My '80s high school style icon was Molly Ringwald, who represented outsider/thrifted fashion. I remember wearing a men's tie + button-down + cardigan with a pencil skirt and bowler hat, or a wraparound dress with a huge straw hat, or a smoking jacket with shorts and creepers. I felt free to improvise. Today's fashion feels more like those times than any other time in my life.
I do think fast fashion has slightly dug their own grave with this as well - the trend cycle went so fast that I think they broke it?! Aesthetics were coming and going within weeks and so I think a lot of folks stopped feeling like they could keep up, which meant they could mix and match whatever! I see some of these retailers trying to literally get on the second-hand trend by reselling their own pieces and I think it's great. Usually, if clothes for microtrends go unsold, they'd get burnt. We have more garments in existence right now than are needed for a generation. If we can all treat the world like a dress-up box and have more fun while being kinder to the planet, it's win-win-win-win-win, baby!
@@Daymickey I heard it in a Leena Norms video, but looking into it, the WEF reckons that 150 billion garments are produced every year. There's only 8 billion people on Earth, so every year we make enough for us all to have 18 new items of clothing. And that's all in addition to all the existing clothes in our wardrobes, thrift stores and so on...
I was a teenager in the early 1980's and I thrifted a lot in high school and college. My goal was to NOT look like everyone else. The weirder, the better. Thrifting was always cool in the punk and alternative and goth scenes.
Yes! Same experience here! I am so sad I gave away my thrifted gems from the late 80s and 90s. Would kill for some of those goth dresses and sequined stuff. I did save all my old jewelry thank god and love to wear it now. Thrift goblin for life!
Me too! Bought my first ever secondhand shirt in probably 1984 and I still have it. When I brought it home my mom made me boil it. Literally. “You don’t know who died in that thing!” (The class element is also worth discussing. My mom, who grew up in a Caribbean country without a lot of money, definitely saw secondhand clothes, especially from strangers, as embarrassing evidence of poverty.) Also, I love sambas, wore them in the late eighties with giant thrifted men’s blazers and cotton slips. Ah, youth…
The 80s were so fashion diy! I lived for thrift stores and flea markets! Vintage men’s blazers and oversized clothing! Vintage mohair and cashmere and wool garments from the 40s were so ubiquitous and inexpensive! Self expression seemed so experimental back then!
The one bad thing is that since thriving became the new cool thing, prices have went way up. I've thrifted to more than a decade. Prices today are much higher than inflation can account for. It's the old supply and demand at work, but I seriously doubt prices won't correct.
I get that too!! I mostly online thrift since I live in california and the stores are god awful near me, but even online thrifting to me feels like buying retail, something that looks like it was bought for 4 dollars at the bin, is now suddenly being sold for 30 dollars online? I get people have to make money, but it puts me off from shopping in general. I guess in a way that’s a good thing though!
I like to blame the online reseller market for a lot of that. Even Thredup will claim certain items are worth an initial cost and then give you a "thrifted" price, so you feel like you're saving all this money. But ACTUALLY the original price (or estimated price) is irrelevant. Only the actual price matters, and that's largely dependent on the condition of the garment, which you can't actually know until you get your hands on them. I understand everyone wants to have a side hustle, but honestly, I'm sort of sad the physical thrift stores appear to be devoid of the good finds we used to get and still have significant markups.
My grandmother was an avid thrifter, clothes, shoes,purses, furniture and household items. I think 97% of her house was thrifted. She taught me the ins and outs. Now her granddaughter is an avid thrifter. Thanks Nana
Same here, my late nana was always impeccably dressed and put together. She was a thrifty op-shopper through and through, way back before it was ‘fashionable’. I’ve been op shopping for four decades now. Bargains can still be found, however in the past few years so much more fast fashion turns up in thrift shops, and fewer quality items. However that does not deter me and I still find good stuff that fits my personal style.
Ooo, now I am the Nana, but my mom and aunts taught me to by a extra large garment solely for the fabric. To soak yellowed stained things in dishwasher detergent. That durable goods come back after a run through 5dishwasher. Now retired, living off the savings from years of living this way. 🌴🏝️🏖️
I come from the past. I'm Italian and here thrifting is still incredibly niche and frowned upon. I can't count the times I was asked where I shop cause my style is so unique and everytime I say "I thrift most of what I wear" people look down on me. Why oh why? I live in a small town full of rich (or rich posing) people, I find premium brands at the thrift store for cheap, plus some unique things that I would never have owned otherwise, why would that be bad? Why should I jump on the hamster wheel of trends and buy new, generating more trash, when most of my clothing can come from thrift stores? I found the most glorious stuff I own at the thrift store and I'm proud. Saving stuff from the landfill and having a unique style is something to celebrate. Hope we'll get there someday
I found some cool vintage stores for decent prices in italy, italians have good fashion sense! Had no idea people looked down on thrifting or reused clothes there.
I mean, I understand why some people DON'T want thrifted clothes. Most of the stuff at thrift stores aren't that great, they're dirty or damaged, and they certainly aren't new. If you DO have the money and CAN afford new clothes, I think it's great to buy new. I don't particularly like fast fashion. And I think second hand is a good way to get clothes at an affordable price INSTEAD of buying new fast fashion. But if you have the money, I kinda think it's better to buy new...because then you can donate your nice old stuff to thrift stores instead of donating fast fashion crap.
@@erinlikesacornishpasty4703 my Luisa Spagnoli, Dior, Sisley etc used stuff beg to disagree. Surely depends on the area, but I never found stinky or dirty stuff. I could buy new, I decide to buy used
@@EvaLoVerdeciao anch'io sono italiana :) Di dove sei? Io vorrei iniziare a comprare abbigliamento di seconda mano ma non so dove trovare buoni posti qui dove vivo... lo voglio fare per una questione ecologica ma anche perché vorrei trovare qualcosa di particolare o vintage ma ho paura che queste cose qui possano costare troppo...per adesso uso vinted o depop
Growing up, my family didn't shop at thrift stores, but looking back it makes me so so sad that we didn't!! We definitely didn't have a lot of money, and I think we could of benefited from it. It's crazy to think that we were so afraid of seeming poor that we didn't utilize the wonders of second hand.
I hated thrifting as a child in the 80s for those "fitting in" reasons discussed. Then as a teen and college student in the 90s, I loved thrifting because of grunge and indie music aesthetics. I've associated loving thrifting with growing up and independence, having your own money and making your own choices. And also fashion is cyclical.
I grew up in the 70’s and was raised by “make due and mend” parents so we thrifted everything. My goal was to find clothes I could wear that wouldn’t make me stand out too much. I’ve always thrifted for myself and my kids and friends and family. I’ll never stop, cuz dealzzzzzz! Hahaha! Also, I’m back to wearing stuff I did as a kid in the 70’s 😘
Omg the grew-up-weird-and/or-poor-in-the-2000s core memory of desperately searching thrift stores for Abercrombie. I found this empire waist cable-knit pink sweater with cap sleeves and was like, "I've fixed everything, I'm normal now. Depression? Cured." (It wasn't). As for trends, I hope the new fast pace of fashion and aesthetics is moving us toward a place where fashion can truly be a means of creativity rather than a set of rules to follow. Alternatively we're heading even deeper into a hyper-consumerist dystopia. At least us thrift goblins will keep buying second hand even if it becomes uncool again.
There's 30k of us stinky lil babies?!??? Heck! Congrats on your Lil Guy™ collection Kathleen! And remember kids, stay hydrated in the hamster jungle gym of life ✨❤️
My biggest tip: think back or look at old photos of yourself, what did you like and feel good in? If you still have it, put it on, it might just be your new (old) favorite. A favorite outfit is an early 00's ruched, cutout, lacey, flowery top (that had been in storage since 2004) with a long maxi skirt (instead of the lowrise mini I used to wear it with) 🐼
One of the things I love about thrifting is the same thing I HATE about online shopping - namely TOUCHING THE GARMENTS, being able to TRY them on and see in a mirror if they are actually flattering. We’ve all wasted WAY too much time and money online buying things that don’t fit or don’t flatter and it’s just a huge pain in the ass to return. The act of in-store browsing is just SO MUCH BETTER!!
since 2020 I've had this consumer guilt and I've made rules for myself so I only buy something if it sparks joy (thank M. Condo) I love using the "shop my closet" method to use existing clothes in a unique new way - pairing unexpected color combos and creating fresh silhouettes. Being a clothing maker I already have a big stash of fabric that I am making my way through every time I have an itch to buy something. I'll try my hardest to make it myself or check in with myself - see if I need a break from social media/unsubscribe. These changes have made me feel creative and guilt free when it comes to expressing my style while being a literal sewer :D
I'm watching all your videos. (Trying to take it slow, but they are so good!) Yesterday I refreshed a leather wallet that I bought for $1. With leather paint. It was your influence. Wallet looks new now!
Kathleen, I'm 59 and grew up thrifting with my Mom and 5 siblings. It was NOT cool when I was a kid either. Must say, there is nothing more enjoyable than thrifting and the thrill of what you might find. Cool or not, I appreciate your passion for thrifting and your style. Excellent content each and every time! Thank you! Shopping like this is even more fun when it's a hobby, not due to finances. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
Thrifting was cool in the 90s. Now it isn't as good for me because now thrift store prices are sometimes HIGHER than they were originally as a NEW piece. Ebay and depop ruined thrifting.
I feel like it started out of necessity for myself, but that set me up for a lifetime of loving a patch-work aesthetic and the absolute love of finding something that no one else has ❤
One change I strive for now that I am raising my daughter is to try to change the focus from weighing so much on trends. The conversations around what colors she feels powerful in or make her face and eyes shine and what cuts of clothing enhance the physical features she has in a way that make her confident are things we do focus on. And because of your channel I encourage her to listen to her inner goblin and defy rules or trends proudly in a way she can take ownership of her individuality. I’m glad there are resources online for her to see clothing reinterpreted in a way her peers may not try.
I've been thrifting since I was in college and remembered being semi embarrassed about disclosing where I got my clothes. I did it mainly for uniqueness and affordability and still do to this day! Styles always come back around and have learned not to donate anything that is "timeless" anymore lol. I try not to go for any specific aesthetic...like y2k. I go for simple and classic.
