Oh my gosh, I love your top! Where’d you get it?
I thrifted it, actually.
Each time I’ve had to respond to questions in this somewhat unhelpful manner, I feel like an early 2000s mean girl gatekeeping her favourite boutique so that nobody can take her place as queen bee.
Naturally, that is not the case. I am very proud to say that probably around 90% of my clothes are second hand (thrift stores, vintage stores, Vinted, my mom’s closet…). And it took me several years to accumulate this collection.
In the era of instant gratification, endless microtrends, and TikTok shop, it seems that an unsustainable approach to clothing consumption will be our demise. As Shein and Temu have become the go-to stop for any and all fashion needs, I question what we, as consumers, can do to counteract this movement.
Despite the arguments against thrifting – from gentrifying thrift stores to the dreaded Depop girlies – ultimately, I believe, those issues stem from our problem with overconsumption and not secondhand shops themselves. Globally, 92 million tons of garments get thrown to landfills each year. Each one of us individually buying a few items won’t make a dent in that amount of textile waste. In fact, it might help reduce what is going to landfills.
Ultimately, I think thrifting is not only the most ecological way of shopping, but also allows for a unique expression of our personal styles. Moreover, clothes, and specifically their fabric, used to be much better quality just a few decades ago. By opting for a vintage piece of clothing we are almost guaranteed to have that piece outlive the fast fashion alternative for a fraction of the price.
In the hopes of persuading at least a few readers to rethink their shopping habits, I have compiled a few of my top thrifted and up-cycled items.
Denim
I have not owned a fast fashion pair of jeans since middle school. Seriously. Once you make the switch to vintage denim it’s just superior in every way – fit, fabric, elasticity.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m fully aware that jeans are one of the most difficult pieces of clothing to buy for their fit. My advice for jeans is to find a pair that you like the length and wash of, and a size or two too big. Then, get them altered (by a professional; I would not recommend this as a beginner sewing project) in the waist. This way, you will have pair of jeans that fits perfectly.
Knits
One of the first sections I approach upon entering a thrift shop is the knits. I completely disregard the illusion of the gendered section at this point. Personally, I find the men’s sections tend to have nicer quality sweaters, but you can really find gems anywhere. Now the real test of a good knit is its fabric.
If you’ve been thrifting long enough, you might be able to get away with simply running your hand along the jam-packed rack to discern the natural yarns from the plastic ones. Don’t fret if you can’t though! You can always check the inside label for the fabric makeup of the sweater. Forget name brand cardigans, the real steal is the unbranded chunky natural fibre cable-knit. Preferably oversized.
Fabric skirts of any size and length
Personally, I don’t know how to sew. At least not well enough to alter a piece of clothing in a way that fits my perfectionist standards. My grandma does though, and one thing she always tells me while shopping is not to worry about an item being too long as it can very easily be shortened. Although properly altering a piece of denim is not an easy feat, a fabric skirt is a different story. Simply create a straight line down your preferred width and that’s it sorted. Or if you’re seeking a more temporary solution, I have used hair clips for summertime alterations. Voila!
Shoulder, baguette, crossbody, satchel…
Any handbag micro trend that intrigued me on social media, I have been able to recreate at the thrift store. The key here is that I analysed exactly what I liked about the trend (the colour, strap length, size, hardware etc.) and focused on those aspects in my search.
An obvious statement: fashion is cyclical. What is trending now was probably also a trend a few decades prior. The key is focusing on aspects of the trend that resonate with you rather than the identical trend that’s oversaturated on social media. That way, by the time the trend lords proclaim a trend cheugy and move on to the next hot commodity, you are left with something that you still want to wear.
That, I think, is the key to successful secondhand shopping. You need to know what you like and why you like it. Luckily you begin to understand those preferences after you take yourself out of the bubble of perfectly curated brightly lit shelves of fast fashion shops and into the bedlam of a thrift store.
Happy thrifting!
Sources: https://earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste/
Images by Julia Twardzisz