Fashion: Let’s talk about Thrifting

If there’s something in fashion that has taken a huge flight in the past couple of years, it’s thrifting. That’s right. The Internet has given rise to thrift stores and the world is here for it. If I am to define for you what thrifting is, it is being sustainable while shopping for gently used items at low prices. It’s basically where you go shopping if you do not want to break your bank account. These pre-loved items must be very nicely kept and still be in good enough shape for another person to reuse it and, love it as well. They say that “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This could not be more true!

Today’s social media and its ads have reinforced the habits of shopping from brands, which are launching new items to their stores weekly and even daily. There are incredible options for famous brands to choose from and these items of clothing do get expensive. This only caters to more affluent and wealthy customers. What about the people who are lower in income and cannot afford clothing from brands themselves? They are left with limited options.

This is when thrifting comes in. It basically consists of one-of-a-kind pieces that people have donated or given away to use. These are second-hand but they still retain the quality of the brands and come at much lesser discounted prices. To reach all customers and enable lower-income customers to use branded products is the goal for thrifting. Thrifting also actively promotes sustainable and ethical fashion and has a deeply-enriched eco-consciousness.

So, we can safely say that the taboos thrifting held before do not exist in this day and age. Thrifting isn’t synonymous with uncleanliness and being poor. It now means that people are conscious of the good of the Earth and that everyone deserves a chance to wear something good at a price that suits them. It’s actually way more important for some people because, what if you need proper formal clothes to land a job interview but you currently have nothing like that in your wardrobe? Where do you go?

You guessed it right. You go thrifting!

Let’s look at some benefits of thrifting:

You get to save 70-90% on lightly used clothing and accessories. It’s buying the same quality branded products, taken care of by previous owners at completely affordable prices. What gets better than that?

You are saving resources and water. The resources used to make that one piece of clothing that you thrift have already been put into it. There’s no need for more, so you are actually saving resources. As for water, did you know it takes around 1, 800 gallons (6, 814 litres) of water to grow enough cotton to make just one pair of jeans? Why not buy a second hand and save water instead? The entire clothing industry is one of the biggest reasons for environmental pollution, and the natural resources they use are of a tremendous amount. It’s not sustainable at all. Just imagine this: It would take 30 human years to drink up 1, 800 gallons of water. That’s ONE pair of jeans!

You are helping more people to regard thrifting as not something to be ashamed of, instead, you are promoting thrifting because it no longer contains connotations of judgement that one cannot afford something. Instead, it means you are actually being smart, saving money, your bank account AND the Earth. Pretty cool, I must say. On top of that, it is actually quite nearly impossible to tell thrift store-bought clothes apart from something new purchased at a brand store!

You get your hands on unique, cool and brilliant pieces that you could not have had otherwise. Most items of clothing in thrift stores are a collection of pieces picked up from donations, brands or clearance sales from all over the world. This is why you can find so much variety, style and fashionable pieces from one single thrift store.

Reduces fast fashion demand and increases the promotion of slow fashion. Fast Fashion came into being with the goal of reducing costs in mind and speeding up production. Instead of being better, it’s way worse because the quality gets low too. Moreover, it comes with huge negative impacts on the world. The act of producing at a mass scale means fashion has now become the 2nd most reason for pollution in the world, releasing 10% of carbon emissions and causing water pollution in oceans with microplastics. Slow fashion asks for slower production schedules and encourages quality products that will last a very long time. They are built on the idea of spreading zero waste and lower carbon footprints. As you can see, thrifting promotes slow fashion.

Now that we know the importance and benefits of thrifting, we must also know how it’s done. When you are thrifting, you want to get your hands on the best of clothing items and accessories. How do you do that? There are some amazing tips and tricks I would share with you so that you can become a thrifting pro and get some truly amazing, good quality pieces at very low costs!

How do you thrift like a pro?

Search and keep searching for locations:

The most prime thing to keep in mind when going thrift shopping is the location. The location of different thrift stores depends on the community you are in. Small towns and small neighbourhoods will have smaller stores and shops. A middle-income store will have a different set of prices and a variety of brands they have. Usually, bigger cities have entire hubs of thrift stores. The size doesn’t primarily matter - what matters is the quality, variety and the type of items some thrift stores have. Sometimes, you end up finding gold in the smallest of thrift stores located at a side of a small town.

You have to search up for the best local thrift stores as well because some are hidden away with the best treasures. Basically, you will have to search and search until you find the thrifting you were looking for. There’s now even the option of online thrift stores, especially on Instagram, if you are into social-online shopping.

Have a strategy in mind:

Often times, whenever you step into a thrift store, you want to buy all those fancy and cute short skirts or pants and hoard them in. A wiser decision would be making a small plan before you start collecting items. A good strategy I advise is on looking around for everything, from the start of your list till the end. Also, go through the entire store, from the men section to the children sections to the accessories. If you don’t have the time, make a small list of what type of clothing items you are looking for. Long coats? Crop tops? Do you want a specific colour? I’ll share more on this in the next tip too!

Ask yourself some questions before saying yes to anything. Like, will I wear this soon? Does it fit nicely? Can it be cleaned and washed easily without damaging anything? What is the fabric and material? Another tip is looking out for the time they restock or have sale days and go check out the store on those days to get your hands on the newest items.