I grew up in the 80s in a very affluent area. If you didn’t have Polo or OP shirts/shorts and Guess jeans, you weren’t cool. Watch the movie Pretty in Pink with Molly Ringwald and that’s pretty much it. Now most of my clothes are thrifted. Kathleen has been a terrible/wonderful influence on me!!!! Keep it up, gurl.
I think a good way to experience novelty while reducing consumption even in thrift stores is borrowing from and exchanging with people around you such as parents, siblings, and friends. I love thrifting but due to its trendiness the prices have become ridiculously high, especially where I am from (Germany). 😅
My mom had sworn by thrift stores my entire life and I’ve been to more than I could possibly count, and now I can’t possibly imagine buying things full price. I’ve literally walked into malls struggling to find clothing that fit my style or are comfortable for me and when I find something vaguely decent I’m always reeling at the price tags because I feel it’s not worth that much. When I was younger, I was genuinely embarrassed by it, but now my childhood friends want to go thrifting with me for fun. What a wild world
I'm pretty old and did a lot of shopping in Army/Navy stores in the 70's & mid 80's. By the 90's I was disabled and fat, so haunting thrift shops and yard sales became the main way I stretched my pitiful fashion budget. Congratulations on growing your channel. I love your mix of thrifting and craft. Both interests express your creativity and buoyant personality. Your channel is unique, fun and inspiring. Thanks for encouraging us to express ourselves. I find myself looking at second hand clothes with new eyes and fresh ideas.
My parents prided themselves that they didn't have to shop at thrift stores. Granted they shopped at all the various cheaper alternative stores. I only got into thrifting as an adult with wonky proportions. 😆 It was the best place to find pieces that felt one of a kind and in my price range. Nowadays, I could pay more, but I love finding magic at a thrift store!
yesss ive def noticed fast fashion websites launching their own “vintage” collections, its soooo weird lol bc in 20+ yrs those same fast fashion pieces will probably be considered vintage themselves
I’ve been thrifting a lot more lately and have found some of my favorite pieces of clothing thrifting. I think I’ve always been the kind of person that wears something because it makes me feel happy and not because of the name on the tag. Thrifting is an amazing way to find good clothes for an absolute steal. It’s ethical, incredibly affordable, and fun!! Ok rant over lol.
I have a very specific style and the thrift store is my best friend because finding pieces that I like and would want to wear from chain retailers is so challenging, and when I do find something it’s exorbitantly priced and something I could also probably find for like $5 at the thrift store! One of the only things I own that isn’t thrifted is a red button-up, which I do love because I wear it a lot, but it was weirdly expensive and the only reason I was able to get it was because of the combination of a coupon and a store wide sale, and even then, it came to about $20. I thrifted a similar piece and a black button-up for $5 dollars each too 💀
I grew up thrifting as a financial necessity, and since I attended Catholic school in the 60s and 70s (it was really cheap then where I grew up) I wore school uniforms until I was 18. Only my close neighborhood friends saw my "play" clothes and no one cared about labels/trends...as fast fashion had not really hit yet. I went to college in an affluent suburb of Chicago and the thrifting was stellar! I loved looking unique and having one of kind wardrobe instead of the Izods, Polos fair isle sweaters and khakis most other kids wore. Most people thought I was a theatre major (I majored in Geology). Then I entered a phase of life where for work and post graduate school I was moving alot and I stopped thrifting (in fact gave away alot of it as expensive to move it all). When I finally settled again in the SF Bay area and started thrifting again for furniture and home goods I realized quickly I was competing for things at the thrift store with people who financially needed the items way more than me as I could afford new things now I had a decent job. I got back into thrifting in my early 40s when I had a young child....as a way to reduce, reuse recycle all the things you need with children: toys, clothes, books. I also was into thrifting craft supplies like yarn, fabric. Sadly, I had drifted away from fashion at that time. My life so busy with work, home, family/partner/kid, volunteering, etc I didn;t have the time/passion to thrift for clothes like I once did. Now I am 62, semi-retired and getting back into fashion now that I have more time. Thrifting in some ways not as fun, as it is hard to find good quality clothes in my size (I'm not as skinny as I was in my 20s, 30s and SO much disposable fast fashion) but your videos are opening up a side of me that gets excited in seeing the possibilities in what is out there. There is so much inspiration now (IG, Pinterest, Tiktok) that never existed back in the day. In some ways it is great....making self expression of your personal style more acceptable, but as you point out the drawbacks like over consumption, fast fashion co-opting the look, inflation at thrift stores, people buying larger sizes for flips that are needed by plus size bodies who just need some clothes, etc. Thrift stores are just another layer of our capitalist market, the zone for the bottom feeders as my elderly parents like to say. I see alot of 65+ people thrift shopping, and it looks to be out of need, not just a hobby (altho a fair number of that going on too). Sometimes, given the state of the climate and planetary health, it makes me sad realizing the shear volume of stuff we have produced, and continue to produce just for our goblin whims and desires.
Love that you're talking about "stepping off the trend cycle" bus as part of the thrifting popularity upswing. I will say that the thrift store is busier than EVER and there is something to be said about people needing to just put down the consumerism/overconsumption temptation (been there too, but life is much improved without it). I grew up thrifting/antiquing because I was a "weird kid" and always wanted fun stuff to wear and find and who doesn't love a great deal? My personal frustration is that certain thrift store chains have noticed the upswing in popularity and have over inflated their prices as a response, which sucks. Here's hoping it doesn't stay that way, because when I was really broke it was very helpful to be able to buy secondhand stuff when I really needed it (Housewares and home decor for my first place come to mind for this!)
i'm not actually so sure what styles are trending ever because i don't really know where to check up on them... but i will say that if I become familiar with a trend via a youtube tier list (or alexa sunshine's trend videos) and it's distinctly vintage or timeless, i'd say i'm more likely to partake in bits of it! probably just because it's not a novelty so it's easier to thrift if I really want it, and it's probably already existed in the fashion trend cycle a few decades ago
I truly and honestly do not know what trends are a thing right now, probably because a lot of the content creators I gravitate towards, focus more on their own personal style and that's my jam. It's always been my jam. Right now, I am obsessed with layering dressing, specifically long button up/wrap dresses over shorter dresses, a la kimono style. It's been my favorite thing for weeks now (I thrifted a beautiful wrap dress in Paris, but it's a little too small/needs new straps, so I just started layering with it). I am just very eclectic; I have always been a jeans and tee shirt girl, but now I don't like jeans anymore, but I love love love graphic tee shirts and have a massive collection of them, I've always liked gothic/punk/alt aesthetics and I incorporate a lot of that into my look, but I also love the whole cottagecore aesthetic as well and definitely have been wearing more skirts and dresses. I'm all over the place and 99% of my wardrobe is thrifted, which I will continue to do and I don't care when it's not cool anymore, it's still my favorite place to find the treasures.
I don't know if it was because of the pandemic, or just that years passed without seeing each other, but it does feel like these days fashion feels much less homogeneous than before... Breaking up with fast fashion was a lot easier when you couldn't go to the mall every weekend!
My family thrifted clothes for me as a kid/teen out of necessity. Fortunately other peoples judgments never really hurt me because I hav an FU attitude (even as a kid LOL) to anyone who tries to belittle me. I always felt like thrifting helped me find my peeps faster by weeding out classist clowns. Thrifting was considered "uncool" and for "poor people" (hi, it me). In my teens I complimented a new coworker (soon to be dear pal) on her shirt and she proudly told me she only paid $2 for it at the thrift store, I knew right then we would be besties 🥰
I'm 36 years old, from Germany, and thrifting was huge over here in the early noughties. I wasn't wearing the classical Y2K styles, but 2nd hand clothing from the 1960s and 1970s, which was the alternative style back then. I've been buying vintage clothing ever since.
I think with the death of the "monoculture" we have been seeing, there will forever be space for weird fashion now. While the trends will always change, what is considered trendy is far more fractured today than in the past. Being "weird" is no longer seen as the negative it once was. I don't think that is going away any time soon. Vive le bizarre!
As someone who has been thrifting my entire life (38 years), I was only starting to be aware of trends in high school and was always able to find them at a thrift store. So it makes sense that people would eventually turn to this less expensive option (in most cases). And now, I don’t like most of the trends, so I am still thrifting to try to get the pieces I do like! Thrift Lifer!!
Going to the thrift when I was younger was always dull because my mom loved to look through kitchen items and I was never allowed a toy but yes to a shirt. It did come in hand when I wanted to try getting into more of the masculine clothing when I began to question myself.
I mean.... thrifting was always cool, at least as far as I remember. Social culture isn't a homogenous thing. Most of the circles I traveled in in my life always thrifted and thought it was cool. (High school in the 90s, college in the 2000s, 20s in the 2000/2010s...). Cool people have always thought thrifting was cool. I was in the arts and most of my friends were musicians, actors, artists, and creative types, but still - I guess I was just surrounded by people that thrifted and went to flea markets, garage sales and the like. Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange, and places like that have been doing strong business since the 90s. The whole grunge/alternative/skater scene of the 90s was all about expressing yourself through second-hand thrifted clothes, the weirder the better. And this all wound up in mainstream looks and styles (skaters were the first to thrift baggy jeans and skate in them, and that became a mainstream trend - just one example but there's thousands more... it's just one example I can personally take credit for) In the later 90s and early 2000s the rave/electro scene was also awash in self-expression through thrifted and modified clothes, this culture expanded into Burning Man and beyond, but not before influencing mainstream fashion in a major way (what you zoomers call "Y2K" fashion today). Wes Anderson movies and Amelie drove millions of young people to the thrift stores to capture certain looks. Brands have always noticed these things, it's not new. They literally employ style spotters and trend forecasters whose sole purpose is to exactly what you're saying is new, but they've been doing it since before you were born. I actually knew someone who worked for Anthro/UO back in the early 2000s who explained to me they would send people to art openings in fashionable cities and take pics of not only what people we wearing, (which were often niche fashion labels but mostly thrifted/vintage clothes) but also the art itself, from young emerging artists who had no legal recourse to having their work and designs stolen. Anthro/UO would design directly from this style-spotting, like it wasn't even hidden, that's how they came up with new designs - not just for clothes but for interior displays (which were changing every season). This isn't new. So I"m not sure I agree that thrifting wasn't cool in previous decades - it might just be that you're too young to remember or know?
