How often do you buy your clothes at a thrift store? Most people buy their clothes at the ‘normal’ stores instead of a thrift store. I think a lot of people still have the wrong idea about buying your clothes secondhand. They probably think it is disgusting or they are even ashamed they buy things at a thrift store. When I grew up I also thought that people were poor when they had to shop at a thrift store. But I like to go to thrift stores for fun and I don’t see myself as poor.
But some people think thrift shopping is cool and vintage and I agree with them. There are so many reasons why you should thrift clothes instead of buying them new at the store.
Reasons why you should thrift clothes
1. It is better for the world
Do you know how your clothes are being made? I think most people have no idea. But there is this documentary on YouTube called: The True cost: Who pays the real cost of your clothes. It is free to watch, so I recommend watching it. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It cost a lot of water to make your clothes and then they also have to ship it which is not great for the climate. And we should care about our planet because without it we would be dead. The weather is getting more extreme and more and more people are dying because of that. I think this should already be a great reason why you should buy your clothes second-hand. A lot of people buy new clothes and then they never wear them or maybe once and they throw them away. But other people could still wear it.
2. It is cheaper
I once went to Amsterdam Ijhallen, which is a huge but amazing place to buy secondhand things like clothes. I found one dress that I still have for only 3 euros! Sure, there are cheap stores like Primark and H&M, but buying something secondhand is even cheaper. If you are currently trying to save some money, go to the thrift store if you want to buy new clothes.
Yes, I am aware some stores are more expensive, most of the time they call themselves ‘vintage’, so try to avoid those stores if you want to buy something cheap. And these days there are also many apps where you can buy your things secondhand, which makes it easier to find something cheap and in your size because you can use filters on those apps.
3. It is more unique
The other day I was on TikTok and I saw one video about girls who were wearing the same shirt from the Zara. People want to be unique and have their style but if you buy at stores like Zara or H&M, there is a 100% chance that someone else will wear the same thing. And suddenly several girls at your school will wear the same outfit. But when you buy your clothes at a thrift store, it is more likely your outfit will be unique. When you find a cool sweater at a thrift store, there is just one of it. So nobody else can buy it.
4. It is more fun to shop at thrift stores
Sometimes you can find the craziest things at thrift stores, things you will never find at a Primark or H&M, which makes it more fun to shop at a thrift store. I also think it feels more like a reward when you finally find something that you like and when it is also in your size. You never know what you are going to find at a thrift store. Maybe you will find the best jeans in the world or the most beautiful dress ever. With normal stores, you can
Photo by Becca McHaffie on Unsplash