I have been buying clothing second-hand clothing pretty much since I’ve had my own money to spend. I love clothes and in eighth grade one of my friend’s family took me to Goodwill for the first time and I’ve been hooked ever since!
I love to shop and one of my favorite things about thrifting is searching for cool pieces that nobody else has. I can spend hours in one thrift store, going through every rack. Ever since I’ve started thrifting, I’ve found shopping at retail stores boring. There’s also such a large array of items that there’s something for everybody. Trends tend to repeat themselves and a lot of trendy items from stores like Forever 21 that are replicas of 80s and 90s fashion can be found in thrift stores right now for less than half the price and are authentically from those time periods.
Thrifting is sustainable meaning that many retail companies export labor to countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia where working conditions are unsafe and workers are severely underpaid. These factories also pollute the air we breathe and often dump toxic chemicals in these countries water supplies, making citizens ill and affecting the ecosystem. Thrifting is a way to give clothing new life, without contributing money to a company that participates in these practices. We have gotten to a point where there is literally too much clothing in circulation and lots of perfectly wearable clothing are being tossed into landfills. Many thrift stores are part of non-profit organizations and the money you spend goes toward helping others.
My mom and I go thrifting together usually once a week. We both love clothes and it’s a great way for us to spend time together. I’ve also introduced many of my friends to thrift shopping and it’s a lot of fun to compare finds and get each other’s opinions.
Overall, thrifting is one of my favorite past times and I am excited to be sharing it with you.