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Mistakes People Make When Thrifting

13 of the biggest thrift-shopping mistakes you're making when buying clothes — and what to do instead
Mistakes People Make When Thrifting

Thrift shopping, much like any other hobby or interest, has both professionals and amateurs. The great thing about thrift shopping is that it can be quite different from shopping at your average retail store. Since your options change all the time, you never know what you might find.

Again, just like most hobbies, the professionals have a few tricks up their sleeves when it comes to thrift shopping. Many of these come from experience, but you’re going to get the inside scoop on the mistakes people make when thrifting so that you can avoid them and become a pro yourself.

Buying Fast Fashion Brands

One of the biggest draws of a good thrift store is usually selecting available clothing. You can find all sorts of fabrics, textures, and brands in the racks of a well-maintained thrift store. However, it’s essential to know what you’re looking at. Some brands engage in what is known as “fast fashion.” Fast fashion involves creating intentionally low-quality clothes so that they break down faster and need replacing sooner. You can easily avoid these brands by doing a little research into their backgrounds and points of origin.

Shopping During Busy Hours

Some timeframes are just flat-out better for coming into one of the thrift stores. Many people who don’t thrift shop often will come in on their days off to find what they need; this means that weekends are usually the busiest time for thrift stores.

If you want to avoid the crush of people scrambling through the store to find the best deals, your best bet is to come during less hectic times. Early in the morning is a great place to start. Weekdays are also great if you can make that work for your schedule.

Writing Off Older Items

Many thrift stores regularly get items that have seen their fair share of years in the closet. If something seems old-fashioned or aged beyond what you would typically pick up, please take a second glance. Certain clothes might be vintage brands that you can’t find anywhere else.

You may even find a collectible that is worth quite a lot of money to the right person. These older items still have plenty of use left in them, especially as they closely inspect their donations to ensure they are in good shape before putting them out for sale.

Passing On Items That Need Small Adjustments

For those who regularly use thrift shopping to supplement their closets, one of the biggest mistakes people make when thrifting is passing on items that only need minor tune-ups to work well. Sizes can vary a lot on shelves, but just because something doesn’t fit you perfectly, that doesn’t mean you can’t easily alter it to work in your favor.

Remember, you’re spending much less money on these items than you would typically, leaving you plenty of room in your budget to have these pieces tailored the way you want them.

Buying Clothes That Are Too Small

A common thing that is seen in the thrift stores is that people will buy clothes that don’t fit them currently in the hopes that they’ll fit into them one day. While there isn’t anything wrong with this, per se, you need to be careful when doing this at a thrift shop. Before you know it, your whole closet could be overflowing with clothes that look great but that you can’t wear.

Only Coming In To Find Clothes

A good thrift store in Destin, FL has much more to offer than just clothes. You can find all sorts of exciting knickknacks and items for your home at thrift stores as well. You might want to take home:

  • An interesting used book to read
  • A collectible for your shelves
  • A new board game
  • A piece of home décor
  • A barely used chair or end table

Not Allocating Enough Time

Thrift stores are notorious rabbit holes where you can spend a lot of time looking for exactly what you want. The last thing you want is to miss a great item you would love just because you had to rush out the door.

Try to plan for your thrift store visits, and tack on some extra time for yourself to look around and explore. Exploring is how you’ll find the great deals and rare items, so make sure you have enough time to do it!

Not Using the Dressing Room

Perhaps even more so than in your regular department store, using the dressing room will be an essential part of your visit if you’re picking up clothes. Because the selection is so eclectic and comes from all over, sizes can vary wildly, even if two different pieces say they are both mediums.

Do not fall into the trap of getting home only to realize that your new clothes won’t fit you. That’s what dressing rooms are for—so you know exactly what you’re getting into when you buy something.

Not Engaging With the Staff

Don’t be afraid to approach any member of of the thrift shops. Whether you’re asking about specific clothes you’re looking for, when the next big sale is, or to use the dressing room, they’ll be glad to assist you in any way they can. They may know how to find exactly what you’re looking for.

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A Basic Guide to Thrift Store Shopping

A Basic Guide to Thrift Store Shopping

Lots of people dislike thrift stores, for a number of reasons. Often people feel they are “above” thrift stores, that thrift stores carry nothing but junk, or that thrift stores are dark, dirty, and depressing.