@@michellemarques3238 That's the 80s. She wasn't even born yet. I'm talking about the 90s, 00s, 2010s. Thirty years in which thrifting was very, very, very cool. And also, I asked my cousin, who did grow up in the 70s, if thrifting was cool in the 80s, here's what she said "It was more cool to wear trendy mall brands, and thrifting wasn't really the same thing, there weren't as many retail thrift stores, for one thing. But what was popular among my friends was shredding/ripping our clothes, adding safety pins, and studs - and we got most of those clothes from secondhand charity shops and garage sales" So maybe there was more to the 80 than you realized! Maybe
My new thrift dilemma is that one of my (past) favorite thrift stores changed their focus from selling used clothes to selling new excess stock clothes. It changed the thrift store to a "discount" store. The discount is questionable. ALL their prices are out of control. Ugh. It sucks!
I had a similar journey. I found a moose once too and it basically became my personality😅 finally seeing the thrift store as my friend instead of my enemy was ✨life changing✨ now the thrift stores shows me new characters inside me that have been crouching in the darkness, waiting for their moment to shine
i volunteer with an antiwaste kitchen that i dumpsterdive veggies for, and often ill find some clothes or anything and i bring them to the free shop we have in the back. Its so cool to just have a place to bring stuff especially bc its just this room with nothing like a shopkeeper or anything- just more volunteers who come to fold and hang things people put in there. Theres so much high quality clothes there and im so happy to contribute to this small free, anticapitalist space. Thrifting is the next best thing but this specific free shop is my favorite place
Congrats on 30K! I guess I'm a weirdo because I was thrifting back in high school (waaaay back in the 80's) to be a non-conformist, not so much for budget reasons. Fortunately, except for a little eye-rolling my parents were okay with it. So glad a new generation has fully embraced it! Thanks for the video Kathleen!!
I went to a thrift store for the first time the summer of 1972. I bought 2 short sleeve button down shirts for a dime each. I cut them each in half, sewed 2 mis-matched sides together and had 2 cool shirts. 51 years later, I STILL love thrifting!
I totally agree that we don’t need to keep up with trends. The clothes that are truly my style always stay in my wardrobe the longest and usually don’t ever look dated on me because it fits my personality.
The hardest part of trying to find my style sustainably is all these old clothes in my closet from a decade ago that are in good condition and I still like, but aren't in the style that makes me excited to wear them... they're just clothes, not style.
I started thrifting when I was about 14, in order to find inexpensive barn clothes! I love it. Now, most of my wardrobe is thrifted & I wouldn't have it any other way. My clothing is more unusual & unique to me, rather than a current 'trend.' I also often answer "thanks, I thrifted it!" Can't seem to stop myself. I think more reuse, to reduce demand on our planet and recycling usable items is essential for our future.
I got a lot of my thrifting habits from my mom. Many of my favorite toys and clothes from childhood were secondhand. A lot of furniture in our house she found on the side of the road, fixed up, and repainted. When we would go shopping together, going to the thrift store was fun because you never know what you'll find! Maybe you'll find something mysterious, maybe something hilarious, or maybe you'll find a hidden treasure. (and it was always cheap!) I didn't really notice or care that there was any sort of stigma around shopping secondhand because it felt like the objectively better shopping experience. 🌟
Im only 15 and i have become so in love with thrifting because i know so much of what ive thrifted is one of a kind and no one else my age would have it and i love having that sense of individuality
Hard core bins thrifter for years, then I fell into the trap of the ease of buying things new for a few years. ’m trying so hard to get back into the swing of thrifting. I set myself some goals for 2025, to only buy three new items and thrift/shop secondhand for the rest. New clothes don’t make me nearly as excited as finding that special thrifted find and only spending $1 on it.
As someone who is entering the working world for the first time since I’m graduation college, and I’ve been thifting to get more sustainable workwear and it’s been difficult but also fun. And I think I‘be been able to cultivate a cute wardrobe through thrifting, hand-me-downs, and very carefully selected elements from items I bought new.
I've seen ton of "higher-end brands" intentionally making clothes and shirts that look well-worn and faded prints. The look is nice, but it's not a look you buy! It's a look you achieve by actually using your clothes!!!! I've recently heard the concept "cost per wear". You take a piece of clothing and divide by 30. That means you have to wear the garment 30 times. The thing is, most clothes are still expensive even after you divide it by 30.
i have been thrifting here in the UK for decades, i find that i find better quality clothes for work, at a good price, and now i am retired i love making my own style, i have bought some beautiful clothes this year, and fully mean to wear them.... i love dressing up and showing off my finds.....you are encouraging my wild side too
I’ve been gravitating to Bob’s Burgers and it’s color scheme. I have now been trying to find the same colors in that show because it makes me happy to see those colors.
Kathleen, I look forward to your posts! I didn’t thrift much until college, either. I do share that clothes are thrifted if someone asks or compliments. Also super happy to see that 4-H has created a category in the sewing curriculum for upcycling clothing! The state fair display of the kids’ transformations was impressive and could be another indicator of the cultural shift toward sustainability and young people embracing personal style.
I have honestly been loving the core trends. It's really helped my figure out what i like to WEAR personally. I started with cottage and its cute and comfy for going out. However i hate going outside (especially where I live, its nearly 100F here) So I looked for more indoor, cozy. Thus finding like goblin/mushroom core where I was cozy and had my little stash of random collectables. I liked it, but it just wasn't fitting the color pallet my brain wanted. Then I found it. Kidcore. Bright, comfy, colorful. I especially have been digging the Late 80's - mid 90's feel as well. So thanks to the popularity of the Cores and Thrifting, I got to find my way to my style that I love and wear everyday!
Finding my own style has been quite the journey from refusing to wear any color bc depressed goth teen to nerd shirts and comfort, to trying to reconnect with my femininity suppressed by YEARS of internalized misogyny-- now I'm comfortable, I can be nerdy if I want, and I can dress cute and feminine. The thrift stores have helped a lot. I really got into it back in 2016 when I worked at goodwill, and boy what an adventure that was. Having the employee discount on top of thrift prices made it really easy for me to experiment with my outfits. Now I'm a bit more scrutinizing and I try to be less impulsive since I know what I like, but I'm always looking for something to surprise me. Lately thrifting has been a great source of home goods for me. My wife and I found a HUGE soft pink minky blanket at a goodwill and I saw the tag said "minky couture" and looked up the website and this was a $300 blanket In got for $20. I highly recommend thrifting in rich neighborhoods bc these people have no idea what they have
Yes! All of this! -wearing pieces you love the most -keeping track of what you never wear and why (possibly rehoming or upcycling those things) -noting what outfits feel good and wearing those or similar outfits more (:
My high school years fell right into the post grunge era, so while thrifting wasn't mainstream, it had a certain edgy vibe to it that was cool in certain circles. But I thrifted for very practical reasons: I am very petite and curvy, and I have a modesty code, so I would go through the entire mall and find literally nothing I could wear. It was either so low rise it would show my underwear, or it would fit weird because jean makers don't seem to understand how hips work. The thrift store was literally the only place I could find things that fit both my literal body, and my modesty code. And it didn't take long before I realized that I could also use it to find my own unique style. So it's thrift stores for life, baby!
I loathed the constant plumber butt of the late 90s and early 2000s. We ended up compensating with extra long camisoles that made everyone have odd proportions.
I'm a 39 yo woman, therefore the fashions of my teen days have come full circle. As a teen I would thrift out of poverty - those clothes weren't cool, they were...acceptable at best. Nowadays I see stuff that for the first 20 years of the 2000s have been deemed cheap, ugly and hopelessly outdated - and now it comes on the retailers' roster once again. Which means that I *could* wear all the clothes and accessories which I couldn't afford back when I was young. Do I tho? Not really. I can't say I missed those low cut baggy pants or teeny tiny plastic hair clips. I spent the last decade curating my own personal style (which I call "cottage witch", but kids on the internet have fancier terms for that, as they have terms for everything). Hence I'm thrifting what I've been thrifting for the past ten years, which is mostly flowy skirts and folksy looking blouses. I suppose I'll be doing the same in ten years from now, because those clothes really make me feel like *me*.
When I was a teenager in the 90s, a common insult was "Where did you get that from, Oxfam?" I dreaded non-uniform days because it meant needing to wear something 'cool' (and definitely not second hand!) to be accepted at school. That evolved into clothes being a sort of armour for me, to protect me from bullying. I shopped probably too much for clothes in my 20s but the more I lost touch with the people from school, the less judged I felt. I made a friend who introduced me to thrifting, sewing and crochet and now I love these hobbies. Thrifting is so much more fun, although I find it does take a bit more time and energy rummaging around the charity shops (in the UK there are lots of small charity shops dotted around the city, I prefer the look of the big warehouse thrift stores that exist in America were everything is in the same place).
I remember being maybe 14 and a group if friends wanted to go to local city to see what kind of ugly awful stuff they could fund in charity (thrift) shops. My nana volunteered at several, ever since she retired so I saw it as totally different because I knew how high their turnover was. Some of my favourite clothes are second hand as are a lot of my books.
I bought a pair of interesting-looking jeans second-hand recently. I was In a hurry, didn't do the usual quality checks, didnt haggle (It was a shop where you don't usually haggle anyway). I couldn't find a label right away. I desperately needed jeans and usually, if I don't like them after all I will just resell them for the same price. So its fine. I came home washed them and looked at them. They are horrible quality and shein. I paid 7€! This is the worst purchase I have made since I learned how to thrift. A real beginner's mistake. But at first glance, they looked like they were from the early 2000 and kinda unique. I used to be so good at distinguishing old fast fashion (which was often still relatively good quality) from new fast fashion (which is usually terrible). And shein is often something I wouldn't buy for 1€. They tricked my and I am more angry about it than I care to admit.
My second hand clothes growing up were "new clothes" my cousin refused to wear or grew out if.... note, We were in the same grade of 36 students and had the same circle of friends. Everyone knew where most of my clothes came from... but my mom helped me style them a little different and make them my own. There weren't thrift stores for us.... we received clothes from older siblings / cousins.
