In order to lower the costs associated with shopping, students turn to thrift shops for fashionable apparel.
As many girls can attest, shopping is expensive. Because of this, some have turned to other alternatives — most notably thrift shops. With Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop” constantly playing on the radio, thrifting has become as fashionable as the clothes themselves. Here’s what three veteran thrifters had to say about the practice.
Amanda Mak
Money is not the main issue for sophomore Amanda Mak, but she still enjoys visiting thrift shops.
“Thrifting is a little cheaper, but it’s also more unique,” Mak said. “I look for vintage stuff and old things you wouldn’t really find.”
Although Mak’s friends are aware of her interest in thrifting, she prefers to shop by herself. She frequents Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange to look for old band T-shirts or cardigans with unique patterns.
Kathy Chu
During her sophomore year, senior Kathy Chu took up thrifting because she could not otherwise afford trendy clothing. Now, she shops at Black and Brown, Lost and Found, Goodwill and Salvation Army on a regular basis.
“After searching for clothes for a really long time, you find something you really like and that is really nice quality, and you get really excited,” Chu said. “You feel accomplished.”
However, Chu’s thrifting expeditions do not always end successfully.
“The thing about thrifting is that you have to be persistent and keep going back,” Chu said. “Even if you see stuff that’s kind of ugly, you just have to keep an open mind.”
Ava Chen-Whelan
Junior Ava Chen-Whelan has grown up thrifting under the influence of her parents, who previously sold furniture for a living. Chen-Whelan thrifts several times a month at a variety of shops including Black and Brown, Goodwill and Savers. Like Mak, Chen-Whelan’s primary concern is not to save money.
“I like to be able to find something different,” Chen-Whelan said. “Different from a normal store; not mass-produced. It’s nice to stand out a little bit.”
Chen-Whelan’s advice for first time thrifters is: “Don’t look for things in particular. Just grab everything and give yourself a chance to see everything. If something is really good and you really like it, go for that instead of looking for something that’s trending.”