While there certainly are some pretty dismal thrift stores out there, most are fairly clean and well-organized stores that weed out the broken, filthy, and otherwise unusable before putting stock on the sales floor. And the customers come from all walks of life, from street-walking transvestites to trendy college kids to retired heiresses.

“Thrifting” is fun and it’s cheap — and it’s also a good deed, providing funds for various charities as well as keeping perfectly usable goods out of landfills and incinerators to provide a few more years of service.

If you’re new to thrifting, here’s a few pointers to help you make the most of a visit to a thrift store near you.

Be nice. The people who work in thrift stores are, as you can imagine, not usually paid very well. They may not be paid at all, as many thrift stores provide vocational training or rehabilitation services to people on some form of state aid. So be nice to them, just because it’s the right thing to do.

Do the circuit. Thrift stores tend to cluster together in areas with high traffic and low rent. Make a day of visiting all the shops in an area. Since each of the major charities that runs thrift stores tends to appeal to a different kind of donor, each store will have a slightly different kind of stock, so take the grand tour and take it all in.

Know the specials. Many thrift stores run different kinds of specials, often offering discounts of 50%, 75%, or even more off their regular daily prices. In my area, one chain takes 50% off anything with a different color tag every week, another discounts anything dated over a month ago, and still another puts out a monthly calendar with different half-off items each day (like ‘anything with a zipper”, “anything plastic”, and so on).

Know your charity. Some thrift stores are run for profit, so this doesn’t apply to them; for the rest, knowing who sponsors the store might provide valuable insight into what you’ll find there — or incentive to patronize (or not patronize) specific stores.

Be creative. One of the fun things about thrifting is that you will see things that lend themselves to uses quite different from their original intended functions.

A waste-basket can hold poster tubes, a suitcase can act as a coffee table, a record crate can be turned sideways to organize binders, etc. Keep your eyes (and mind) open for objects the might fill a need in an unusual and interesting way.

Have a use in mind. This is a warning: don’t get carried away. Be creative, be practical, but also be sure that you can actually use everything you pick up at thrift stores.

Low prices and the “here today, gone tomorrow” nature of the stock can lead to hasty purchases. Don’t shop for needs you might have, down the line — shop for things you can use immediately when you get it home.

Give back. Don’t forget to drop off the things you no longer use or need when you’re at the thrift store! Most of us have a pile of stuff to give away “someday” — old clothes, an unused piece of furniture, a box of books pulled from the shelf to make more room. When you’re heading to the thrift store, pack it up and take it with you.

Haggle. I don’t like to say this, because I hated when people bickered over prices with me when I worked in thrift stores. Don’t haggle for the sake of it — chances are you’re already getting a bargain, and stores aren’t under any huge pressure to move any particular item (unsold stock, especially clothes, is often sold to exporters who ship it overseas).

But thrift store employees don’t have much to go by in pricing goods for sale, and they make mistakes — if something seems clearly overpriced, ask to speak with a manager (don’t put floor staff in an awkward position) and make a more reasonable offer.

Don’t be afraid to leave empty-handed. Thrifting isn’t like other shopping, where you go in with a list of what you want, get it, and go. Thrifting is a scavenger hunt, where you can hope and dream about the Ultimate Bargain but have to expect not to find it.

Half the fun is in the looking — and in thinking up goofy uses for the unidentifiable products that someone, somewhere, once thought fit to spend good money on, or in making up back stories for the forlorn detritus of people’s lives, stuff marked “Bobby, 1st grade” and “Cheryl, love you forever, Dina”. Have fun and don’t worry if nothing strikes your fancy enough to take home with you.

Thrifting is obviously not the most efficient or productive way to shop, so think of it as part of your leisure activities (with occasional payoffs) the time you spend hopping from store to store is what you do next action lists, priority quadrants, and time tracking to make time for.

Take a day your next free weekend to explore the thrift stores in Lebanon, TN and see what you come up with!

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Benefits of thrift shopping for students

Benefits of thrift shopping for students

Shopping today takes many different forms from shopping centers to online websites, but one way to shop that has re-emerged on the scene is thrift shopping.

Thrift stores first popped up in the late 19th century, according to Time magazine. When the industrial revolution introduced the mass production of clothing, clothes were seen as more disposable.