Thankfully my mom got me thrifting and garage saling in the 70s and I've never stopped. One trend I thought would never come back are crochet granny squares on clothes. I love them but it was surprising. The one new item I saw recently that I didn't like are the dirty looking Coach athletic shoes. Love your channel, love you. You remind me of home. (Ohio born, VA, to TX, now on to Miami)
In elementary school I was definitely trying to just find anything “cool” to blend in, but by the time I got to high school I became obsessed with the 80’s and was looking for vintage items because I didn’t want to blend in lol. (Pretty in Pink was one of my favorite movies) In the area I live in I think thrifting is considered trendy and I do not have the same experience you do when thrifting. In one of your videos you said you haven’t lived until you’ve thrifted in Ohio and from your videos I have to say that looks true 😂 Everything is overpriced in my area and any bags/wallets that are name brand are put in a glass case and are usually very well loved to the point I wouldn’t buy them anyway and they put ridiculous prices on them just because they’re name brand. A lot of people sell their items that are still in good condition themselves instead of donating them so thrifted items are usually fast fashion, stained, or items with holes. I haven’t found clothes I liked at the thrift store in… years ☹️ I usually go for home goods these days. I think that’s why I enjoy your videos so much, you usually have success! Idk if you’ve seen a spike in subscribers but the algorithm has seemed to have decided to recommend your channel to people that like Bernadette Banner, Rachel Maksy, and Mina Le who all have millions of subs, that’s how I found you ❤
@moon467 - I have the same problem w/ overpricing in the chain thrift stores (even the Cancer Society was selling counterfeits, not changing the price when I gracefully showed them how to know it’s real😠) here in NY just N of NYC. This has been going on for over 20 yrs, with active eBay BIN pics (in pristine condition) printed & taped w/ same price even tho in the condition it’s in would only be good for mosaics or the salvaging part of fabric😮! I’ve found that the small, local church or charity specific to helping less “known” people, animals type thrift stores have great, realistic prices. Not to mention the ones in wealthy areas have luxury brands & don’t mark them insanely. They’ve always been the nicest volunteers as well. Have you any of those by you to try? I hope that helps? Jet 🧡🎸🎶⚡️
i grew up in a small town where there are many more charity shops than new clothing stores so buying second hand was natural for my family (i also kinda hate online shopping because i cant feel the material or visualise the colours and sizing properly)
I was a teen in the late 90s/early 00s and was very plus-sized back then, so all I wanted to do was fit in. Desperately. Most of my jeans were from Wal-Mart, but I insisted on logo shirts from mall stores (usually men's section, so they'd fit) to prove that I shopped at the "cool places". Had an Abercrombie shirt that I wore to death, because in my mind, if I had on that shirt, no one would see I was fat because that store didn't sell stuff for big girls. SO glad to be past that point in life. Thrifting gleefully and happily not fitting in.... But I love that people seem a lot more fashionably free these days
As someone who lives in the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand as a little girl and then later Australia up to now), the fashion and thrifting cycles have been a lot slower than compared to you folks in the Northern Hemisphere. That meaning that unless we had friends and family who'd travel a lot or you also travelled a lot, you were always destined to be at least a little behind the times, and, with opposite seasonal cycles, behind the seasons! Also, compared to the US and Europe with the majority of Current Society And History As Taught In Schools (Which Have Ignored The Indigenous Peoples), Australia and New Zealand are still quite young countries. Ergo, we don't have the uber-ingrained wealth of history of Society that you guys have, and the same goes for our clothes! I often yearn for an American thrift store bc DANG there be some funky pieces that we Aussies and Kiwis just can't *get* without spending a gucci's worth of shipping. Not to mention that just the sight of the American dollar makes the AUD and NZD weep. Even with the rise of mainstream internet (I was born a mere 11 days after the start of the new millennium and ergo grew up alongside the internet), cycles were slower and even fast fashion counterparts over here couldn't always keep up. Until recently, I recall the vibe of thrifting (or, going to the Op Shop, as we call it) was just not the cool kid thing to do, tbh. You went there to get rid of old clothes or in tough times, have something on your back to keep you warm. Though the past few years of *la pandemia* has really brought the internet and the world around it closer than before (perhaps often TOO close to what some of us would like!) and especially in a sort of 'global clock', shall we say, op shopping for Cool Pieces and Cool Fashions have only really slowly started to catch on in my little corner of Aus. I don't live near a major city (the closest to me is Bluey territory!), so it's definitely a slow uptick, but I'm sure the more mainstream (ie, internationally-known and frequented) the city, the more frequent op-shopping and styles from it are. As for me? I do enjoy myself a good op shop moment - long live my ridiculous JOODIE (jean-hoodie and YES it is real, thrifted and I LOVE IT), conductor's jacket and even just inheriting/sharing my mom's old clothes from when she was in her 20's and 30's in the 90's and '00's respectively has been a joy - neither of us knew we'd share so much fashion DNA when I hit my 20's!
Gosh. I love every single part of this comment. Thank you so much!! It’s interesting to hear how Australia/NZ typically has lagged a bit in regard to “trends”, but then miss rona comes along and everyone is on the internet, All The Time, and things start to sync up (without the physical infrastructure to make things ACTUALLY sync up). Strange and weird and fascinating! Also LONG LIVE THE JOODIE!!
My Mom taught me the ways of thrifting from a young age, and I've never looked back! She thrifted throughout the 60s/70s out of necessity, but then gradually embraced the unique and high quality pieces she would find. She let me dress myself in whatever I wanted from the age of like 3 (and all of my baby/kids clothes were from a consignment shop where we would trade the pieces in for something else when I outgrew them), then she brought me to a thrift store in our neighborhood for the first time when I was like 6 or 7, and the love of exploring fashion as one avenue of self-expression truly blossomed from there. In high school in the late 2000s, I purposely combined the loudest things I could find at the thrift store to make the wackiest looks possible lol. I personally feel like fashion is always more fun with a sense of humor and playfulness infused into it. To this day, my Mom and I love to go shopping for secondhand fashion whenever we can. We especially love checking out thrift stores and vintage shops while we're traveling together, because you find such cool and unexpected items! I DO distinctly remember wearing a thrifted dress to a family bbq when I was around 14, and some of my cousins were genuinely disgusted when they found out where it was from. (Cue the panicked, "But someone else has worn it! Did you wash it???"). I didn't care, though, because I loved it! It has been kind of wild to watch the "thrift-ification" of the trend cycle aesthetics, but it gives me hope that the trend cycle can finally be pushed off to the side a bit and folks can just wear whatever they want without feeling pressure to look/dress a certain way. It also makes me happy that more folks are more receptive to secondhand clothing/items in general, because there is SO much that already exists! More than we could ever need or use!
Ahh thank you so much for sharing your experience!!! The “but it’s not NEW?!” reaction has always flabbergasted me. I’m like… what do you think.. happens if someone else has worn something?! Lol. Also totally agreed about never needing new clothing. We’ve got all we need, baby 💕 it’s just treasure waiting to be found!
My mom would always take my sister and I to the thrift stores growing up. I also remember wanting to blend in and find the Abercrombie moose even if it was out of season. For me, my mom would try to get me trendy things but wouldn’t be able to afford the standard black high top converse or ugg boots or something. But she would get me a knock off brand or the outlet version that always had a funky color or pattern or something just a little different from the coveted trendy style. When i was young i hated it bc i just wanted to blend in, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized how much that impacted my style. I’m always looking for those funky and unique pieces that stand out a bit more. My current closet is almost at a place where I fully love everything in my wardrobe and a lot of it pairs and mixes and matches well. I’ve done a lot of analysis on my closet and looked at what colors and styles complement me well and make me happy. I did some Kibbie tests and color season tests but took them all with a grain of salt and took what i liked from those. I also started using an app called Acloset that helps you visualize your closet and put outfits together on the app. I used it to test out new outfits or if I’m looking at buying something at a thrift store or getting something secondhand/vintage online I’ll upload it to the app and try to make outfits with it to see if it works with my color scheme.
My mom and I had a very similar conversation to this at a thrift store the other day. I remember her preferring to shop at the thrift store when I was a kid because we were so poor, and I never wanted to in middle school particularly because I just wanted to fit in with everyone, and the kids already made fun of my clothes. My mom said that she went through the same thing in the 60s and 70s, except it was that her peers who were starting to buy their clothes from stores instead of them being made at home. Her mom (my grandma) made pretty much all of my moms clothing growing up because they were also poor, and my mom said she regretted not being more appreciative of the effort and time her mom put into making clothes that still managed to fit the styles of the time period from fabric/clothing she already had on hand. My grandmother grew up in the Depression/ WWII era, so it was a period of hardcore "make do and mend" mentalities, which I dont think is a bad thing at all, especially now. My mom also said she regretted getting rid of all of her clothes from that period, even though it was understandable that she did. She hadn't been planning on having kids to begin with, so the idea that someone in the family might want those garments didnt even cross her mind. I can only hope that possibly whoever found those handmade clothes from the 60s and 70s at thrift stores appreciated them as much as me and my mom would now. It's also just funny how mentalities and attitudes around garments get recycled just like clothing trends.
it's hard to think about how a few years ago so many people still thought thrifting was "poor" and "dirty" and now it's shifted to the complete opposite of that and everyone thinks it's cool and quirky. probably one of the best fashion changes in history though.
In the 70s and later in the mid 90s in the America, I used to go to thrift shops and found great stuff from shearling coats to handkerchiefs to toys to shirts, to suits if need for a job. And we did not call it thrifting, it was just something some people did. and you basically said "oh I go this from a thrift store" or no one really asked they just liked your style. I used to go to different places a lot so if you have questions let me know. I probably have many of those items still, and since I sew, I usually would adjust clothing or items to what I want it to look like. I even took clothing I bought like shoes and painted them, or added to them in some way. I think because I am crafty and do sew, it could have stemmed from that. But basically I did not have a lot of money but I did not look at that as a bad thing. It was: wow look at what I can get for a lower price point and it is unique. Also my mother loves thrift shops. I have also donated so many items over the years before they had those clothing bins that you see in Random places. Then I started going to Ebay and still do and other online places. Then I started seeing people say this is "thrifted" I did not know what that meant. Hence your channel. So I think I get it. I did not know it was a thing.