Know what to look for:

Remember the strategy I shared earlier in the overall getting-ready for thrifting strategy. This step can be part of it, but it’s definitely extensive. In short: You have to know what you are looking for before you enter any thrift shop.

Thrifting is not an easy sport. You have to do proper research, take your time and have a lot of patience. Often times, you find what you are looking for very fast and don’t have to wait a lot. Often times, you don’t find what you’re looking for but you find other things - that you don’t necessarily need. In order to avoid going out of budget even in a thrift store - you need to know what’s in your head and you need to know what it is that you truly need out of the thrifting experience.

Get ready to dig:

This is probably the most extensive and important tip. Thrift store shopping is like hunting. It’s like discovering for the treasure, or a gold mine. You really have to dig in, otherwise, you won’t get what you are looking for. So, start by scanning all the aisles, one by one with everything in them. There will be some piles of clothes too, so you have to rummage through the pile and look at the pieces. Take notice of every piece that is catching your eye. This comes only through practice, and trust me, it is sooooooooo worth it.

While digging and scanning through the clothes, what you should also be looking out for are any small holes or stains. Some stains are easily removable while others aren’t. The key is taking the time to save you any unnecessary hassles later. Look for details and really check everything from top to bottom, front and back, taking care of the sleeves or any missing buttons for example.

Stay open-minded:

Thrifting is a world entirely different from a brand shopping where the clothing items come in posters and mannequin, fully clothed and layered. You won’t find a structure, or something made to look appealing. Some thrift stores do have that spark, however. The point is, you have endless possibilities here, you just have to keep your mind open. You will get a chance to experiment with new styles, get out of your comfort zone to find something that you would not normally buy. Give a chance to anything that catches your eye in that store. See what your priorities are according to different categories, like fabric, pattern or colour. You don’t only have to buy full dresses, layering is the best part of fashion and styling. Get those high-waisted jeans, get those beautiful sweaters. Try them on, and always see if you feel good wearing it. You are able to take risks while thrifting since the prices are affordable!

You have to look at thrifting differently. If you think this way of shopping is beneath you, it will just never work out for you. If you are looking for an exciting experience, you will find treasures here!

Considering platforms like Asian-Promotions where everything is discounted since middlemen are removed from the supply chain is a smart alternative to consider.

Know when to NOT thrift:

Sometimes, you are likely to get carried away with the numerous items and end up buying more than you originally planned. At this point, you will realise you end up wearing very few of those pieces anyway. I’ll talk more about this later., but it is important to go to the thrift store with a plan in mind.

Then, you must be able to reject pieces which have stains or smells. It’s not a good idea to get something just because it is cheap. You don’t have to buy it. Then there are some situations where going thrifting may not be the best idea. Like, thrifting around the holiday seasons, like Halloween, Christmas or Thanksgiving, since a lot of people are looking to shop for new items around this time. It tends to get too crowded.

Don’t forget to have fun:

If you didn’t know this before, thrifting can be an extremely fun activity. Getting some truly awesome pieces at such incredible prices is set to make anyone happy, isn’t that right? You get to mix and match and have fun with so many new styles. You get your hands-on exclusive pieces. I know of someone who got a Prada bag for just $20 dollars at her local thrift store on a random Sunday!

It’s all in the mindset. If you know you will love an experience, your results are bound to be positive!

Don’t be afraid to leave empty-handed:

Often times, people go inside thrift stories setting in stone to get at least 1 or 2 clothing items, or something from accessories. Again, I will reiterate the point that just because something is cheap, does not mean you have to buy it. You have to figure out a balance, and know when something is truly needed. Thrifting is a scavenger hunt, sometimes you will find that clue and go to the checkout. Sometimes, the clue isn’t there. You have to expect that you won’t be able to find some things you are looking for. At this point, you can leave empty-handed and go hunting at your next thrifting store.

Don’t buy just because it’s cheap:

I have mentioned this phrase many times in the previous tips as well. But it is highly important to restate this point again. Thrifting makes you prone to buying something because you can spend a lot without breaking the bank. You are likely to get something because it is just such a low price and you “may need it later.” Often times, you never end up needing it. Or worse, you lose it because you just didn’t need it for long enough. Long story short: Don’t overbuy. Don’t hoard. Don’t accumulate stuff you don’t need.

Give back:

A major part about thrifting is to remember that you are there in the store because someone chose to give something they owned away. They wanted other people to experience wearing those items that maybe no longer fit them, or their style changed. That responsibility falls on us the exact same way.

You must cleanse your closet; find items you don’t need any longer. It can be that shirt you got because of its sparkly print, but you don’t feel like wearing it most days. One person’s trash can easily be another man’s treasure! This saying makes perfect sense here. Don’t destroy the things you no longer need. Instead, collate and give them away to your local thrift store. Someone will drop by, make use of that shirt and, become ecstatic they bought it. It’s a truly happy and wholesome thing to do.

I hope your thrifting journey begins with an awesome experience and you find amazing pieces and my tips help you with your hunt!

So, one small decision to be more eco-conscious and deciding to donate, recycle or go thrift shopping will quite literally save our planet, the community we live in and yes, our wallets!