As urban populations grew, the size of living spaces shrunk, and more possessions were being tossed. Time also reports that thrift stores like Goodwill and The Salvation Army started becoming organized like department stores and changed their name from junk shops to thrift stores in the 1920s, allowing the middle class to feel comfortable shopping there.

In 2018, there are currently more than 25,000 resale, consignment and not-for-profit resale shops in the U.S., according to The Association of Resale Professionals.

About 16 to 18 percent of Americans will shop at a thrift store during a given year, according to America’s Research Group, a consumer research firm. For consignment and resale shops, it’s about 12 to 15 percent. Whereas, 1.4 percent of Americans shop in factory outlet malls, 19.6 percent in apparel stores and 21.3 percent in major department stores.

In 2012, rubber, leather and textiles made up nearly nine percent of the 251 million tons of waste produced in the U.S., according to the EPA.
Throwing out old clothing just shortens its journey to a landfill.

Cotton takes one to five months to biodegrade in landfills, whereas nylon can take 30 to 40 years, and synthetic fibers, like polyester, can take between 20 to 200 years to biodegrade, according to a Biodegradability Study on Cotton and Polyester Fabrics.

“Buying second-hand is better for the environment because it’s recycling someone’s old into my new,” PSUC junior environmental science major Teresa Moran said. “It also saves me a lot of money as a college student.” Thrift stores have clothes that aren’t sold in mainstream stores today.

Graphic sweaters from the ‘90s, flannels with oversized look and even retro boots are just some of the things people can find in a thrift store.
Michael Otton, PSUC senior environmental planning management said, “You can find things that you wouldn’t find in department stores, and it’s really cool how you can find various fashions from different eras.”

Otton frequents thrift shops because of the low cost of everything, even expensive articles of clothing like winter jackets.

“Unlike department stores, I have never walked into Salvation Army and spent more than $10 on one item,” Otton said. “I have found some of the most high quality stuff for so cheap at thrift stores, and it’s always so exciting to dig for new stuff.”

Thrift stores are like treasure hunts to some shoppers. Thrift stores today can carry a wide variety of items and clothing from kitchen appliances to retro hats for very low prices.

“You can find so many unique items that you really can’t find in any retail store nowadays,” Lewis said. Thrift shops in Lebanon, TN are appealing to people for unique items and low prices.

“Whether or not I’m looking for oversized sweaters and flannels or an outfit for a themed party, I can always find something,” PSUC junior environmental studies major Charlotte Martindale said.

“I also feel like most items that I have purchased from a thrift store have been made from durable material in comparison to some new items bought at malls that are also priced way more than items in a thrift store.”

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Three Reasons Why Thrifting is Better for the Environment

Three Reasons Why Thrifting is Better for the Environment

Thrifting or shopping secondhand is a great way to reduce your environmental footprint while finding some really cool and unique items that you wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere.

Buying items brand new might not seem like it has a very big impact on the environment, but every small action counts. By shopping for things second hand, you are voting with your dollar as a consumer to not support the industries that cause pollution and tons of waste.

Here are some of the many reasons why thrifting is better than buying new items. 

1) Less Resource Consumption

The creation of new things takes a lot of resources, especially in today’s world of fast fashion and hyper-consumerism. Some of these natural resources are being used at a rate that is faster than they can be produced and are non-renewable.

When it comes to clothing, electronics, and other home goods, it takes a lot of water and energy to make these items. When you thrift something, you are not directly supporting the demand for new things to be made, and this has a positive impact since resources and energy were already used to create that item.

Specific to clothing and textiles, less fabric is wasted, and the water footprint of an item becomes less since the life of the item is extended. 

2) Fewer Things are Thrown Away

Not only are we using fewer resources when we thrift something, but overall, less things are thrown away as well. Shopping second hand is a great way to give a new home to some awesome items that would otherwise end up in the trash. 

In today’s society of consumerism, people often buy things without realizing they don’t really need them, and with items that are cheap and accessible people tend to throw them away.

To help lessen the impact that this has on the environment, you can choose to donate things instead of tossing them and consider looking for an item secondhand next time you need something.

 One thing might not serve the person that originally bought the item, but maybe it’s an item you’ve been looking to have or something that goes great in your home. With thrifting, you keep these items from going to waste by giving them a new life. 