When I was a kid in the early 80ies second hand shops simply did not exist in my area. I received a lot of hand me downs from my aunt, though. Mainly late 60ies and 70ies clothes... back then they felt weird to me and I was truly ashamed when my parents made me wear them to school. Fast forward some years years the first second hand shops turned up plus I started making my own clothes and I suddenly loved being different. This came to an end when I "grew up". For the next almost two decades all I did was blend in and follow fashion. Today I say: "how boring" and am back to second hand and vintage with full force. We do not have any thrift stores where I live now, but the internet has opened a whole new world to me plus I still do sew and can alter my online finds. I wished I still owned my aunt´s pieces... They were so great!
I feel lucky to have grown up in a college town where vintage clothes were always cool! I had so much fun going to vintage and thrift shops by campus and finding fun clothes. It didn’t hurt that I couldn’t afford Abercrombie anyway
Like you and like a lot of others, I too grew up before thrifting became 'cool' - back when 'cool' was cool. :P I remember a time where the thought of getting my clothes from anywhere else but the mall was simply unacceptable. Looking back, I too just wanted to blend in and wear the same trends as everyone else, and that was my guide when buying clothes: I purchased items that were trendy as a priority, second priority was if I liked the way I looked in them and would fetch compliments. In a nutshell: I literally dressed to please others first. My focus now is quite the opposite. I purchase my clothes exclusively via thrift and consignment stores, my first priority is how the item makes ME feel and the second is how it fits my body. In a nutshell: I dress to please myself ONLY, completely devoid of fantasies of the compliments I'll get or how trendy the item is or is becoming. It's quite a mental shift to tune out the intrusive thoughts of how others will perceive the item, as well as whether or not the item is on trend. That almost sounds like saying the same thing twice but you get it I'm sure. Of course compliments are great; I still get that rush when someone compliments my outfit or an item I'm wearing, praise is always appreciated! It's just not a priority while looking for new items, and I can't express how freeing that is. Once you let go of that need for validation from others, finding your own personal style becomes so much easier, so much more fun, and you end up with pieces that are a part of who you are, not just a timestamp of a trend that becomes so easily disposed of. All of that culminates to having a wardrobe that you genuinely love, and that is an extension of your true self. I like to think that's what clothing and accessories are truly meant to be any way.
I just found your videos and yay! I definitely grew up in the era where thrifting was not cool, but as high schoolers we also discovered what a gold mine it could be for those of us arty kids starting to curate our own individual styles. I shook off the shame and never went back. Now as a whole grown adult with kids of my own I initially was a little peeved by the recent thrift boom, but you're right, and I've settled in a happy little place of being able to view trends with some distance. I'm particularly excited about the return of some of my favorite 90s trends, and of the vintage sneaker vibe that brands like New Balance are leaning into. They were vintage inspired in the 90s and I'm so ready for them to be back. It feels good to have the freedom not only to thrift and source unique pieces like I always have, but also incorporate some more mainstream trendier items I find inspiring without the fear of being seen as trying too hard or selling out. Or maybe my 90s kid is just showing.
I started thrifting to explore styles as an adult on budget, but found I enjoyed the process of slowly looking and building a wardrobe as well as buying amazing high quality pieces at (often) a fraction of the traditional store prices. Good for my creativity and my wallet
Loved the video and couldn't agree more! I came to a point in fashion where I inclide trends I I feel like it and like it but at the same time just wear what makes me happy
I love this observation. I have been feeling overwhelmed with all of the Fashion trends that look second hand but when I see the price I kinda try to justify it. Thank you for grounding me, QUEEN!!!
i was a punk rocker and a goth so used to buying from thrift stores or stealing my dad's clothes lol but sort of stopped doing that when i was bringing up my son .I have got the bug again because i am sick of bad quality clothes and boring clothes .Have found some of my favourite clothes second hand and get more compliments than i did before so will be continuing to buy preloved forever 😍😍
Anything else you’re noticing in the sustainable style-verse these days? I’m curious 👀
I'm rather enjoying watching people thrift the runway - take inspiration from very specific style movements and beating fast fashion to the punch!
@@selqui yes i agree!!
My '80s high school style icon was Molly Ringwald, who represented outsider/thrifted fashion. I remember wearing a men's tie + button-down + cardigan with a pencil skirt and bowler hat, or a wraparound dress with a huge straw hat, or a smoking jacket with shorts and creepers. I felt free to improvise. Today's fashion feels more like those times than any other time in my life.
I do think fast fashion has slightly dug their own grave with this as well - the trend cycle went so fast that I think they broke it?! Aesthetics were coming and going within weeks and so I think a lot of folks stopped feeling like they could keep up, which meant they could mix and match whatever! I see some of these retailers trying to literally get on the second-hand trend by reselling their own pieces and I think it's great. Usually, if clothes for microtrends go unsold, they'd get burnt. We have more garments in existence right now than are needed for a generation. If we can all treat the world like a dress-up box and have more fun while being kinder to the planet, it's win-win-win-win-win, baby!
Is that really true about the amount of garments? That’s astounding and sad! But yes to the multi fold win of buying second hand!
@@Daymickey I heard it in a Leena Norms video, but looking into it, the WEF reckons that 150 billion garments are produced every year. There's only 8 billion people on Earth, so every year we make enough for us all to have 18 new items of clothing. And that's all in addition to all the existing clothes in our wardrobes, thrift stores and so on...
I was a teenager in the early 1980's and I thrifted a lot in high school and college. My goal was to NOT look like everyone else. The weirder, the better. Thrifting was always cool in the punk and alternative and goth scenes.
Yes! I love that folks have always been expressing themselves!
Yes! Same experience here! I am so sad I gave away my thrifted gems from the late 80s and 90s. Would kill for some of those goth dresses and sequined stuff. I did save all my old jewelry thank god and love to wear it now. Thrift goblin for life!
Me too! Bought my first ever secondhand shirt in probably 1984 and I still have it. When I brought it home my mom made me boil it. Literally. “You don’t know who died in that thing!” (The class element is also worth discussing. My mom, who grew up in a Caribbean country without a lot of money, definitely saw secondhand clothes, especially from strangers, as embarrassing evidence of poverty.)
Also, I love sambas, wore them in the late eighties with giant thrifted men’s blazers and cotton slips. Ah, youth…
I remember thrifting for fun as a teen in the 80s.
The 80s were so fashion diy! I lived for thrift stores and flea markets! Vintage men’s blazers and oversized clothing! Vintage mohair and cashmere and wool garments from the 40s were so ubiquitous and inexpensive! Self expression seemed so experimental back then!
The one bad thing is that since thriving became the new cool thing, prices have went way up. I've thrifted to more than a decade. Prices today are much higher than inflation can account for. It's the old supply and demand at work, but I seriously doubt prices won't correct.
I get that too!! I mostly online thrift since I live in california and the stores are god awful near me, but even online thrifting to me feels like buying retail, something that looks like it was bought for 4 dollars at the bin, is now suddenly being sold for 30 dollars online? I get people have to make money, but it puts me off from shopping in general.
I guess in a way that’s a good thing though!
I like to blame the online reseller market for a lot of that. Even Thredup will claim certain items are worth an initial cost and then give you a "thrifted" price, so you feel like you're saving all this money. But ACTUALLY the original price (or estimated price) is irrelevant. Only the actual price matters, and that's largely dependent on the condition of the garment, which you can't actually know until you get your hands on them. I understand everyone wants to have a side hustle, but honestly, I'm sort of sad the physical thrift stores appear to be devoid of the good finds we used to get and still have significant markups.
My grandmother was an avid thrifter, clothes, shoes,purses, furniture and household items. I think 97% of her house was thrifted. She taught me the ins and outs. Now her granddaughter is an avid thrifter. Thanks Nana
Same here, my late nana was always impeccably dressed and put together. She was a thrifty op-shopper through and through, way back before it was ‘fashionable’. I’ve been op shopping for four decades now. Bargains can still be found, however in the past few years so much more fast fashion turns up in thrift shops, and fewer quality items. However that does not deter me and I still find good stuff that fits my personal style.
Ooo, now I am the Nana, but my mom and aunts taught me to by a extra large garment solely for the fabric. To soak yellowed stained things in dishwasher detergent. That durable goods come back after a run through 5dishwasher. Now retired, living off the savings from years of living this way. 🌴🏝️🏖️
I wonder if The Great Depression made its mark on that generation. Or the hippie generation
That little Shrek face guy. Yes. He lives in me.
We all have a little devil, a little Angel and a little shrek 😎
I come from the past. I'm Italian and here thrifting is still incredibly niche and frowned upon. I can't count the times I was asked where I shop cause my style is so unique and everytime I say "I thrift most of what I wear" people look down on me.
Why oh why? I live in a small town full of rich (or rich posing) people, I find premium brands at the thrift store for cheap, plus some unique things that I would never have owned otherwise, why would that be bad? Why should I jump on the hamster wheel of trends and buy new, generating more trash, when most of my clothing can come from thrift stores?
I found the most glorious stuff I own at the thrift store and I'm proud. Saving stuff from the landfill and having a unique style is something to celebrate. Hope we'll get there someday
I found some cool vintage stores for decent prices in italy, italians have good fashion sense! Had no idea people looked down on thrifting or reused clothes there.
@@ariadnameza6594 Guess it's the reason you find good stuff 😂😂😂 not many other people go through the racks
I mean, I understand why some people DON'T want thrifted clothes. Most of the stuff at thrift stores aren't that great, they're dirty or damaged, and they certainly aren't new. If you DO have the money and CAN afford new clothes, I think it's great to buy new. I don't particularly like fast fashion. And I think second hand is a good way to get clothes at an affordable price INSTEAD of buying new fast fashion. But if you have the money, I kinda think it's better to buy new...because then you can donate your nice old stuff to thrift stores instead of donating fast fashion crap.
@@erinlikesacornishpasty4703 my Luisa Spagnoli, Dior, Sisley etc used stuff beg to disagree. Surely depends on the area, but I never found stinky or dirty stuff.
