Thrifter (N) – “Someone that religiously shops at Thrift Stores looking for bargains and often scores amazing deals. Often dedicated to recycling and reuse of products to keep our planet “greener”.”
Hello, my name is Hannah Crow and I am a sophomore here at St. Lawrence University. Personally, I consider myself a “Thrifter.” I go thrift shopping all the time, and about 85% of my wardrobe is all thrifted. I’ve adopted it as a hobby at this point, and I think more people should know about its perks. I believe that each and every one of you could find something that you like at a thrift store that you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. There are four reasons why you should give thrift shopping a try and they are the price, originality, the community, and the environment.
Firstly, let’s talk about why it’s good for you! One of the most underrated aspects of thrifting is that it is friendly to your wallet! Everything in a thrift store has been checked for damages, so you know you are getting that item in good to great condition! But because most of the items are previously owned, they are super affordable! This is why it is great for college students, seniors, or anyone looking to save a couple of extra bucks! When thrifting, you can get some high-quality stuff too! At a thrift store, you can get more bang for your buck! Expensive and well-known brands can be easily found at the thrift store marked down significantly. Because of this, high-quality, brand name clothing is not only more accessible to lower-income groups, but these items are also likely to have a longer lifespan. You can get the same thing at a thrift store for way cheaper and no one would know you’re a poser or broke, like me.
Next, the originality and uniqueness of the pieces offer authenticity. Ultimately, you pick it out yourself! Clothing is a way to express yourself and your personality! Being able to go through a thrift store and handpick clothing that catches your eye makes you appreciate the piece and like it more because you picked it out! It may take a while to find something that you like, but there is something for everyone, and it’s rewarding when you finally do find something you jive with. You will find unique pieces that others are unlikely to have! If you’ve ever been to a thrift store you know that it is filled with clothes of all different colors, shapes, sizes, new, old – you name it! Because of this, it is unlikely to run into someone wearing the same thing as you, and you can avoid those awkward “Who’s Changing?” conversations.
Thrifting is also a good way to help others and the community. Thrifting offers the opportunity to support your local community! Thrifting is tied to the community in many ways. Thrifting is locally sourced as all donations are from the community and giving your money to local shops puts it right back into your local community. As SLU students, you’ve probably heard of Titus and it’s 80s attire wardrobe. Many students thrift their outfits for Titus because they can find cheap, unique, authentic pieces perfect for the occasion. You can also give to a charitable cause and write it off on your taxes! You can fund a mission of some kind as most thrift stores are non-profit organizations! Most stores stock their inventory from community donations. In turn, the products are able to be sold at a cheaper price and most of the proceeds are donated to a charitable cause. For citizens, buying from a thrift store can be considered a charity donation and thus can be easily counted as a tax write-off.
Lastly, thrifting significantly helps the environment. Buying new clothes, especially from fast fashion is bad for the environment in terms of using resources and pollution. According to Business Insider, “The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, and pollutes the oceans with microplastics when some fabrics are washed.” In addition, on average, people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than they did in 2000. The fast fashion industry creates a lot of waste as it has produced a linear clothing system. A linear clothing system follows the pattern of fiber production, clothing production in a factory, sell and use, and after use… the landfill. Did you know, an average consumer throws away 70 pounds (31.75 kilograms) of clothing per year? You heard right, globally we produce 13 million tons of textile waste each year, 95% of which could be reused or recycled. By thrifting, you would be reusing and recycling material that would normally be thrown out. You would also be reducing waste by buying secondhand instead of new.
All things considered, thrifting is good in terms of price, originality, the community, and the environment and is hands down the best way to go when shopping for clothing. So next time you’re in town you all should check out the local thrift store!
Works Cited:
Carter, Maria. “If You Think Goodwill Charges Too Much for Used Clothing, You Need to Read This.” Country Living, Country Living, 19 Mar. 2018, www.countryliving.com/shopping/a18198848/is-goodwill-a-nonprofit/.
“Fast Fashion Facts: What You Need to Know ~ 7Billion for 7Seas.” 7Billion For 7Seas, 26 Mar. 2019, 7billionfor7seas.com/fast-fashion-facts/.
“How Much Waste Does the Fashion Industry Produce?” The Pretty Planeteer, 24 Aug. 2020, theprettyplaneteer.com/fashion-industry-waste/.
McFall-Johnsen, Morgan. “The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon than International Flights and Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are the Biggest Ways It Impacts the Planet.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 21 Oct. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10.
Vandergriff, Maranda. “5 Reasons Thrifting Is Awesome.” Vagabondary, Vagabondary, 8 Nov. 2017, www.vagabondary.co/blog/2017/11/7/5-reasons-thrifting-is-awesome.