Fashion & Style
To Thrift or Not to Thrift?
Not only are the clothes and shoes way cheaper than what you’d find in retail, some are of higher quality. I’ve found fairly new clothes at a giveaway price.
Let’s dive right into it: thrift.
What is thrifting?
Trvst World aptly defines it as “the act and process of buying used items, also known as thrifted items, from second-hand stores” Because second-hand sounds ever so menacing, people have resolved to calling the clothes “pre-loved”
I am a lover of the Lord, I am really passionate about sustainability and the environment and I like to believe that I have an eye for fashion. It is safe to say that strength and honour and drip are my clothing and I will rejoice in time to come.
Strength and honour are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
Why thrift:
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Its environmentally friendly
How you may ask? I read a bunch of articles on this and compressed it into a couple of points so you don’t have to!
Not all heroes wear capes, some wear thrifted items.
- The manufacture of one pair of jeans is a whopping 7500 litres (that’s 7 years’ worth of water consumption for one person) So if you thrift a pair of jeans you’re saving 7,500 litres of water.
- You save resources like packaging (especially if you take your own plastic or reusable tote bag and insist that they don’t give you a plastic) I am sure you have seen the copious amounts of plastic on those SHEIN clothing haul videos.
- You temporarily prevent one item of clothing from winding up as a pollutant. Synthetic fibres and stuff like buttons and sequins are not biodegradable and cause environmental harm when they leach into the soil.
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It’s affordable.
Need I say more, the prices are quite competitive. I marvel at how I have made a couple of outfits work and – minus the shoes, it came down to less than $10.
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You can find high quality pieces (at a competitive price.)
Kinda related to my second point but its so nice I had to say it twice. Not only are the clothes and shoes way cheaper than what you’d find in retail, some are of higher quality. I’ve found fairly new clothes at a giveaway price. Just because something is costly it doesn’t mean that you’ll get value for your money.
Once upon a time I went to a boutique in the city of Kings and Queens and I bought a brand new hoodie at a sacrilegious (rather than God-fearing price.) I wore it once and after that was in dire need of a lint roller. The fabric wasn’t great. Nothing was at all what it seamed.
I am intending all my puns ladies and gentlemen.
For that price, I could have thrifted 4 jerseys or so.
You buy a brand new shirt, you can smell the dye from a mile away and when you place it in water it runs and like Phil Collins you start seeing its true colours.
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You are likely to be one of one. Unique.
Imagine you get to an event all dressed up and someone else has your shirt or dress. Thrifting is awesome for those of us who are dying to be different.
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It is an adventure
Going thrifting is like going on a noble quest. You never know what to expect, you could be looking for a leather jacket and find a really cool plaid shirt and you grab that as well. Rifling through the piles of clothes or playing tug of war for a cute shirt that someone else also found cute…
The implications of thrifting
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Killing the local textile industry
There are substantial claims that the second-hand clothes industry is stifling local clothes manufacturers. They cannot compete with the low prices that the clothes vendors are charging. Certain companies have had to close branches here in Zimbabwe because they weren’t generating profit…but understand that it is above you.
You boycotting second hand clothes is as effective as boycotting toothpicks in a bid to save trees.
2. Potential biohazard.
The clothes can carry pathogens and what-not. Remember when monkey-pox had people thinking twice about thrifting? You never know how the previous owner took care of the clothing or what it went through in its past life.
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Potential spiritual hazard.
Some people believe that wearing thrift clothes that belonged to someone else means that they are inheriting that person’s problems as well. The clothes, though fashionable, are believed to be a weapon fashioned against them.
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