A Case Against Thrifting
Thrifting has become increasingly popular in recent years. Seen as an environmentally conscious alternative to fast fashion overconsumption, people have been flocking to thrift stores looking for unique, cheap, pre-owned pieces to add to their wardrobes. However, thrifting ignores the root of the problem of overconsumption and often leaves the guilt and burden of it on someone else. If we want to change consumption habits, we need to address the roots of the problem.
Thrifting
Thrifting—or the purchase of items previously owned, often at a thrift store or other specialized second-hand store—has taken off in recent years. This has been especially prevalent in younger generations, mainly younger millennials and older Gen Z.
These adults in their 20s and early 30s are often conscious of their spending habits as they enter the workforce and search for stable employment (which is increasingly difficult to find). Limited budgets, coupled with increasing pressure from online spaces—mainly social media—to constantly shape yourself and present a polished image to the world, have turned attention toward previously overlooked second-hand pieces.
Social Media
The online environment has been increasingly pressuring people to constantly perform. It creates fleeting weekly trends that people are encouraged to keep up with, shames people for not conforming, and pushes ever more unattainable standards of beauty, wealth, and normality. Thrifting has helped alleviate these pressures in two different ways.
The first way is through sourcing items for individual curation in a budget-friendly way. By finding cheaper pieces second-hand, people can give the impression that they belong in whatever online spaces they occupy by dressing the part. They can curate a specific image with the pieces they find without bankrupting themselves in the process.
The second way is by rejecting the fast-paced online culture altogether, instead finding lasting, staple items—often of higher quality than the fast fashion pieces available today—that speak to them as individuals. They feel special, like a treasure hunt to find that one super special needle in a haystack. However, both of these neglect to address the problems that this increase in thrifting has brought.
Drawbacks
The rise in thrifting has created an influx of problems. One of the bigger ones is the increasing number of fast-fashion items that are being dumped into thrift stores. Since thrifting is seen as environmentally conscious compared to discarding unwanted pieces and sending them straight to a landfill, people feel less guilt when buying more clothing, since they can donate it. The guilt of overconsumption is displaced to the thrift stores.
However, these fast fashion pieces aren't getting a second life just because you donate them. Since the quality of fast fashion clothing is so low, these pieces often aren’t in a state to be resold. They hardly last beyond a few wears, and thrift stores are left to throw out the pieces that they can't sell. And even if they do end up on the shelf and bought by someone else, these pieces won't last very long and will likely have to be thrown out by the second buyer anyway.
Additionally, with thrifting's spike in popularity, many of the lasting, older pieces have already been bought. You're not likely going to find any hidden gems since everyone has already picked over what was there. All that's left is the increasing pile of fast fashion trash that people have donated to feel better about their buying habits.
What's worse is that second-hand stores have been important places for lower-income individuals to buy clothing. The increase in thrifting among higher-income individuals takes away a necessary resource for those who can't afford new clothes, leaving them to pick through the low-quality leftovers.
By reducing both the cost of obtaining clothing and the guilt of buying more than you need, thrifting has upheld the disastrous norms of clothing overconsumption that are hurting the planet. What will help not only the planet and your wallet but also those around you is conscious consumption.
Conscious Consumption
One of the best ways you can be a conscious consumer when it comes to clothing is by buying your clothing from independent artists. Personally, some of my favorite clothing items came from local artists at art fairs. The quality of handmade artistry prevents the need to replace the pieces, which reduces financial strain. This also financially supports local independent artists, which helps your community.
Another benefit of conscious consumption is developing a sense of identity. By choosing what pieces you want to wear and own for a long time, you are making choices that inform you of who you are and what you like, separate from what you are told to be online. Free from the control of others, you can find pieces that speak to you as an individual. Additionally, knowing who you are while finding artists who speak to that identity can help form social ties that benefit you emotionally and mentally, in contrast to the isolation of online spaces. It's a win for everyone.
Conclusion
The fast-paced world of consumption, often from online pressure to spend and conform, is making life worse for everyone. People are lost, looking for identity and connection in spaces that only complicate the issues while being sold a lie that whatever item comes across their screen next will solve the problem. No item can help solve the problems we are facing in our modern world, and the solutions we are being offered often hurt more than they help. However, when we do buy items we need, we can make conscious decisions that benefit us rather than exacerbate the problems. So next time you need to buy a clothing item, think about who you are buying it from, and who you're buying it for.
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