Pinterest boards are engulfed with new trends seemingly every week. However, a continuing trend and aesthetic of going “thrifting” or shopping at second-hand stores remains evident. In addition, apps such as Depop and Poshmark allow anyone to sell their clothes online and are just as accessible as any other online clothing store.
Thrifting has many benefits. For starters, it is cheaper. Pants and tops at places like Goodwill and Salvation Army, usually are priced at fifteen dollars and under, making it affordable for teenagers with minimum wage jobs. In addition, buying already-used clothing minimizes clothing waste and gives the items a second life.
Senior Joey Flores, a frequent thrifter, makes a trip to the thrift store about once every other week hunting for unique pieces that fit his interests and won’t get torn up when he wears them skating. With a closet filled with clothes, everything, except for a handful of pieces, is thrifted.
“One of my favorite times thrifting was when I purchased 22 items of clothing, all of which I still wear today, for the price of one regular men’s t-shirt on a Salvation Army sale day,” Flores said.
Junior Itzel Ramji started thrift shopping for environmental purposes, and she has grown to prefer it over fast fashion for the affordable and environmental alternative it offers. She usually hunts for 90s to 2000s styles, or things that have the potential to be altered to her liking.
“It’s fun, it’s ethical, and more often I find what I’m looking for when I thrift compared to fast fashion because I prefer vintage styles,” Ramji said. One of her best times thrifting was when she found her favorite designer’s vintage pieces with her friends.
Junior Jonas Hansen started thrifting with his mom. He enjoys talking with his parents or friends as they find goofy pieces or good pieces as they maneuver the racks of clothing at second hand stores. Hansen believes that fast fashion stores such as SHEIN produce poor-quality clothes that don’t last and contribute to waste.
“New clothes are so expensive and aren’t made to last, so I look for older stuff that is higher quality, fits better, and has cooler designs,” Hansen said.
Flores, Hansen, and Ramji all said they ended up selling their clothes on Depop when they no longer wear them or just need to clean out their closet. As opposed to shopping on retail sites to keep up with the trends, Depop and thrift stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army may have just the right items to be trendy and environmentally friendly.