I could buy new, I decide to buy used
@@EvaLoVerdeciao anch'io sono italiana :)
Di dove sei? Io vorrei iniziare a comprare abbigliamento di seconda mano ma non so dove trovare buoni posti qui dove vivo... lo voglio fare per una questione ecologica ma anche perché vorrei trovare qualcosa di particolare o vintage ma ho paura che queste cose qui possano costare troppo...per adesso uso vinted o depop
Growing up, my family didn't shop at thrift stores, but looking back it makes me so so sad that we didn't!! We definitely didn't have a lot of money, and I think we could of benefited from it. It's crazy to think that we were so afraid of seeming poor that we didn't utilize the wonders of second hand.
I hated thrifting as a child in the 80s for those "fitting in" reasons discussed. Then as a teen and college student in the 90s, I loved thrifting because of grunge and indie music aesthetics. I've associated loving thrifting with growing up and independence, having your own money and making your own choices. And also fashion is cyclical.
Yeah, the 90s were all about thrifted looks.
I grew up in the 70’s and was raised by “make due and mend” parents so we thrifted everything. My goal was to find clothes I could wear that wouldn’t make me stand out too much. I’ve always thrifted for myself and my kids and friends and family. I’ll never stop, cuz dealzzzzzz! Hahaha! Also, I’m back to wearing stuff I did as a kid in the 70’s 😘
Omg the grew-up-weird-and/or-poor-in-the-2000s core memory of desperately searching thrift stores for Abercrombie. I found this empire waist cable-knit pink sweater with cap sleeves and was like, "I've fixed everything, I'm normal now. Depression? Cured." (It wasn't).
As for trends, I hope the new fast pace of fashion and aesthetics is moving us toward a place where fashion can truly be a means of creativity rather than a set of rules to follow. Alternatively we're heading even deeper into a hyper-consumerist dystopia. At least us thrift goblins will keep buying second hand even if it becomes uncool again.
There's 30k of us stinky lil babies?!??? Heck! Congrats on your Lil Guy™ collection Kathleen!
And remember kids, stay hydrated in the hamster jungle gym of life ✨❤️
LOL the way I giggled at Lil Guy collection 👹👹👹 thank you hope!!! So glad to have you here 🥹
My biggest tip: think back or look at old photos of yourself, what did you like and feel good in? If you still have it, put it on, it might just be your new (old) favorite. A favorite outfit is an early 00's ruched, cutout, lacey, flowery top (that had been in storage since 2004) with a long maxi skirt (instead of the lowrise mini I used to wear it with) 🐼
Basically, if you ever love a piece and how it looks on you, hoard it forever xD
Macklemore surely helped make thrifting popular.
One of the things I love about thrifting is the same thing I HATE about online shopping - namely TOUCHING THE GARMENTS, being able to TRY them on and see in a mirror if they are actually flattering. We’ve all wasted WAY too much time and money online buying things that don’t fit or don’t flatter and it’s just a huge pain in the ass to return.
The act of in-store browsing is just SO MUCH BETTER!!
this is the exact reason i never buy anything online aside from maybe an oversized t-shirt. how can you possibly shop without trying things on?
since 2020 I've had this consumer guilt and I've made rules for myself so I only buy something if it sparks joy (thank M. Condo)
I love using the "shop my closet" method to use existing clothes in a unique new way - pairing unexpected color combos and creating fresh silhouettes. Being a clothing maker I already have a big stash of fabric that I am making my way through every time I have an itch to buy something. I'll try my hardest to make it myself or check in with myself - see if I need a break from social media/unsubscribe. These changes have made me feel creative and guilt free when it comes to expressing my style while being a literal sewer :D
I love this!
I'm watching all your videos. (Trying to take it slow, but they are so good!) Yesterday I refreshed a leather wallet that I bought for $1. With leather paint. It was your influence. Wallet looks new now!
That’s so cool!
Kathleen, I'm 59 and grew up thrifting with my Mom and 5 siblings. It was NOT cool when I was a kid either. Must say, there is nothing more enjoyable than thrifting and the thrill of what you might find. Cool or not, I appreciate your passion for thrifting and your style. Excellent content each and every time! Thank you! Shopping like this is even more fun when it's a hobby, not due to finances. 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
Hehe thanks, J! The thrill of the hunt & the resulting treasure is the spice of life!!
When I was young, it was socail devastation to have someone find out your outfit came from kmart. Thrifting would have likely got me canceled.
Thrifting was cool in the 90s.
Now it isn't as good for me because now thrift store prices are sometimes HIGHER than they were originally as a NEW piece. Ebay and depop ruined thrifting.
I feel like it started out of necessity for myself, but that set me up for a lifetime of loving a patch-work aesthetic and the absolute love of finding something that no one else has ❤
One change I strive for now that I am raising my daughter is to try to change the focus from weighing so much on trends. The conversations around what colors she feels powerful in or make her face and eyes shine and what cuts of clothing enhance the physical features she has in a way that make her confident are things we do focus on. And because of your channel I encourage her to listen to her inner goblin and defy rules or trends proudly in a way she can take ownership of her individuality. I’m glad there are resources online for her to see clothing reinterpreted in a way her peers may not try.
I've been thrifting since I was in college and remembered being semi embarrassed about disclosing where I got my clothes. I did it mainly for uniqueness and affordability and still do to this day! Styles always come back around and have learned not to donate anything that is "timeless" anymore lol. I try not to go for any specific aesthetic...like y2k. I go for simple and classic.
I grew up in the 80s in a very affluent area. If you didn’t have Polo or OP shirts/shorts and Guess jeans, you weren’t cool. Watch the movie Pretty in Pink with Molly Ringwald and that’s pretty much it.
Now most of my clothes are thrifted. Kathleen has been a terrible/wonderful influence on me!!!! Keep it up, gurl.
MUAHAHA. Thrifty buys save lives! 💕👹
I think a good way to experience novelty while reducing consumption even in thrift stores is borrowing from and exchanging with people around you such as parents, siblings, and friends. I love thrifting but due to its trendiness the prices have become ridiculously high, especially where I am from (Germany). 😅
LOVE this idea and perspective, Joy! Thank you! I’m inspired to do a clothing swap soon 👀
Same here, it’s now just about
You can still score great cheap pieces on Vinted, just filter it down to the price range you find acceptable and get immersed
My mom had sworn by thrift stores my entire life and I’ve been to more than I could possibly count, and now I can’t possibly imagine buying things full price. I’ve literally walked into malls struggling to find clothing that fit my style or are comfortable for me and when I find something vaguely decent I’m always reeling at the price tags because I feel it’s not worth that much. When I was younger, I was genuinely embarrassed by it, but now my childhood friends want to go thrifting with me for fun. What a wild world
I'm pretty old and did a lot of shopping in Army/Navy stores in the 70's & mid 80's. By the 90's I was disabled and fat, so haunting thrift shops and yard sales became the main way I stretched my pitiful fashion budget.
Congratulations on growing your channel. I love your mix of thrifting and craft. Both interests express your creativity and buoyant personality. Your channel is unique, fun and inspiring. Thanks for encouraging us to express ourselves. I find myself looking at second hand clothes with new eyes and fresh ideas.
omg yes the Army/Navy stores! I had a bookbag I used incessantly...
Those army navy stores were smelly! Like formaldehyde?
My parents prided themselves that they didn't have to shop at thrift stores. Granted they shopped at all the various cheaper alternative stores. I only got into thrifting as an adult with wonky proportions. 😆 It was the best place to find pieces that felt one of a kind and in my price range.
Nowadays, I could pay more, but I love finding magic at a thrift store!
Congrats on the 30k!! Youve become one of my favorite youtubers, and every lil thrit goblin subscriber you get is very deserved!!
😩👏🏼 you’re the best, my sweet lil papaya friend. Thank you!
yesss ive def noticed fast fashion websites launching their own “vintage” collections, its soooo weird lol bc in 20+ yrs those same fast fashion pieces will probably be considered vintage themselves
they probably won't last twenty years !
I’ve been thrifting a lot more lately and have found some of my favorite pieces of clothing thrifting. I think I’ve always been the kind of person that wears something because it makes me feel happy and not because of the name on the tag. Thrifting is an amazing way to find good clothes for an absolute steal. It’s ethical, incredibly affordable, and fun!! Ok rant over lol.
I have a very specific style and the thrift store is my best friend because finding pieces that I like and would want to wear from chain retailers is so challenging, and when I do find something it’s exorbitantly priced and something I could also probably find for like $5 at the thrift store! One of the only things I own that isn’t thrifted is a red button-up, which I do love because I wear it a lot, but it was weirdly expensive and the only reason I was able to get it was because of the combination of a coupon and a store wide sale, and even then, it came to about $20. I thrifted a similar piece and a black button-up for $5 dollars each too 💀
I grew up thrifting as a financial necessity, and since I attended Catholic school in the 60s and 70s (it was really cheap then where I grew up) I wore school uniforms until I was 18. Only my close neighborhood friends saw my "play" clothes and no one cared about labels/trends...as fast fashion had not really hit yet. I went to college in an affluent suburb of Chicago and the thrifting was stellar! I loved looking unique and having one of kind wardrobe instead of the Izods, Polos fair isle sweaters and khakis most other kids wore. Most people thought I was a theatre major (I majored in Geology). Then I entered a phase of life where for work and post graduate school I was moving alot and I stopped thrifting (in fact gave away alot of it as expensive to move it all). When I finally settled again in the SF Bay area and started thrifting again for furniture and home goods I realized quickly I was competing for things at the thrift store with people who financially needed the items way more than me as I could afford new things now I had a decent job.
