As fast fashion/cheap clothes take over the fashion world, thrift shop finds are a must to add to your closet to expand your style.
From the ripe age of nine, I remember spending Saturday afternoons with my mother as we had mini shopping sprees to a plethora of stores including my personal favorite, our local thrift store. Little did I know how beneficial and useful thrift store shopping could be- not only to my developing sense of style but to our environment. And I’m not the only one with a love for thrifting. In recent years, thrifting has picked up popularity. With a new 2019 study by Thred Up, Millennials and Gen Z (that’s us) are beginning to adopt second-hand clothing into their closets 2.5 times faster than other generations. The increase in thrifting is primarily due to the increase of self-consciousness for the environment in society, which caused sustainable clothing to gain more traction in recent years. That and the fact that you can land three shirts and a pair of jeans for $25 after walking into any given thrift store.
As you begin to plan your next online shopping splurge, here are a few essential reasons why you should start using thrift stores in your online shopping repertoire.
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Thrifting is good for the environment. The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing per year, which is about 25+ billion pounds of clothing contributing to landfills in our environment. Thrifting is recycling, and you are contributing to helping our environment and getting a new item to add to your closet along the way
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When thrifting you get more for less. At thrift stores, second-hand items are not only a fraction of the original cost but are better quality than a lot of new clothing. The durability that clothes can last long enough to be donated is also an admirable fact, as this will decrease the time it stays in the landfill.
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Thrifting is also amazing for your wardrobe. Thrifting opens a world of creativity in your closet, as thrift stores offer an array of eclectic styles and outlooks than can truly expand your style to new levels with one of a kind pieces that can be a bright addition to your closet. This sentiment is often why celebrities, like Willow Smith and Janelle Monae, have many staple items in their closets that they have collected from thrift stores over the years. The process itself is fun when thrifting and you’ll find the most unexpected gems.
Here are a few online thrift stores to check out:
Postmark: A social commerce marketplace where people in the United States can buy and sell new or used clothing, shoes, and accessories.
ThredUp: An easy way to shop and sell high-quality secondhand clothes.
eBay: A company that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website.
Depop: A peer-to-peer social shopping app based in London, with additional offices in Milan and New York.
Good Twice: A goodwill company online thrift store.
You should also checkout walk-in thrift shops within your area, where you can find the most unlikely of items, that you never knew you needed.
As you start planning your next outfit and feel a shopping spree coming on don’t hesitate to stop at your local thrift store for the cutest of finds and check out the online thrift stores available, as you can spend less and help save the planet while you’re doing it.