From unique prom dresses to simple staples, the tightly packed racks of the thrift store hold a plethora of eye-catching, yet economical pieces. It’s easy to see why America’s younger generation hasn’t batted an eye as the doors to Forever 21 close worldwide and has, instead, flung wide open the doors to local thrift stores.
In recent years, thrift stores have seen a renaissance among teens and young adults, replacing, for many, the fast fashion that began during the industrial revolution. Not only are thrift stores attractive for their variety of modern clothing, they often have hidden gems from decades past. “You can find lots of ordinary items, like plain t-shirts or pants, but you can also find really cool, interesting, vintage shirts… and dresses.” Richard Montgomery sophomore Sarah Luan said. The clothing which has previously been stigmatized as “hand-me-downs,” has now been rebranded as “vintage,” and the scrunchies and loose-fit jeans of the ‘90s have made a comeback.
Arguably just as attractive as the treasure trove of options are the price tags on thrift store clothing. Carolyn Schneider, author of The Ultimate Consignment & Thrift Store Guide, says the average thrift store piece is upwards of 50 percent off the original, fast fashion price. Not to mention, many thrift stores in the MoCo region donate their profits to local animal shelters, hospitals, and churches and are volunteer-run, making thrift store purchases much more palatable.
Aside from cost and styles, thrift stores offer the clear conscience that fast fashion lacks. Reselling clothing decreases the quantity of resources waste and lessens the load on those paid only minimum wage to help large corporations churn out truckloads of fast fashion. “Fast fashion… rapidly produces similar-looking items at a fraction of the price and a fraction of the pay for workers,” said Luan. Students are more than happy to embrace the environmental and labor values thrift stores represent.
Recognizing this, companies have brought thrifting onto the platform our generation knows and loves best: the Internet; YouTube channels and online resale sites such as ThredUp have further encouraged America’s youth to try thrifting. Dorothy Fan, a sophomore at Richard Montgomery, had never seriously considered shopping at thrift stores before. “But after hearing some of my friends who went thrifting tell me about it, watching some videos, and reading articles, it definitely opened my eyes,” she said.
Once, we would settle for wearing more-or-less the same outfits year after year, outfits that never let our personalities shine through. But with the rise of thrifting, this monotony has begun to change. Gone are the days of wearing clothing that we grow bored of by the end of each season; thrifting has returned to allow us to build distinctive outfits without depleting our wallets or our environment.
Article by Lynna Deng of Richard Montgomery High School
Graphic by Katherine Hua of Robert Frost Middle School