3) Less Chemical Pollution

It takes a lot of manufacturing and processing to be able to create new things. When it comes to clothing, textiles need to be grown using pesticides, and then those fabrics are treated with harsh chemicals and dyes that can be not only harmful to the environment but also to our health.

When we create synthetic fabrics, greenhouse gases are released which contribute to climate change. These chemicals contaminate our water, soil, and air, and this can impact wildlife and the quality of many resources we use to survive.

Toxins can also disrupt our hormones and gut microbiome, and there’s still research to be uncovered as to how these chemicals can impact our bodies.

By choosing to buy secondhand, you aren’t supporting the demand for new products to be made using these chemicals, and the negative impact the item has on your health can also be much less compared to buying the item brand new.

These are just a few of the reasons why shopping second hand is beneficial for the environment. Whether you find something new with the tags on it still or a preloved vintage item, you are choosing an option that didn’t involve new resource and energy consumption, potentially saving something from being thrown into a landfill, and lessening the burden of pollutants on the environment that come from consumerism. 

Shopping at the thrift stores in Lebanon, TN are a great way to find some pre-loved pieces that still have a lot of life in them. The beauty of thrifting is that you never know what you are going to find!

Whether you are donating your unwanted items, looking for something specific, or just seeing what is out there, thrift stores are a great resource to find cool items while saving money and the planet.  

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Is Shopping Second Hand Sustainable?

Is Shopping Second Hand Sustainable?

The number of items purchased every year has doubled in the last 15 years. They’re buying more and more clothing, and they’re also throwing away a lot of these purchases, with 84% of clothing ending up in landfills or incinerators.

It’s a shocking number, and it’s not sustainable. They can’t go on buying new items at this rate, and finding ways to get more use out of each piece in our wardrobes is crucial if they want to reduce the impact of our fashion choices on the planet.

Brands need to change the ways clothes are made so they are more durable or recyclable, but they, consumers and citizens, also have an essential role to play. By changing the way they consume, voting with our dollar, and choosing better brands and practices, they can push the whole industry forward.

Shopping second hand is said to be one of the things they can do to reduce the footprint of our wardrobes. But is shopping second hand sustainable? Today, they look at the rise, impact, and issues linked to shopping pre-owned clothing.

The rise of second hand shopping

Many people saw secondhand clothing as dirty, old, dull, and frankly unattractive for a long time. People thought that going to the thrift shops in Lebanon, TN, op shop, or flea market meant you had to spend hours, even days, dutifully digging through piles of discarded clothes in the hopes of finding one good piece that would hopefully be the correct size.

But things have changed. Shopping second hand is becoming easier and more accessible than ever, and as a result, the resale market is booming. Resale platform thredUP predicts online thrifting will grow 69% between 2019 and 2021, and some even believe that the resale sector will be bigger than fast fashion within ten years.

Today, with people being more worried about the planet and their finances than ever, they will likely turn to their local second hand shops or resale websites. These sites like Depop, The Real Real, or Vestiaire Collective have truly revolutionised the way they think about second hand.

While some experts worried the pandemic would negatively impact the resale sector due to consumers being worried about hygiene, the contrary happened. 

People found more time to clean out their wardrobes! Retailers are noticing this growing trend, and many are seizing the second hand opportunity, which began to sell second hand clothes in its supermarkets just a couple of weeks ago.

Is shopping second hand sustainable?

Wherever you are in the world, if you go to a mall or shopping centre, you’ll likely find a Zara, or an H&M, or a Forever 21. Society is dominated by these fast fashion giants, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused about which brands are worth supporting.

Buying vintage and second hand provides a refreshing and, yes, more sustainable way to shop.

Better for people, the planet, and animals

Buying pre-owned clothes allows to add items to our wardrobe without using additional resources in the manufacturing process. The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10%of global carbon emissions, uses massive amounts of water, and exploits workers and animals worldwide.

Buying clothes that already exist slows down the fast fashion cycle and the relentless demands on low-paid workers in the supply chain.

You’re also keeping clothes out of landfills by giving them a new life and discovering unique and special pieces along the way. Gone are the days of arriving at a party wearing the same dress or t-shirt as your friend.

More accessible

Finally, shopping second hand is cheaper and more accessible! Many people are worried about the cost of sustainable fashion, but honestly, building an ethical wardrobe doesn’t have to be expensive, and buying second hand is a great first step.

