Why I Thrift

For a long time, thrifting was not cool and then all of a sudden, it kind of blew up in popularity! I'm really glad that the stigma against thrifting ended because I’ve been an avid thrifter for my entire life. Originally, I thrifted because that’s the shop my mom brought me to when I needed new things, but now I thrift for more varied reasons.

Thrifting from a young age gave me a different perspective on needs vs. wants, being creative, DIY potential, budget shopping and updating older or “out-of-style” items. I’m really glad that I have this perspective and I think it really made me who I am today. A lot of the artwork I ended up creating in school was a result of thrifted treasures, up-cycling and referencing “grandma” floral textiles, etc.

I encourage you to try it out and I want to let you know some of the reasons I choose to keep thrifting nowadays. If you’re new to thrifting, I’ll be posting about my thrift tips in a blog post to come! Here are some of the reasons I thrift:

For Quality

It ain’t no surprise that as a broke university student, purchasing high quality clothing wasn’t always possible within my budget. In order to purchase better quality pieces that would last longer, I went to the thrift store! Some of my favourite finds have been: my Frye black leather booties (which get a lot of wear in my wardrobe), a black winter pea coat (real wool = real warm) and my vintage coach cross body purse (which gets even better with age). By thrifting, I’m able to purchase items that are higher quality in terms of material content, quality of sewing and design details. Sometimes, the brand of an item can indicate quality - but other times it’s not the case. I always make sure to check the seams of the garment and the signs of wear near the collar and buttons.

For the Eco Factor

I want to help as much as possible with saving the environment. For me, I try to do little things like using a reusable water bottle and composting. Thrifting can be a great environmental saver since it saves tons of items from heading to the landfill - it’s another way to recycle! I’m glad I can get new-to-me items without further damaging the environment by increasing the demand in a current market (ie. ordering something new to be made).

For the Hunt

I love searching for unique pieces and transforming vintage items to work in my current wardrobe. It allows for discovery, creativity and a unique style to form. I like shopping with an open-mind and getting creative to inject current trends via thrifted older items. I have a couple of thrifted 90s dresses that I can update by belting, or layering a denim jacket or sweater. Some things come back in style like mom jean shorts (I thrifted a pair 6 or 7 years ago and they’re still going strong). If you’re less into the hunt and want a more curated selection, consignment stores and buy-sell shops like Plato’s Closet and Kind Exchange are good options too. They kind of ease you into the thrifting world!

Do you Thrift? Are some of your reasons the same as mine? Let me know your thoughts!

Cheers,

Christina