I came across this article today about people who only buy used clothes, never new stuff off the rack. Buying second hand clothing is apparently a form of environment and consumer activism according to the article.
I'd never really thought about it that way as the things I love about buying used clothing is that they are really cheap (I wasted WAY too much money over a period of many years shopping at the mall and buying the latest fashions), you can see exactly how they will fit after washing since they have most likely already been washed several times (no surprises like getting a new garment home, washing it, and seeing that it had both shrunk--a lot--as well as faded out), and they don't have that new garment chemical feel and smell (ick).
I am a firm believer in buying nearly all of my clothes at the Goodwill (except for underwear, bras, socks, and shoes) and hubby feels the same way. Even at Ross or TJ Maxx he will look at new clothes they say "I can buy that same shirt for a couple dollars at the Goodwill!" We first started shopping for thrift store clothes about the time we decided to get out of debt so that we could sell our house and nearly everything we owned so that we could travel for a while. The first few times in a Goodwill were kind of "eeuwww" mostly because we had always associated people shopping at such stores as poor and desperate and out of style.
Fast forward to today and we can find all kinds of great clothes at the Goodwill, most barely used, and all super stylish. Best of all, we generally shop on sales days so we can buy shirts for $1 to $3 and pants for $2 to $5! Also, if you look in the parking lot of these thrift stores you can barely count all of the BMWs, Mercedes, and other high end cars--these people aren't poor and desperate, just careful with their money.
Whether you are into thrift store shopping to save the environment or to stymie consumerism, doing so (especially in our area where we have a transient population that donates a lot of great clothes to these stores) not only saves you a LOT of money but you can try styles you otherwise wouldn't due to expense, and if you decide you don't like the clothes or they really are too radical for your style, you can always give it away or re-donate it without losing much money.
If you haven't tried thrift store shopping yet--for both clothing as well as other durable goods--you owe it to yourself to give it a try. You will probably find some amazing stuff at amazingly low prices!
Count me in as an activist then! lol Thrift stores not only sell affordable clothing and hard goods to people who can't afford to buy new, they also help other people make a living. Many people that shop there are resellers, either on ebay etsy, or perhaps they have a flea market or antiques booth somewhere that they need to stock. My hubby would constantly be looking for Nerf guns he could buy cheap, paint and modify for his steampunk business. He also would buy leather belts, unusual metal things, or brass items he could take apart and use to make his unique creations. I know people that buy cheap furniture or chairs, repaint them, recover the seats and resell them. Thrift stores are also great places to buy costumes for school plays and Halloween. Right now fancy gowns and formal wear are in our local thrift stores for Mardi Gras balls and spring proms. I shop at 3 thrift stores that are set up almost like boutiques. It's much nicer than Goodwill as they don't put out anything that's stained or damaged. I get good quality brands like Talbots, Coldwater Creek. and Banana Republic for just a few bucks. Totally worth it!
ReplyDeleteWow those are great reasons to shop thrift stores. Love the idea of finding stuff there for prom and Mardi Gras!
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