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5 Best Online Thrift Stores for Sustainable Shopping

5 Best Online Thrift Stores for Sustainable Shopping

Following trends and buying new clothes tends to break the budget pretty fast. Shopping from fast fashion retailers helps to save cash while still buying new things, but at what cost? Clothes waste keeps rising as trends change. Fast fashion brands keep overproducing to feed into buyers’ overconsumption, and it’s a vicious cycle.

Shopping at thrift stores is a great way to shop sustainably while still getting trendy pieces at a low cost.

Why Is Thrifting the Way to Go?

Thrifting saves you money. You not only give pre-owned clothes a new home, but they often sell for a fraction of their old price. Besides the money-saving perk, though, thrifting is a great way to avoid supporting fast fashion and buy clothes in a more sustainable way.

Though there are many sustainability-forward clothes shops available currently, and more and more coming up each day, they tend to come with a hefty price tag attached. So most people simply can’t afford to shop there. But that shouldn’t deter your sustainability journey.

Advantages To Shopping For Clothes Online

This is where thrift shops shine. They offer all sorts of pieces from every category, from high-end brands to fast fashion and vintage pieces, it’s all there. And if you love a certain H&M top or Shein dress, it’s better to look into buying it secondhand rather than supporting the companies directly.

Online shopping has always been appealing, and online thrift stores make the thrifting experience even easier and simpler. Instead of spending hours on your feet rummaging through racks and clothes bins trying to find your next garment, you can type in a quick search, mark the proper filters, and scroll in the comfort of your couch.

1. ThredUp

ThredUp offers “Secondhand Clothes, Firsthand Fun”. It’s among the most recognizable places people go to online thrift. The store hosts millions of items, ranging from lower to higher-end brands.

You can find everything there, and the best part is it has many handy filters. Like, ones for petite and plus-size thrifting, which can be a huge time-saver and ease the whole shopping experience.

Apart from buying clothes from ThredUp, you can also sell your own items, all from the comfort of your home. If you order a Clean Out Kit, you get sent a giant polka dot bag that you can fill up with your clothes and ship it back to the company for free!

ThredUp does all the staging and photographing for you, and when your items sell, you earn money either as store credit or cash. Anything they don’t accept, you can either get sent back to you or get recycled. Isn’t that just the easiest way to get rid of unwanted clothes sustainably and make money off them with minimum effort?

If you want to save a few extra bucks when shopping on ThredUp, look for YouTuber discount codes. ThredUp often sponsors creators, so take advantage of that.

2. Depop

Depop lets you buy and sell fashion items and strives to create a global community that prizes diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability. When you shop at Depop, you help reduce waste.

The platform is right for you if you’re looking for more edgy, creative pieces. The entire platform takes great inspiration from Instagram in its setup and aesthetic, and it shows. You can spend hours browsing through its different feeds.

Like ThredUp, Depop lets you sell your items. It encourages people to display both what they’ve sold and what they’ve bought on their feed. Due to its edginess and social media presence, Depop tends to attract a younger crowd.

3. Poshmark

Poshmark is a great place to look for high-end designer brands and get them for a fraction of their original price.

The online thrift store offers items for women, men, kids, pets, and even the home. When you join Poshmark as a seller or buyer, you become a part of a global community. The platform boasts an impressive 70 million registered users with over 200 million items for sale.

You can find new or gently used secondhand, or as Poshmark puts it, “pre-loved” items. Every brand you can think of is likely to be featured on the thrift store, and there’s an incredible selection you can browse.

If you find something you like, but it’s out of your price range, Poshmark encourages haggling and even has an “offer/counter-offer” feature. There’s also a “like” feature that helps you track if an item has a price drop, so you can snag it.

4. ASOS Marketplace

As the name lets on, ASOS Marketplace derives from the popular ASOS fashion site. But since ASOS falls under the fast fashion umbrella, it’s better to support the online thrift store instead.

ASOS Marketplace is full of vintage boutiques and independent designers, and the platform is so easy to navigate. You can use the separate tabs or the search bar to browse for items and click away until you find them.

There’s also a separate Boutiques tab that takes you to a whole slew of boutiques waiting for you to explore them. There’s they Are Curves that caters to curvier individuals, Cuteryko that sells quirky handmade jewelry, and so on.

