The feeling of walking into a thrift store where all the racks were freshly put out is like no other feeling. I always can feel the inspiration to find new and unique clothes right from when I step foot in the door. Finding clothes you know could be way more expensive than they are, like a nice pair of Levi jeans feels like winning the lottery. Many can not say they experience this feeling in any regular store, though. 

Thrifting has taken the world by storm within the past 10 years. Many can still see it as something only for trendy teens, or only for people of a lower social class, but these controversial stereotypes are completely wrong. Thrifting is for everyone! It has several benefits such as it being better for the Earth, cheaper than buying new clothes and decreasing the labor of fast fashion in other countries. Thrifting is the best way to shop and can be for everyone because it has economic and environmental advantages. 

Manufacturing clothes can take a toll on the earth, so when we donate our old ones to thrift shops and then get new clothes from them, it creates a great cycle. According to popular thrift store chain Goodwill, they note “ Individuals throw out 60 to 80 pounds of textile waste each year. It can take months and even years for these materials to fully break down in landfills.” Instead of throwing the perfectly good clothing, just bring it to the thrift store, and have a look around while you are at it! That way, your old clothes will get a new life, and you will be saving the planet at the same time. 

Thrifting is obviously cheaper than buying new clothes. When at the mall, clothes can be priced several times more than they cost to make. In my experience, when I walk into a clothing store, I have seen cute shirts or pants that are priced at $40 or even more, then I think to myself, I could totally find this at the thrift store. Since the thrift store is all used clothing, the prices are marked at usually $10 or under, which is a great deal. There is a misconception that the price reflects the quality, but this isn’t always true. Sometimes you can find brand new things for cheap. Obviously, everything won’t be brand new, but that’s the fun of picking through everything. Why not thrift and find some cool and unique clothing while saving some money?

Fast fashion is defined as an inexpensive way to mass-produce clothes that keep up with new trends. This form of manufacturing is in several clothing businesses in today’s society, especially big name brands like H&M, Forever 21, Fashion Nova, Zara, and many others. The problem with it is the poor labor conditions that they put the employees of those factories through. A blog written on Panaprium discusses the conditions of the labor workers as being sweatshops that partake in child labor and modern slavery cases. Workers also get paid below minimum wage and work long hours with a small to no break. These working conditions are astonishing and can make one wonder, how is this still allowed? Since it is happening in several places all over the world, it is hard to stop it all at once. Avoiding all these big brands is difficult, trust me, I know that all too well myself, but thrifting is a better alternative that could prevent conditions like these from spreading. That way, you are not contributing to the fast fashion industry by buying the clothes. Thrift stores are the best alternative because you know that the clothes aren’t coming from inhumane factories, but from other people just like you. 

Thrifting is the best form of shopping. It allows you to save some money while not contributing to hurting the environment or people working to produce new clothes. Many people don’t think of thrift stores as serious places to shop, but if one was to just give it a try, you would understand why many treasure it! The next time you are planning on going shopping, try checking out your local thrift store to try and support your environment, and your pockets!