Bailey Roberts, a student at the University of Arizona, hops in her car, making the all-too-familiar trek into the city. Music pouring over the radio, her mind wanders to the list on her phone, the projected items she hopes to find today. Roberts sets off to meet her friend and now business partner Sophia Henry, a student at Arizona State University.
Together, they are ready to conquer the day. On the docket: a dozen Phoenix thrift stores.
Roberts and Henry own a local business named It Girl Vintage. What makes their store unique, however, is that they run it exclusively on Depop and through local thrift markets across the valley. This is a change that more sellers are making to cater to younger audiences, using both social media and large-scale meetups to bolster business.
When asked about the inspiration for their name, Roberts highlighted the importance of their customers and her marketing-driven strategies.
“We were just trying to think of something that was cute and also functional,” Roberts said. “On our Instagram, we post the ‘It Girls’ of the day. We can make shirts that say ‘It Girl’ on it. It’s just something fun, and it’s easy to create little ad campaigns around it.”
The inspiration for many vintage sellers is to encourage second-hand shopping, a more sustainable way to participate in the fashion industry. As it stands, the United States discards approximately 34 billion pounds of textile waste every year, according to recent EPA reports. Sustainable fashion efforts are reversing this attitude toward clothes by giving them a second life.
Roberts and Henry are trying to touch people their age, such as college students, to propagate a new generation of conscious shoppers.
“So many clothes are put in landfills,” Henry said. “There is such an excess. Thrifting is great because you get to give pieces a new life. Sustainable fashion is also hard for people to buy because those brands have such high prices. Thrifting and going to vintage markets are great ways to find pieces that were curated and ready to go for a cheap price.”
Community events like the Mint Market give small-scale vendors, including It Girl Vintage, a place to call their own.
However, this market is different, according to the girls, because of the sense of community they all share. Not only are there vintage clothing vendors, but Roberts and Henry’s booth is lined up alongside tattoo artists, piercers, permanent bracelet designers, food trucks, and household curators.
“We haven’t seen that at any other markets because it is super unique,” Roberts said. “It’s always super busy, and there is always something to do.”
If you are looking for conscientious and young vendors to support in Arizona, check out It Girl Vintage at the next monthly event of the season!
IT girl vintage – socials
INSTA – @itgirlvntg
DEPOP – @itgirlvtg
TIKTOK – @itgirlvntg