And the Current Trend is . . . Wearing Old Clothes?

In recent years the term "thrifting" has been wildly tossed around. Thrifting is when a person goes to the thrift store and shops for clothes, antique items, ect. This trend of thrifting is becoming so popular that people are treating it the same way as shopping at the mall or any other retailer. Any feelings of shame or self pity of second hand clothes, that may have arisen a few years ago, aren't considered at all. This is vastly different when only a few decades ago if it was found out someone was wearing thrifted clothes everyone would whisper and talk and feel bad for that person. Which is vastly different from how it is today. So, how did we get here and should we go back to buying from specific retailers?

Going and shopping at thrift stores was always around, however rarely talked about. Many people have recollections of thrifting in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, however never discussed. That changed starting around the year 2018 thrifting really took an incline as more people decided that thrift stores were cool. It didn't matter where they came from as long as there would be a fun day of shopping involved. 

Clothes often found at thrift stores can be basic items such as solid color tank tops, to patterned blouses, to funny graphic tees, and beyond. There really is no shortage of what one could find at a second hand store. Due to the variety of styles at a thrift store accommodating a variety of different peoples tastes, some neat outfits have come out of it, impacting the current clothing trend vastly. The trend outcome of the thriving process isn't a specific belt or jeans but instead individuality. If a person can walk into a thrift store look around find some neat pieces, put their own spin on it and make the outfit look good, that is what the trend is. It's asking "How creative can you get with this? How far are you willing to go?" Many answer those questions head on with individual styles and taste.

Thrifting isn't only popular because of all the funky and neat pieces you can find but also because people are becoming more aware of the negative impact the fashion industry has on the world. A big impact of the polluted world is fast fashion. Fast fashion is were a brand looks at the current trend, makes a ton of a specific thing, people buy said specific thing, then in a few months the trend is over people throw out what they bought before, go back and see the website made a new piece to fit the current trend and so the cycle continues. Thousands of pounds of clothes are thrown out each year and it's only increasing. If the amount of clothes thrown out gets added to the already existing amount of trash in the world it adds up to millions of pounds.

Another problem with fast fashion that thrift stores are stopping is unpaid labor or child labor. A very known company such as Shein has been known to have child labor warehouses in the Philippines where they pay children twelve cents her pour to work until their fingers bleed, and then some more. When shopping and purchasing from thrift stores those companies aren't being supported meaning that less children are forced to do unending tedious labor for minimum pay and it also saves the world. The next time you or anyone decides to go shopping, try the thrift stores. You never know what treasures you may find while saving the world.