Our generation has truly made a remarkable effort to shop sustainably through supporting brands with eco-friendly mission statements to thrifting just about anything imaginable, whether it’s a new sweatshirt or vintage room decor.
And this is huge.
As I’m sure you’ve heard, fast fashion is destroying our planet. Let’s start with what fast fashion really is.
According to goodonyou.eco, “Fast fashion can be defined as cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from the catwalk or celebrity culture and turns them into garments in high street stores at breakneck speed to meet consumer demand. The idea is to get the newest styles on the market as fast as possible, so shoppers can snap them up while they are still at the height of their popularity and then, sadly, discard them after a few wears.”
Let’s put this into perspective. Ninety two million tons of clothing ends up in landfills each year. This is equivalent to a garbage truck full of attire being dumped each second of every day (earth.org).
Not only are companies like SHEIN, H&M and Forever 21 some of the biggest contributors to pollution through water, landfills and soil quality, but they tender highly to exploiting workers in unfair working conditions, for extremely low wages.
Thrifting takes exceptional weight off the environmental and social impacts of the fast fashion industry, plus, you can find a plethora of one-of-a kind items along the way.
At the top of my list for favorite thrifting items are sweatshirts. I would say a good 90 percent of my sweatshirts are second-hand.
And not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have been told (a few times …) my sweatshirt collection is sick. Every time I have been told that, my favorite response is, “Thanks! I thrifted it.” It makes me feel amazing to say Every. Single. Time.
Plus, sweatshirts are so much comfier broken in. That’s a proven fact.
While you’re there, check out the men’s flannels. This absolutely will not disappoint. Just do it.
Second in line has to be professional clothing. I know there are always different trends in every industry, but in my opinion, business casual stays pretty consistent in this category, which makes thrifting timeless, professional pieces so incredibly easy.
Look for things like pencil skirts, blouses, dresses, suits and pants. I’ve seen some drop-dead gorgeous suits at thrifts lately. These are great to find because they are a classic, and it’s always a good thing to have at least two business suits in your wardrobe.
And you can never, ever go wrong with a black dress.
Straying away from clothing, the thrift has AMAZING houseware. In terms of home decor and also kitchenware.
For an entire year before I moved into my State College apartment, I made it a point to collect pieces I loved, most being second-hand. This way, I can take time to find pieces I truly resonate with, instead of going to the store the week before I move and choosing items I just “like.” This means that a good amount will be held onto post- graduation as well.
Almost everything in my apartment is second-hand as well. To be honest, I think my place is so darn cute.
It makes me feel good to walk in and know almost everything belonged to someone else, and when they no longer saw the treasure in it, I did. And everything just came together so beautifully. It’s an indescribable feeling.
So anyway, knick-knacks and plant holders are a huge score at the thrift, and you can get the most unique looking collection going.
Imagine how cute a little ivy looks in a teacup that seems like it belonged to your grandma. Like c’mon.
Look for plate sets there, too. There have been so many times I have almost pulled the trigger on new dishes that I didn’t need, they just seemed too good to pass up. Thank god I have always talked myself out of it.
I’m practicing self control. It’s really hard in this category for me, for whatever odd reason.
When looking for second-hand furniture, Facebook marketplace is essential. Always have a friend go with you, it can get shady quick.
You can find great couches and tables on marketplace, especially if you come from a small town. I feel like people in my hometown are always getting rid of big furniture pieces, which is a win win because they don’t have to pay to trash it, and you end up with a new, cool piece!
And, take advantage of paint. It’ll be your best friend. Just a simple coat, or two, can completely change the entire look of the piece. It’ll take some elbow grease, but you’ll feel so good by the time you’re done.
And that, my friends, are just a FEW reasons why I love to thrift. Try it, I’m sure you won’t regret it.
And if you do, try out a different thrift store.