The online thrift store displays items modeled by real people and prizes inclusion and diversity. So, you’ll see plenty of different body types and skin tones while thrifting, helping you select the fit and shade that’s right for you.

5. Vinted

Vinted is an online marketplace that helps grant old clothes new life. The online thrift store lets its users buy, sell, and even swap new and secondhand items. It mainly deals with clothing and accessories.

It hosts a community of people who’d prefer to get rid of the items they no longer want sustainably, by finding a new owner. The platform is easy to use, and once you land on it, you’re dropped right in the thick of it, among the listed items for sale.

If you want to sell rather than buy, there’s a button you click, and it takes you to sign up. It only takes a few easy steps, and you’re good to go. Vinted is a mixed bag thrifting experience, as you can find a little bit of everything on it.

Is Thrifting Even Worth It?

In recent years, people have begun turning to thrifting spaces and using them to turn a profit, buying items for cheap and then re-selling them with a markup.

Sometimes they get their stock from other sellers, other times from physical thrift stores, and often they even turn to fast fashion stores, completely ruining the purpose of secondhand thrift stores in Lebanon, TN.

But these people are only a fraction and don’t represent the whole, so don’t overlook thrift shops just yet. Find an online thrift store that works for you, and get into it. Find a community, buy and sell sustainably, and do your best to reduce your clothes waste and not support fast fashion shops.

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5 Reasons Why Thrift Shopping Is Better Than Supporting Fast Fashion

5 Reasons Why Thrift Shopping Is Better Than Supporting Fast Fashion

Thrift shopping seems to be all the craze nowadays, with influencers flaunting their ‘thrift hauls’ left and right. However, buying pre-loved items at discounted prices is more than just a trend.

It’s a great alternative to supporting fast fashion, which accounts for much of the pollution and human rights violation in the world today. If you aren’t already a thrifter yourself, hopefully, these five reasons will convince you to ditch flagship stores in favour of thrift shopping.

Thrifting is cheap.

Perhaps the most obvious reason of all, thrift shopping can really help you save the big bucks.

Seeing as most items of clothing cost at least RM20 to RM30 these days, buying first-hand garments can weigh heavily on your wallet, especially if they’re not going to last very long. On the other hand, the clothes at thrift stores cost at least two times less than that.

While many of us tend to think that cheap low quality, you can actually find some hidden gems at thrift stores if you’re willing to look for them. (Not to mention the wonderful sense of accomplishment when you do!)

Thrifting is a great way to experiment with fashion.

If fashion’s your passion but you’re short on cash, then thrifting is the perfect way for you to discover your style. Remember all that money you saved from shopping for cheaper clothing items? You can use that extra cash to get more items to play mix and match with.

And if the pieces at the thrift store don’t suit your taste, you can always grab your sewing machine and flip them into a completely different look. Not sure how to do that? Fret not, there are hundreds of YouTube thrift-flipping tutorials for you to refer to. Who knows, you might end up making one of them yourself!

Thrifting is eco-friendly.

If you guessed the largest number, well, congratulations, you’re right! But take a second to process and understand just how much water 10,000 litres is. That’s more than 10 years of drinking water for the average person! 

The fast fashion industry is the second-largest source of pollution in the world, producing over 92 million tonners of waste each year.

That’s the weight of 19 Eiffel Towers combined! This enormous amount of waste stems from the short lifespans of fast fashion products, which is what drives the buy-and-throw-away culture.

Buying pre-loved items is a great way to keep them from going to landfills. Resource consumption is also decreased all across the supply chain from production to transportation. Consider thrifting as a fashionable way of saving the planet.

Thrifting is ethical.

Hard as it may be to swallow, the beautiful, affordable pieces from world famous like H&M, Forever 21, and Zara are often produced through worker exploitation. The wages for making a piece of clothing can be as low as 0.1% of its price, and as of today, no multinational retailer can claim to pay their workers a living wage.

Countries like Bangladesh and India are full of sweatshop horror stories, with women and children living in quarters that are barely fit for animals.

Hence, thrifting reduces the need for producing new items. It’s an important step towards breaking the cycle of worker rights violation. So, you can go ahead and post that picture of your thrifted #OOTD without the guilt of starving workers weighing on you.

Thrifting is charitable.

