I went thrifting for the first time in the summer of Grade 10. Inspired by social media, I hoped to revitalize second-hand clothing to make it my own.
As a fashion lover, thrifting appealed to me because I considered it an art form. I enjoyed scavenging for hard-to-find pieces and using my creativity to style or modify them to best represent my style. I was drawn to the practice as a means of fulfilling a greater social duty to the environment.
I recognize the clothing industry can be more environmentally sustainable. While sustainable clothing brands tend to be inaccessible for students due to high costs, my solution was to start thrifting.
Regularly revamping my wardrobe became more accessible through thrifting, and while also being environmentally conscious for a much lower price, I considered the practice a win all around.
As I grew up, and became more aware of issues in the fashion industry, the glamour of thrifting started to disappear as I noticed increasing gentrification.
Once thrift shopping became trendy, bulk buyers—who might not even need to thrift—started buying out thrift stores, increasing the demand for second-hand items. To keep up with demand, these stores increased their clothing prices, making clothes too expensive for people who rely on thrift stores to clothe themselves, so low-income shoppers are left with a smaller pool of high-quality clothes to choose from.
Pricing out low-income shoppers is problematic when considering how difficult it is for plus-sized shoppers to find clothes that fit them. The DIY trend has led many shoppers to purchase clothing in larger sizes, taking away from bigger people in need.
As a straight-sized customer, I’m guilty of purchasing oversized clothing to tailor or to achieve an oversized look.
First-hand retailers already only produce a small amount of plus-sized clothing. By thrifting all the available plus-sized options, straight-sized customers are just reducing the already small sample of available plus-sized selections to nothing.
To mitigate this, begin by questioning each piece that catches your eye and asking yourself if you’d make the most out of the piece. If the answer is no—or even just a lukewarm maybe—recognize there’s someone who can make better use of it and leave it behind. By selectively and consciously choosing articles of clothing, you’re being proactive in reducing overconsumption.
Besides being practical shoppers, we should all collectively leave thrift stores a better place than they were each time we visit.
Cleaning out your closet, especially as someone who likes fashion, can be difficult. In the wise words of Marie Kondo, you need to ask yourself whether items in your closet spark joy. Decluttering your wardrobe each year is a habit you can practice to allow your favourite pieces to find new owners who can love them better and give them a new life.
Despite all the issues surrounding thrifting, I still thrift, and you should too. The key is, we should shop responsibly. Responsible thrifting starts by recognizing your needs, positionality, and the community most thrift stores serve.
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