Thrifting, but Make it Fashion
Imagine - It's 10am on a Sunday and you're being rushed into a Goodwill by a small crowd of eager people just as the first round of bins are being set out for the day. A frenzy of hands begin to rummage through secondhand merchandise in hopes of finding hidden treasures. This is the exciting experience of thrifting.
In the last year, thrifting has become exceedingly more popular. Many influencers and social media users alike are posting photos with their trendy, new finds and respond to comments with something everyone loves to hear, “Thanks, it’s thrifted.”
For newcomers, thrifting is when you choose to shop at consignment, vintage, or secondhand stores where all of the clothing items have been previously loved and generously donated. Everything within the store is on display and usually organized by color or size and placed with similar items; from pants and shirts, dresses and skirts, to hats, belts, shoes, and purses. The newly popularized decision to start thrifting started as a way for Gen Z to fight for social justice in combatting the cruelties of fast fashion, but like we always do, we've taken something seemingly mundane, and romanticized it into a trend.
Thrifting is also a great way to individualize your style, while also staying on a budget. Shoppers can purchase gently used name brand fashion items at a fraction of retail prices. As a thrift shopper, you can purchase an entire outfit for the price of a single item at a department store. Since fashion is cyclical, you can find vintage styles that are current again, at affordable prices.
While the chaos of the Goodwill bins is an extreme example, most thrift and consignment stores are not as overwhelming. Even so, it can be difficult to know where to begin, so here are some tips on how to get started:
1. Have an idea of items you want to get. Aka “Thrifting Goals.” Are you shopping for date night or girls night out? Casual or formal? Or are you looking for specific pieces?
2. Have the time to dedicate. Sometimes you will need to sort through many items to find one thing you love. Take your time and be patient.
3. If they are organized by size, just look in the sections that you know will fit you.
4. Be creative. You can easily upcycle the clothes you find by cropping or pinning an item. You'll find a scarf you can wear as a shirt, a shirt you might wear as a dress, or pants that could be cut off/rolled up!
5. Go to a tailor. Not everything is going to fit you perfectly, but buying something of high quality for cheap, and then having it fitted to you is still less expensive than buying clothes new.
Happy shopping, Thrifters! The clothing you wear says so much about you. Being able to find pieces that are unique to you and your style, while also still remaining within your budget is what thrifting is all about!
Strike Out,
Writer: Sara Valentino
Editors: Lauren Cich and Marissa DeMaio
St. Augustine