Introduction
Everyone loves a good deal, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. “Thrifting” means buying second-hand clothes for a fraction of the cost of new ones. You can search for second-hand items from the comfort of your home, or, if you’re looking for a bit of adventure, visiting thrift stores can provide a fun experience of digging through clothing to find some cool pieces.
Why Thrift?
Thrifting helps you create your own personal style and feel good about your choices. And if you can save some cash at the same time, all the better.
Find Unique and Stylish Clothing
If fashion trends have taught us anything, it’s that “vintage” is always stylish and old trends almost always make their way back around. Thrift stores sell incredible pieces that you can’t find anywhere else. Retail stores are often limited to the latest trends, but if you’re looking for something a bit different or older, thrifting allows you to find all different styles of clothing.
One of the best parts of going into a consignment or vintage shop is exploring all the incredible pieces from various decades. It’s like traveling through time, and going vintage is a great way to create gorgeous and unique looks, even if you have a formal event. Curating your style in this way helps build your sense of identity, and finding pieces that call to you in thrift stores is a great way to develop your style.
Get More Bang For Your Buck
Buying off the rack at retail stores can be expensive. With thrifting, you pay a fraction of the cost and still get quality clothes. Thrift stores are reasonably priced and usually have special days where certain items are up to 50% off their already low price.
Thrifting is Sustainable
With the rise of “sustainable” fashion, many lines have come out with pieces made by workers paid livable wages and made from sustainable fabrics. However, these pieces can be pricey. Also, many consumers are incorporating new practices to cut down on their personal carbon footprint. Thrifting is a fun, creative way to cut down on some of the fashion industry’s negative impacts.
“Fast fashion” is the mass production of cheap, low-quality clothing. We’ve all bought a shirt or a pair of jeans that barely made it through a single season. Fast-fashion companies produce massive amounts of clothing that often end up in landfills. They also pollute the environment through toxic chemicals, dangerous dyes, and synthetic fabric that does not biodegrade. The U.S. alone discards 11 million tons of clothing each year.
Many of these clothing companies also exploit their workers, outsourcing their labor to countries that do not have the health and safety of workers in mind. Plus, their pay is next to nothing to keep the cost of clothing low.
But thrifting allows you to give clothes a second life. Instead of purchasing cheap clothing at the expense of the planet and garment workers, you can recycle pre-existing clothing. We’re all for sustainability, but if you’re looking to save some money, thrifting is a lot cheaper while still being environmentally friendly.
Shop In Stores
Thrifting in person is a great way to spend time with friends or unwind after a stressful week without hitting your wallet too hard. Organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army are all over the U.S. and often have massive storefronts where you can search for some stylish pieces. Also, many churches and other groups have storefronts that sell second-hand clothing at discounted prices.
If you are looking for something fancier or more curated, consignment and vintage shops are a great way to go. You pay a bit more at these kinds of shops, but you’re more likely to find some stunning, brand-name, designer pieces, still at a fraction of the original cost.
Shop Online
If you’d rather shop online, there are plenty of options to thrift from home. Websites like Poshmark, eBay, ThredUp, Etsy, and Swap all sell second-hand clothing at great prices. If you are looking for a specific brand or item, it’s a great way to find what you want. Most clothing and shoes are gently used, and you might even find some brand-new items still with tags attached.
Thrifting in stores can add a bit of a mystery to your search, as you can never be 100% sure you’ll find what you want. While this adds some fun to your experience, it can also be frustrating if you don’t find anything that suits your tastes. Online thrift shops allow you to scour the web for the exact piece at a much lower cost.
Conclusion
Many fashion trends are fleeting and last only a season or two. Thrifting is one we think will stay around for a while. Between helping the environment, the workers, and your wallet, there is little reason to not give thrifting a chance. We’re sure you’ll enjoy the fun of searching through vintage shops or websites and the pride of finding that gorgeous piece at a low price.