I got back into thrifting in my early 40s when I had a young child....as a way to reduce, reuse recycle all the things you need with children: toys, clothes, books. I also was into thrifting craft supplies like yarn, fabric. Sadly, I had drifted away from fashion at that time. My life so busy with work, home, family/partner/kid, volunteering, etc I didn;t have the time/passion to thrift for clothes like I once did. Now I am 62, semi-retired and getting back into fashion now that I have more time. Thrifting in some ways not as fun, as it is hard to find good quality clothes in my size (I'm not as skinny as I was in my 20s, 30s and SO much disposable fast fashion) but your videos are opening up a side of me that gets excited in seeing the possibilities in what is out there. There is so much inspiration now (IG, Pinterest, Tiktok) that never existed back in the day. In some ways it is great....making self expression of your personal style more acceptable, but as you point out the drawbacks like over consumption, fast fashion co-opting the look, inflation at thrift stores, people buying larger sizes for flips that are needed by plus size bodies who just need some clothes, etc. Thrift stores are just another layer of our capitalist market, the zone for the bottom feeders as my elderly parents like to say. I see alot of 65+ people thrift shopping, and it looks to be out of need, not just a hobby (altho a fair number of that going on too). Sometimes, given the state of the climate and planetary health, it makes me sad realizing the shear volume of stuff we have produced, and continue to produce just for our goblin whims and desires.
Well put. Sometimes I can put the blinders on, but sometimes it's just plain sad the amount of junk we've generated. And for what.
Love that you're talking about "stepping off the trend cycle" bus as part of the thrifting popularity upswing. I will say that the thrift store is busier than EVER and there is something to be said about people needing to just put down the consumerism/overconsumption temptation (been there too, but life is much improved without it). I grew up thrifting/antiquing because I was a "weird kid" and always wanted fun stuff to wear and find and who doesn't love a great deal? My personal frustration is that certain thrift store chains have noticed the upswing in popularity and have over inflated their prices as a response, which sucks. Here's hoping it doesn't stay that way, because when I was really broke it was very helpful to be able to buy secondhand stuff when I really needed it (Housewares and home decor for my first place come to mind for this!)
i'm not actually so sure what styles are trending ever because i don't really know where to check up on them... but i will say that if I become familiar with a trend via a youtube tier list (or alexa sunshine's trend videos) and it's distinctly vintage or timeless, i'd say i'm more likely to partake in bits of it! probably just because it's not a novelty so it's easier to thrift if I really want it, and it's probably already existed in the fashion trend cycle a few decades ago
I truly and honestly do not know what trends are a thing right now, probably because a lot of the content creators I gravitate towards, focus more on their own personal style and that's my jam. It's always been my jam. Right now, I am obsessed with layering dressing, specifically long button up/wrap dresses over shorter dresses, a la kimono style. It's been my favorite thing for weeks now (I thrifted a beautiful wrap dress in Paris, but it's a little too small/needs new straps, so I just started layering with it). I am just very eclectic; I have always been a jeans and tee shirt girl, but now I don't like jeans anymore, but I love love love graphic tee shirts and have a massive collection of them, I've always liked gothic/punk/alt aesthetics and I incorporate a lot of that into my look, but I also love the whole cottagecore aesthetic as well and definitely have been wearing more skirts and dresses. I'm all over the place and 99% of my wardrobe is thrifted, which I will continue to do and I don't care when it's not cool anymore, it's still my favorite place to find the treasures.
I don't know if it was because of the pandemic, or just that years passed without seeing each other, but it does feel like these days fashion feels much less homogeneous than before...
Breaking up with fast fashion was a lot easier when you couldn't go to the mall every weekend!
I agree, it really feels like more people are embracing their weird wardrobes!
My family thrifted clothes for me as a kid/teen out of necessity. Fortunately other peoples judgments never really hurt me because I hav an FU attitude (even as a kid LOL) to anyone who tries to belittle me. I always felt like thrifting helped me find my peeps faster by weeding out classist clowns. Thrifting was considered "uncool" and for "poor people" (hi, it me). In my teens I complimented a new coworker (soon to be dear pal) on her shirt and she proudly told me she only paid $2 for it at the thrift store, I knew right then we would be besties 🥰
"What do I do when it's not cool anymore? " my answer:don't give a
$#!+ . I do me and don't care what others think and always have.
I'm 36 years old, from Germany, and thrifting was huge over here in the early noughties. I wasn't wearing the classical Y2K styles, but 2nd hand clothing from the 1960s and 1970s, which was the alternative style back then. I've been buying vintage clothing ever since.
I think with the death of the "monoculture" we have been seeing, there will forever be space for weird fashion now. While the trends will always change, what is considered trendy is far more fractured today than in the past. Being "weird" is no longer seen as the negative it once was. I don't think that is going away any time soon. Vive le bizarre!
As someone who has been thrifting my entire life (38 years), I was only starting to be aware of trends in high school and was always able to find them at a thrift store. So it makes sense that people would eventually turn to this less expensive option (in most cases). And now, I don’t like most of the trends, so I am still thrifting to try to get the pieces I do like! Thrift Lifer!!
Going to the thrift when I was younger was always dull because my mom loved to look through kitchen items and I was never allowed a toy but yes to a shirt. It did come in hand when I wanted to try getting into more of the masculine clothing when I began to question myself.
I mean.... thrifting was always cool, at least as far as I remember. Social culture isn't a homogenous thing. Most of the circles I traveled in in my life always thrifted and thought it was cool. (High school in the 90s, college in the 2000s, 20s in the 2000/2010s...). Cool people have always thought thrifting was cool. I was in the arts and most of my friends were musicians, actors, artists, and creative types, but still - I guess I was just surrounded by people that thrifted and went to flea markets, garage sales and the like. Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange, and places like that have been doing strong business since the 90s. The whole grunge/alternative/skater scene of the 90s was all about expressing yourself through second-hand thrifted clothes, the weirder the better. And this all wound up in mainstream looks and styles (skaters were the first to thrift baggy jeans and skate in them, and that became a mainstream trend - just one example but there's thousands more... it's just one example I can personally take credit for) In the later 90s and early 2000s the rave/electro scene was also awash in self-expression through thrifted and modified clothes, this culture expanded into Burning Man and beyond, but not before influencing mainstream fashion in a major way (what you zoomers call "Y2K" fashion today). Wes Anderson movies and Amelie drove millions of young people to the thrift stores to capture certain looks. Brands have always noticed these things, it's not new. They literally employ style spotters and trend forecasters whose sole purpose is to exactly what you're saying is new, but they've been doing it since before you were born. I actually knew someone who worked for Anthro/UO back in the early 2000s who explained to me they would send people to art openings in fashionable cities and take pics of not only what people we wearing, (which were often niche fashion labels but mostly thrifted/vintage clothes) but also the art itself, from young emerging artists who had no legal recourse to having their work and designs stolen. Anthro/UO would design directly from this style-spotting, like it wasn't even hidden, that's how they came up with new designs - not just for clothes but for interior displays (which were changing every season). This isn't new.
So I"m not sure I agree that thrifting wasn't cool in previous decades - it might just be that you're too young to remember or know?
Coming of age in the 80s (Greed is Good era) I can tell you thrifting was not always cool. It definitely had a stigma surrounding it.
@@michellemarques3238 That's the 80s. She wasn't even born yet. I'm talking about the 90s, 00s, 2010s. Thirty years in which thrifting was very, very, very cool.
And also, I asked my cousin, who did grow up in the 70s, if thrifting was cool in the 80s, here's what she said "It was more cool to wear trendy mall brands, and thrifting wasn't really the same thing, there weren't as many retail thrift stores, for one thing. But what was popular among my friends was shredding/ripping our clothes, adding safety pins, and studs - and we got most of those clothes from secondhand charity shops and garage sales"
So maybe there was more to the 80 than you realized! Maybe
My new thrift dilemma is that one of my (past) favorite thrift stores changed their focus from selling used clothes to selling new excess stock clothes. It changed the thrift store to a "discount" store. The discount is questionable. ALL their prices are out of control. Ugh. It sucks!
I had a similar journey. I found a moose once too and it basically became my personality😅 finally seeing the thrift store as my friend instead of my enemy was ✨life changing✨ now the thrift stores shows me new characters inside me that have been crouching in the darkness, waiting for their moment to shine
i want to live in a hamster jungle gym so bad
New dream house unlocked!!!
@@KathleenIllustrated if u live in one im gonna need a house tour asap!!
i have thrfted for decades now, first, it is like hunting, second, i can pick my style, third, i can pick quality and four, i do so enjoy it.....
i volunteer with an antiwaste kitchen that i dumpsterdive veggies for, and often ill find some clothes or anything and i bring them to the free shop we have in the back. Its so cool to just have a place to bring stuff especially bc its just this room with nothing like a shopkeeper or anything- just more volunteers who come to fold and hang things people put in there. Theres so much high quality clothes there and im so happy to contribute to this small free, anticapitalist space. Thrifting is the next best thing but this specific free shop is my favorite place
Congrats on 30K! I guess I'm a weirdo because I was thrifting back in high school (waaaay back in the 80's) to be a non-conformist, not so much for budget reasons. Fortunately, except for a little eye-rolling my parents were okay with it. So glad a new generation has fully embraced it! Thanks for the video Kathleen!!
I went to a thrift store for the first time the summer of 1972. I bought 2 short sleeve button down shirts for a dime each. I cut them each in half, sewed 2 mis-matched sides together and had 2 cool shirts. 51 years later, I STILL love thrifting!
I totally agree that we don’t need to keep up with trends. The clothes that are truly my style always stay in my wardrobe the longest and usually don’t ever look dated on me because it fits my personality.
Amen to that!
Where I am thrifting really sucks now, I’ve kinda given up on it because it’s only fast fashion, all the vintage items are bought by resalers.
I’m sorry your options aren’t great at the mome! ☹️
The hardest part of trying to find my style sustainably is all these old clothes in my closet from a decade ago that are in good condition and I still like, but aren't in the style that makes me excited to wear them... they're just clothes, not style.
I started thrifting when I was about 14, in order to find inexpensive barn clothes! I love it. Now, most of my wardrobe is thrifted & I wouldn't have it any other way. My clothing is more unusual & unique to me, rather than a current 'trend.' I also often answer "thanks, I thrifted it!" Can't seem to stop myself. I think more reuse, to reduce demand on our planet and recycling usable items is essential for our future.
Looking at new stuff (and the price tags!) gives me anxiety. Thrifting makes me happy.
It's as simple as that.
