Let’s Go Thrifting

Thrift shopping is THE BEST. Although I didn’t do much of it in high school (other than for when I costumed the school plays), the thrifting I’ve done in college has outgrown my fast fashion retail shopping pace. I now have dozens of unique, budget-friendly clothing pieces that I feel good about buying, wearing, and giving away again.

I don’t thrift all the time (in fact I’ve been trying to shop less in general), but some of my favorite college memories and my favorite clothing items have been from thrifting. I’d love to share with you my most recent thrift store finds and why I believe thrift shopping is a fantastic reciprocal partnership for every type of consumer.

Why Thrift?

Environmental Impacts

You can read a study I did about the chemical dying processes of clothing manufacturing here, and this “Unwrinkling” blog here, but the short version is that clothing production SUCKS for the environment. The process uses a lot of crude oil and emits toxic gasses into the atmosphere and chemical-laden dying byproducts into the ocean. Even non-synthetic materials like cotton cause water side effects like algae bloom because of pesticide overuse. The fast-fashion industry is only second behind oil in producing greenhouse gasses and water pollution, contributing 10% of total global carbon emissions. It’s easy to ignore, but the more I become aware of it, the more I can’t live like that.

Although the clothing you’ll find at thrift stores most likely went through these toxic processes at one point in their lifetime, passing them on greatly reduces the amount of clothing dumped in landfills and decreases the demand to produce “more.” The United States alone disposes of 15.1 million tons of textiles per year. Not everyone can afford or has access to sustainably-made clothing, even though it’s becoming more common. Even so, isn’t recycling old clothing better than creating new clothing, even if it’s sustainably made? I think so. Let’s use what we already have.

Social Impacts

Additionally, you can read my blog post about fair trade fashion and ethical production practices here, but the short version is that companies make it extremely difficult to track their production processes–who is making your clothing? How much are these producers getting paid? Where is the clothing coming from?

Again, not everyone can afford to buy clothing that’s made with ethical processes, although it’s getting much cheaper and more readily available. So, thrifting is a fantastic alternative. I don’t feel as bad buying a Zara or Gap shirt from a thrift store as I do from the original store, because the price was already paid by the original buyer. What I now pay for that piece is going directly back into the community.

Many thrift stores are nonprofit organizations, or they donate to other nonprofit organizations. Did you know that Goodwill’s clothing resale business plan is not its sole objective, but a social enterprise strategy for its mission to create employment opportunities and job training for youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans? It’s ok if that makes you feel good about what you buy there.

Personal Impacts

Of course, there are all sorts of benefits for you as a consumer, too. Here are a few:

It’s a heck of a lot cheaper. Although thrift stores range in price and quality, you are definitely not paying full retail for the things you find in thrift stores. For example, I found a real wool coat in amazing condition at Volunteers of America a few weeks ago. It was $4. FOUR DOLLARS. Alternatively, I have a pair of sustainable, fair trade tennis shoes (not from a thrift store) full price at $120. Both of these items do good for the environment, the community, and my conscience, but come from different methods of doing so.

However, vintage clothing will be more expensive than the stuff you’d find at Goodwill, or even at higher-end thrift stores like Buffalo Exchange. So ask yourself if this is a good purchase for you. When I was in London, I found pieces for more than I’d pay at Zara. But they were durable and unique, so that was worth it to me. Get a feel for whether this is worth it to you!

Thrifted clothing can be unique. This may take some time and patience. I’m almost always frustrated at Goodwill, where the clothing is cheaper quality and usually from the not-so-cool parts of 2003. But occasionally I will find awesome stuff, or I may have to go to a higher-end thrift store or vintage store. Even a simple pair of 100% cotton 1980s mom jeans will last FOREVER and be effortlessly different.

London is a thrifter’s heaven, and I was super fortunate to be amongst that last year. I went to vintage fairs where the clothing was worth hundreds of dollars, and I went to “Kilo Sales” where every kilo’s worth (2.2 pounds) of a garbage bag of clothing cost you $10. This experience made me more determined to find just-as-unique places and pieces in Ohio, too. Some of my favorite clothing items, the ones that people ask me about, have been from my local Volunteers of America.

The inventory is constantly changing. This is also true of regular stores, but not in a good way. When your average Gap rotates its inventory (usually every week), you have no idea where the clothes they didn’t sell go. If they go to a clearance center (like the Gap Clearance Center of overstock or imperfect clothing near my house in Kentucky), where does it go after that? Landfills, probably. However, thrift stores get new inventory every day because of people selling or dropping stuff off, and this can be cyclical. There’s always something new. It is, unfortunately, true that thrift stores don’t sell all their inventory, either, and it has to go somewhere. Be a smart consumer and simply ask where it goes, if you’re curious. They may recycle their textiles.

Thrifting isn’t just about clothing. I’ve only been talking about clothing here, but you can buy so much other stuff at thrift stores! I love finding vintage mugs or glassware, old furniture items that can be upcycled, or favorite books worth pennies. Sometimes this is my favorite part of thrifting–not just finding clothing to fill my already-stuffed closet, but to find unique items for my house or my room. One of my favorite furniture pieces is a solid oak dresser I painted and added new knobs to. My life is so much more creative and eclectic with the items I find second-hand.

Thrifting builds relationships. This may be the point that’s most of a stretch, but for me, thrifting has always been a communal activity. I’ve gone thrifting with my grandma for as long as I can remember–I’ve definitely learned the value of quality items at a bargain from my family. My sister and I go thrifting when I come home from college. My roommates and I thrift together on random Sundays during the semester. Some of my favorite friendship-making moments in London were from crisscrossing that expansive city together in search of the best recycled fashion in the world. Although thrifting together is never about the togetherness at the outset, the togetherness is what I value most when I think back to those experiences. Every pair of jeans or a dress or a teacup I buy has a story. That is worth more to me than any five dollar fad I find at H&M.

Where To Start

Here are some local and national thrift store suggestions!

National Stores
Goodwill
Volunteers of America
Salvation Army
Habitat for Humanity

Local & Regional
Out of the Closet (Columbus)
Rag-O-Rama (Columbus)
Flower Child (Columbus)
Village Discount (select Ohio cities)
Valley Thrift (Cincinnati)
Casablanca Vintage (Cincinnati)
Buffalo Exchange (select national cities)

Of course, there are a thousand more. Enjoy the treasure hunt — Happy Thrifting!