The Art of Thrifting
Let’s shop ‘till we drop! The good news is, with the rise in thrift stores, we can do it more sustainably. The slow-fashion movement is well underway, and fast fashion is out. More and more people are seeing the effects the fast fashion industry has on our environment. Thrifting has become a fun activity for people to shop and have an article of clothing, or home decor that has history behind it.
It used to be that we all wanted the newest and latest style trends to be in our closet, but lately the new fashion trend has been old fashion. You see the TikTok videos of thrift flips creating something new with something old. What thrifters end up with is a customized wardrobe to have the perfect fit and style.
We are producing more clothes than ever, and consuming more than ever. According to The University of Queensland, “Globally, we now consume about 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year—400% more than we were consuming just two decades ago.” To produce that much clothing, much of Earth’s natural resources are being used. Reducing the consumption of clothing can reduce the amount of damage to our beautiful planet.
Patchwork is one of the big trends of Fall 2020. You can easily thrift flip a frumpy pair of jeans into a beautiful pair of pants with different jean patches. Thrifting can help bring back old trends from the past: a ‘70s sweater vest, or a schoolgirl’s pleated skirt swing back into fashion. The saying goes: as history repeats itself, so do fashion trends. We are going back in time where fringe is cool, and corsets are making a fashion statement. Instead of buying a brand-new piece for $60, you can raid your mother’s closet and get that same item for a fraction of the cost. I love taking my mom’s old clothing and repurposing them as brand new, because they are new to me. It saves money and helps to save waste.
It’s time to shop for fall fashion trends at the thrift store. If you do not have thrift stores nearby, head online to Poshmark, Tradesy, or ThredUP. These online stores offer both new and slightly used clothing items. These online resellers only accept clothing that is not damaged, and that is in practically new condition. This Fall, celebrate being Thrifty with us!