Raise your hands if you’ve ever rolled your eyes at yet another hand-me-down that made its way to your closet. Honestly, I hated it!! The T-shirts of bands I didn’t know, the weird oversized clothes of older siblings, the awkward DIY matching dresses. Everything was just plain evil.
But, in recent times you may have caught yourself wearing your mom’s jeans or your dad’s old windbreaker all in the name of the trendy “mom jeans” or “boyfriend jeans”. Newsflash: Hand-me-downs are the original vintage Sounds better?
Call it what you may but the best way to find these “vintage” gems are, you guessed it, THRIFTING! Backyard sales, vintage shops, flea markets, the possibilities are endless if you’re in for the ride. But the best part is this – recycling of our loved items can be so much more than a wardrobe/home makeover. Let’s look at our top five reasons why we should all start now.
1. Unique Wardrobe
YSL was right when he said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” Perhaps for this very reason, clothes were not mass produced until the late 19th century to avoid “twinning.” Not everyone can twin like Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen. If you want to build a wardrobe that’s unique to you, thrifting does just that for you.
2. Pocket-friendly, mostly
When you’re a freshman with a ton of student loan, you might want to consider thrifting. It saves you enough money for therapy or Taco Bell, maybe?
3. Sustainability but make it fashion, darling!
You want to save the world in your own little way. With 70% of the clothes that fast fashion discards going to landfills, you can make a small but meaningful change by thrifting. We love a good sustainable moment, don’t we?
4. Supporting Them Small businesses
TBH, sustainable fashion is pretty expensive. Many retailers have been focusing on sustainability but their prices remain as high as Snoop Dogg on a good day. Small thrifting businesses act like your local Dollar Tree but better.
5. Styling Wanderlust
Thrifting is a journey, for those willing to trust the process. A Zara haul may give you a vacation wardrobe but gradually picking out diamonds from the dust (sometimes literally) will help you piece together a wardrobe that will last you a lifetime. And somewhere along the way, you’re bound to learn not just about fashion from different eras, but also find your own unique style by traversing through these phases.
In all seriousness, thrifting gives you the space to explore and experiment at a bargain price. What’s not to love about a seriously sustainable style statement?