job path,” Cole said.

The Wardrobe emphasizes providing every guest with the same retail experience, regardless of their circumstances.

“We’re not just racks and racks of clothing. You’re going to find well-curated, high-quality items because everybody has a right to look and feel their best, and clothing is part of our dignity and self-esteem,” Cole said.

The public can donate clothing at the Malvern location on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m. The Wardrobe follows a “what did you wear yesterday?” approach to donations, accepting gently used clothing people would realistically wear in their everyday lives. Donation needs vary by location, with the Philadelphia shop currently seeking casual menswear.

The Wardrobe will officially celebrate the Malvern location’s grand opening on Oct. 8 at 11:30 a.m.

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