While not every thrift store donates their proceeds to charitable causes, certain shops do. As compared to fast fashion, which does people more harm than good, thrifting is a great way to help others. At the same time, you are also reaping benefits!

Wouldn’t it be great to know that the vintage jacket you thrifted has actually bought someone a meal, or some much-needed stationery? If your answer is yes, then head on over to the thrift stores in Santa Rosa Beach, FL to start shopping! (Don’t forget to wear a mask and maintain social distancing!)

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Why we need to be mindful when thrifting

Why we need to be mindful when thrifting

The trend of thrifting has been growing since last year, and has recently escalated thanks to TikTok. 

With youths’ videos of their “thrift hauls” or “thrifted fits” getting thousands of views on the app, many have been flocking to thrift stores selling second-hand things for significantly lower prices. 

Benefits of thrifting culture

One such youth who has been thrifting for the past 10 years is Nicole Chin, 25.

She said: “Thrifting is good, because you’re buying things that have been used before and have not been manufactured. If there are more people going thrifting, there will be less demand for clothes to be produced.”

One of the benefits of thrifting is that it helps to reduce the demand for fast fashion, which is cheap and trendy clothing that retailers mass-produce, often by underpaying garment workers and making them work in inhumane conditions.

Thrifting is also more sustainable. According to the National Environment Agency, 168 tonnes of textile and leather waste was generated in 2019, of which only six tonnes were recycled. The clothing that ends up in our landfill is normally made of synthetic fabric fibres, and will never decompose.

Thrifting has many benefits, but the influx of youths onto the trend has also raised some concerns.

Over-consumption of clothing

Because the clothes are so cheap, some people have the tendency to impulse-buy anything that catches their eye at the thrift shops in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. 

But how environmentally-friendly can thrifting really be if people are buying so many clothes, just to wear them once?

To prevent over-thrifting, Nicole is quick to caution against buying more clothes than you need, even if those clothes happen to be cheap and “better for the environment”.

The social media marketer said: “It’s very important to understand why you’re even going [thrifting] and being very conscious of what you’re purchasing, because it’s very easy to get caught up in over-consumption and over-thrifting.

“How many times are you going to wear this? Is what you’re doing at the end of the day still good for the environment?”

Increased prices for people who actually rely on thrift stores

Some of us may also have forgotten the original purpose of thrift stores: to provide things for people who cannot afford them in regular stores.

The thrift shops used to be frequented by domestic workers. As they do not have credit cards to buy cheaper clothes online, they usually rely on these stores. 

If more youths start thrifting at Lucky Plaza and buying loads of cheap clothes, prices at the shops may increase, taking away cheap clothes from people who need them more.

But this doesn’t mean that we youths should stop thrifting altogether. In fact, having more people thrifting can benefit the people who rely on thrift shops, provided we can spread out the demand by thrifting at different stores.

By buying from these lesser-known thrift stores, we can help to refresh their stock and, in turn, allow people who rely on those stores to have access to a greater variety of newer clothing at low prices.

Thrifting just because it’s trendy and not because you have to is certainly a privilege, but that does not make thrifting bad.

At the end of the day, responsible thrifting culture is good for more youths to be a part of, as it encourages us to shop more sustainably.  

A representative at SSVP Shop aptly said: “Thrifting is for everyone, regardless of socio-economic background. 

“Most of the time, these donated items would have ended up in the trash or neglected in the wardrobe, and it is better to see these items with new owners or in new homes.”

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thrift shop Thrift Stores thrifting

3 Benefits of Thrifting and Consigning

3 Benefits of Thrifting and Consigning

While you’re young, take advantage of your ability to slip into vintage without looking dated. From the neighborhood Goodwill to a hip Buffalo Exchange or swanky designer shop, thrift shops in Santa Rosa Beach, FL and consignment boutiques are where all the cool kids shop today. Pre-owned pieces are seriously beneficial in the sense that they are unique, eco-friendly, and high quality.

Unique. It’s a thrill to dig and find that rare piece of treasure! Thrifted or consigned apparel are sometimes historical and always one-of-a-kind; they are definitely unavailable at your local Forever 21, Zara, or H&M.

Legendary costume designer, Patricia Field, admittedly prefers putting actors in used clothing. This way, film audiences are more focused on the plot rather than identifying which trendy retail stores the characters’ ensembles come from.

