I absolutely love thrifting.
I started thrifting in 8th grade. My mom would drop me and my best friend off at a thrift store and we would leave with a garbage bag full of interesting, inexpensive clothes. Then, when we got back to one of our houses, we would put together outfits using our new thrift finds.
I have thrifted a lot of interesting things. Bowls, artwork, books, records, bags, and clothing.
I definitely was not a great thrifter at first.
I would buy things that I really would never wear. I would get distracted by the rush of purchasing items. It was sort-of a wasteful purchasing. And I feel like that takes away from part of the purpose of thrifting.
Thrifting is supposed to be a method of sustainable shopping. It repurposes items, extends their lifetimes, and gives them a new home. Goodwill Bins is the last place these donated clothes go to before being sent to a landfill. Therefore, I try to thrift items, purchasing them second-hand, before buying newly made items online or at the mall.
Therefore, while I am thrifting, I keep some things in mind: Will I put this item to good use, or will it stay hidden in my closet? Do I need this item, or do I already have something similar? Will someone else get more use out of this item than me?
These questions keep me from buying items excessively, leaving many things for others to take.
Thrifting in this way reminds me to shop mindfully but also allows me to explore new styles and items. This subsides my need for retail therapy but also feeds into my more curious and creative side that wishes to experiment with fashion.
My perfect Wednesday
My perfect Wednesday (back at home) consists of grabbing a morning coffee from Starbucks and heading to the nearest thrift stores. I usually go in with a game plan: what sections I want to look at, some types of clothing that I am looking for, and if I am trying to find something unique that I do not usually look for (i.e., random items like books, records, dishes, paintings, etc.)
I enjoy going thrifting by myself. It allows me to focus on the clothing and take as much time as I want, however little or long. Going with friends is nice but complicated. Sometimes my friends get bored earlier than I do or the other way around. It can also lead to conflicts if we have similar interests/styles and find a piece worth fighting over. (In reality, fighting does not happen, but there are feelings of jealousy).
Now, my closet is filled with clothes from the thrift store. Occasionally, I do buy new items online or in the mall, but I try to keep it minimal. I feel proud to tell someone my entire outfit is thrifted. The pieces are unique, full of personality, and inexpensive, so of course I fell in love with thrifting.
These Wednesday afternoons are rejuvenating, relaxing, and exciting.
(Please let me know if you know of any good thrift shops nearby)
I definitely relate to how you discuss wasteful purchasing when thrifting. I don’t go thrifting super often, but when I do, I often find things I think are super cool at the time, but after a few months I realize have just sat in my closet without being worn. One of my favorite things about thrifting is how you can really cool stuff for not much money. I look forward to having my car on campus soon, as I really want to go thrifting for Penn State merch.
Rocky,
Great work on this post! I found this to be so entertaining as I also enjoy thrifting (I’m just not a connoisseur like you) and I do agree that this is one of the most sustainable forms of outfitting oneself. I really appreciated the questions you included that you use to sort of scan the articles of clothing you may purchase “Will I put this item to good use, or will it stay hidden in my closet? Do I need this item, or do I already have something similar? Will someone else get more use out of this item than me?” because I do agree that too many people thrift for the fun of it rather than actually value the articles of clothing they are adding to their wardrobe. I am very curious if there is a good thrifting place around here as I feel like they could have some great vintage PSU gear- this is my current thrifting mission so let me know if you want to join me on this one. But anyways, great work with this post and I look forward to your future ones.
I am so glad we were assigned to read section 2’s blogs today, because I absolutely love your passion blog. I am also addicted to thrifting (not an understatement), and I scoured the goodwill bins when I was at home for winter break. I love to thrift because it is fun, relaxing, and I also like to go alone because you can spend as much or as little time as desired. The goodwill bins have to be my favorite place to thrift, however, because the adrenaline rush I get from finding a great item for literally 50 cents is insane. My greatest trip over winter break included lululemon, free people, and urban outfitters all for under 5 dollars. I also really like the sustainability aspect of thrifting. I am someone who loves to shop, so I always feel better about buying second hand, because that way I don’t contribute to the fast fashion industry directly.
I love thrifting too. I have so many great quality sweaters from GoodWill and other shops, and I wear them on a day to day basis. I definitely get the satisfaction when someone asks where you got it and it’s one of a kind because you dug through bins of old clothes to find it haha. I haven’t been, but my mom has been to the GoodWill in State College and said it’s a really good one. I don’t have a car, but if I did, I would’ve checked it out by now. I know some people get grossed out by buying used clothes, but at the end of the day, if you wash them, they are just clothes. I totally agree though that the more you thrift, the better you get at identifying items you will actually wear. Sometimes it’s easy to buy something when it’s inexpensive, but you can’t just buy things because “they are on sale.” That’s wasteful and takes away clothes from someone in need.
I have never been keen on thrifting. I feel like it serves as a perfect representation of the ignorance portrayed by America’s upper class. While those living in extreme poverty rely on thrifting (and other services targeted for low-income households like SNAP, SSI, WIC, etc.), those with dollars to spare view thrifting as a means to purchase ‘trendy’, old-fashioned clothing at a reduced price. While I agree that this thwarts fast fashion practices, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth seeing how much thrift store prices have increased in recent years, which has only served to harm those who actually rely on these stores for cheaper clothing. Therefore, I appreciate your thoughtful analysis that focuses on the positives of thrifting, and how your viewpoint of thrifting has progressed from the aforementioned negative traps that many fall in, into something that is beneficial for your closet and the environment.