Eco-Friendly. Did you know that the textile industry is one of the largest polluters in the world? Cotton growth consumes a substantial amount of harmful pesticides and fertilizers, and textile treatment or dyeing contributes to 20 percent of fresh water pollution.

If you care about the earth, you should consider buying secondhand. Clothes should be recycled because quite frankly, fashion trends follow a rotation. Contemporary styles frequently mimic looks from previous times. Thus, it is judicious to rock recycled, revamped, original, and most likely cheaper versions of the current craze.

Quality. Back in the day, mass-production did not exist. Moreover, products composed of fine construction and were created with exceptional handwork.

Fabric was made with 100 percent natural fibers, rather than with synthetic fibers (polyester, rayon, viscose, etc.), which results in a rich and breathable feel. Detailing was hand sewn, stitched, embroidered, or beaded, for a delicate appearance.

Beads were made of pure glass, rather than plastic, thus they glimmer under lights and clink with movement. Since pieces from the past are without a doubt luxurious, Fashionistas commonly tailor vintage to cater to their tastes and fit them like a glove.

Shopping gently-used attire can be a serendipitous and experimental experience. If you decide to wander into a thrift or consignment shop sometime, remember to wear a simple outfit that is easy for try on.

Skim the entire store, keep an open mind (don’t look for specific items), and don’t let sizes constrict you to certain areas (different decades rely on different scales). With practice, patience, as well as an eye for design, you will soon begin to understand Macklemore’s enthusiasm for thrifting!

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thrift shop Thrift Stores thrifting

THRIFTING SMART IS A LIFESTYLE

THRIFTING SMART IS A LIFESTYLE

When you think about thrifting, you may assume that in order to “do it right” you need to ditch all of your regular shopping habits to do so. The truth is, you can weave thrifting into your normal habits naturally and easily. And you can save money, find fantastic treasures, and save the planet while you do it.

Ready to reap the wonderful benefits of thrifting? Keep on reading to find out what you can expect when you start to incorporate thrifting into your normal shopping habits.

1. Find Designer Items At A Fraction Of The Price

All kinds of clothing, accessories, home decor and more make it to thrift stores—and that includes designer duds. Part of the allure of thrifting is the hunt, and every time you shop there’s always the possibility of coming across a designer dress or bag originally ticketed for $100 that’s selling for $5.

Even household names like Fendi and Gucci have been known to appear in a purse bin here or a sunglass rack there. If you dig through the racks, you may just be surprised by what quality brands you can find at steep discount.

2. Save Money

The average American spends between $1,000-$2,000 each year on clothing, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The kicker? They only wear about 20% of what’s in their closet. When you thrift, you have the option to save hundreds of dollars on new additions you purchase for your closet.

While exact savings will vary based on location and item, you can expect to save anywhere from 50-80% on thrifted items. Plus, when you’re ready to let them go, it’s easier to say goodbye and donate or resell if you didn’t pay full price for them.

3. Furnish Your Home On A Budget

One of the great things about thrift stores is that you can also shop for homewares, furniture, art, and more. While many people thrift for clothing, there’s an entire other world to shop from.

With sky-high prices floating around for most home decor pieces online and in traditional stores, thrift stores offer affordable pieces that still have plenty of life left in them.

The next time you’re thinking about buying a new dining table or need a piece of artwork for your office, stop by your local thrift store first—you never know what you might find!

4. Help The Planet

It’s no secret that the textile industry requires a massive amount of water and energy in order to function. Fast fashion alone accounts for 10% of all carbon emissions in the world, putting out a massive 150 billion clothing items per year, according to Business Insider. Thrifting, on the other hand, is an environmentally conscious choice.

Not only do clothes get recycled into a new home, but you can also donate the clothes you no longer need yourself. The EPA estimates that textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill space—and these materials take years to break down. Thrifting is the perfect opportunity to reduce, reuse, recycle!

5. Embark On A Treasure Hunt

Nothing beats the feeling of entering a thrift store not knowing what you’ll find. Each shopping trip can yield something completely different, adding to the excitement of the hunt.

In contrast to neatly organized department stores or fancy boutiques, the thrift stores in Santa Rosa Beach, FL offer “one-of-a-kind” gems to dig for as you search each rack. As new items are added during certain days or times, the hunt can begin all over again.

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