I binged all your videos the other day and picked up some AMAZING items at the thrifts this past week! ❤❤❤
ha!! I love hearing that you watched lots of vids but I love hearing that you found treasure even MORE! 💕
I got a lot of my thrifting habits from my mom. Many of my favorite toys and clothes from childhood were secondhand. A lot of furniture in our house she found on the side of the road, fixed up, and repainted. When we would go shopping together, going to the thrift store was fun because you never know what you'll find! Maybe you'll find something mysterious, maybe something hilarious, or maybe you'll find a hidden treasure. (and it was always cheap!) I didn't really notice or care that there was any sort of stigma around shopping secondhand because it felt like the objectively better shopping experience. 🌟
I’m so glad you’ve been rocking a great attitude since day one!! 💕🙌🏼 that’s awesome
Im only 15 and i have become so in love with thrifting because i know so much of what ive thrifted is one of a kind and no one else my age would have it and i love having that sense of individuality
Heck yeah, this is how I feel too. I love having unique treasure that no one else does 😈💕
Hard core bins thrifter for years, then I fell into the trap of the ease of buying things new for a few years. ’m trying so hard to get back into the swing of thrifting. I set myself some goals for 2025, to only buy three new items and thrift/shop secondhand for the rest. New clothes don’t make me nearly as excited as finding that special thrifted find and only spending $1 on it.
As someone who is entering the working world for the first time since I’m graduation college, and I’ve been thifting to get more sustainable workwear and it’s been difficult but also fun. And I think I‘be been able to cultivate a cute wardrobe through thrifting, hand-me-downs, and very carefully selected elements from items I bought new.
I've seen ton of "higher-end brands" intentionally making clothes and shirts that look well-worn and faded prints. The look is nice, but it's not a look you buy! It's a look you achieve by actually using your clothes!!!!
I've recently heard the concept "cost per wear". You take a piece of clothing and divide by 30. That means you have to wear the garment 30 times. The thing is, most clothes are still expensive even after you divide it by 30.
i have been thrifting here in the UK for decades, i find that i find better quality clothes for work, at a good price, and now i am retired i love making my own style, i have bought some beautiful clothes this year, and fully mean to wear them.... i love dressing up and showing off my finds.....you are encouraging my wild side too
Humor and a stellar vocabulary and crazy good fashion!.... You are a joy to watch.
I’ve been gravitating to Bob’s Burgers and it’s color scheme. I have now been trying to find the same colors in that show because it makes me happy to see those colors.
Kathleen, I look forward to your posts! I didn’t thrift much until college, either. I do share that clothes are thrifted if someone asks or compliments. Also super happy to see that 4-H has created a category in the sewing curriculum for upcycling clothing! The state fair display of the kids’ transformations was impressive and could be another indicator of the cultural shift toward sustainability and young people embracing personal style.
I have honestly been loving the core trends. It's really helped my figure out what i like to WEAR personally. I started with cottage and its cute and comfy for going out. However i hate going outside (especially where I live, its nearly 100F here) So I looked for more indoor, cozy. Thus finding like goblin/mushroom core where I was cozy and had my little stash of random collectables. I liked it, but it just wasn't fitting the color pallet my brain wanted. Then I found it. Kidcore. Bright, comfy, colorful. I especially have been digging the Late 80's - mid 90's feel as well. So thanks to the popularity of the Cores and Thrifting, I got to find my way to my style that I love and wear everyday!
Finding my own style has been quite the journey from refusing to wear any color bc depressed goth teen to nerd shirts and comfort, to trying to reconnect with my femininity suppressed by YEARS of internalized misogyny-- now I'm comfortable, I can be nerdy if I want, and I can dress cute and feminine. The thrift stores have helped a lot. I really got into it back in 2016 when I worked at goodwill, and boy what an adventure that was. Having the employee discount on top of thrift prices made it really easy for me to experiment with my outfits. Now I'm a bit more scrutinizing and I try to be less impulsive since I know what I like, but I'm always looking for something to surprise me. Lately thrifting has been a great source of home goods for me. My wife and I found a HUGE soft pink minky blanket at a goodwill and I saw the tag said "minky couture" and looked up the website and this was a $300 blanket In got for $20. I highly recommend thrifting in rich neighborhoods bc these people have no idea what they have
"Uh oh" 😶🌫
Yes! I feel like the early signs were the new “vintage” tees cropping up in shops now I think I’m noticing it with sweaters and vests .
Yes! All of this!
-wearing pieces you love the most
-keeping track of what you never wear and why (possibly rehoming or upcycling those things)
-noting what outfits feel good and wearing those or similar outfits more (:
My high school years fell right into the post grunge era, so while thrifting wasn't mainstream, it had a certain edgy vibe to it that was cool in certain circles. But I thrifted for very practical reasons: I am very petite and curvy, and I have a modesty code, so I would go through the entire mall and find literally nothing I could wear. It was either so low rise it would show my underwear, or it would fit weird because jean makers don't seem to understand how hips work. The thrift store was literally the only place I could find things that fit both my literal body, and my modesty code. And it didn't take long before I realized that I could also use it to find my own unique style. So it's thrift stores for life, baby!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I love hearing that thrifting has been a resource for you & your specific style desires 💕
I loathed the constant plumber butt of the late 90s and early 2000s. We ended up compensating with extra long camisoles that made everyone have odd proportions.
I'm a 39 yo woman, therefore the fashions of my teen days have come full circle. As a teen I would thrift out of poverty - those clothes weren't cool, they were...acceptable at best. Nowadays I see stuff that for the first 20 years of the 2000s have been deemed cheap, ugly and hopelessly outdated - and now it comes on the retailers' roster once again. Which means that I *could* wear all the clothes and accessories which I couldn't afford back when I was young. Do I tho? Not really. I can't say I missed those low cut baggy pants or teeny tiny plastic hair clips. I spent the last decade curating my own personal style (which I call "cottage witch", but kids on the internet have fancier terms for that, as they have terms for everything). Hence I'm thrifting what I've been thrifting for the past ten years, which is mostly flowy skirts and folksy looking blouses. I suppose I'll be doing the same in ten years from now, because those clothes really make me feel like *me*.
0:50 do it any way cause there are no rules ✨✨✨
When I was a teenager in the 90s, a common insult was "Where did you get that from, Oxfam?" I dreaded non-uniform days because it meant needing to wear something 'cool' (and definitely not second hand!) to be accepted at school. That evolved into clothes being a sort of armour for me, to protect me from bullying. I shopped probably too much for clothes in my 20s but the more I lost touch with the people from school, the less judged I felt. I made a friend who introduced me to thrifting, sewing and crochet and now I love these hobbies. Thrifting is so much more fun, although I find it does take a bit more time and energy rummaging around the charity shops (in the UK there are lots of small charity shops dotted around the city, I prefer the look of the big warehouse thrift stores that exist in America were everything is in the same place).
I remember being maybe 14 and a group if friends wanted to go to local city to see what kind of ugly awful stuff they could fund in charity (thrift) shops. My nana volunteered at several, ever since she retired so I saw it as totally different because I knew how high their turnover was. Some of my favourite clothes are second hand as are a lot of my books.
I bought a pair of interesting-looking jeans second-hand recently. I was In a hurry, didn't do the usual quality checks, didnt haggle (It was a shop where you don't usually haggle anyway). I couldn't find a label right away. I desperately needed jeans and usually, if I don't like them after all I will just resell them for the same price. So its fine. I came home washed them and looked at them. They are horrible quality and shein. I paid 7€! This is the worst purchase I have made since I learned how to thrift. A real beginner's mistake. But at first glance, they looked like they were from the early 2000 and kinda unique. I used to be so good at distinguishing old fast fashion (which was often still relatively good quality) from new fast fashion (which is usually terrible). And shein is often something I wouldn't buy for 1€. They tricked my and I am more angry about it than I care to admit.
My second hand clothes growing up were "new clothes" my cousin refused to wear or grew out if.... note, We were in the same grade of 36 students and had the same circle of friends. Everyone knew where most of my clothes came from... but my mom helped me style them a little different and make them my own. There weren't thrift stores for us.... we received clothes from older siblings / cousins.
Thankfully my mom got me thrifting and garage saling in the 70s and I've never stopped. One trend I thought would never come back are crochet granny squares on clothes. I love them but it was surprising. The one new item I saw recently that I didn't like are the dirty looking Coach athletic shoes. Love your channel, love you. You remind me of home. (Ohio born, VA, to TX, now on to Miami)
Great video! I also love that the caption goblins turned "quelle surprise" into "Kelsey please." 😂😂😂
HAHA “Kelsey!!! Please!!! We can’t keep doing this!”
Thanks for watching 💕💕💕
In elementary school I was definitely trying to just find anything “cool” to blend in, but by the time I got to high school I became obsessed with the 80’s and was looking for vintage items because I didn’t want to blend in lol. (Pretty in Pink was one of my favorite movies)
In the area I live in I think thrifting is considered trendy and I do not have the same experience you do when thrifting. In one of your videos you said you haven’t lived until you’ve thrifted in Ohio and from your videos I have to say that looks true 😂 Everything is overpriced in my area and any bags/wallets that are name brand are put in a glass case and are usually very well loved to the point I wouldn’t buy them anyway and they put ridiculous prices on them just because they’re name brand. A lot of people sell their items that are still in good condition themselves instead of donating them so thrifted items are usually fast fashion, stained, or items with holes. I haven’t found clothes I liked at the thrift store in… years ☹️ I usually go for home goods these days. I think that’s why I enjoy your videos so much, you usually have success!
Idk if you’ve seen a spike in subscribers but the algorithm has seemed to have decided to recommend your channel to people that like Bernadette Banner, Rachel Maksy, and Mina Le who all have millions of subs, that’s how I found you ❤
@moon467 - I have the same problem w/ overpricing in the chain thrift stores (even the Cancer Society was selling counterfeits, not changing the price when I gracefully showed them how to know it’s real😠) here in NY just N of NYC. This has been going on for over 20 yrs, with active eBay BIN pics (in pristine condition) printed & taped w/ same price even tho in the condition it’s in would only be good for mosaics or the salvaging part of fabric😮! I’ve found that the small, local church or charity specific to helping less “known” people, animals type thrift stores have great, realistic prices. Not to mention the ones in wealthy areas have luxury brands & don’t mark them insanely. They’ve always been the nicest volunteers as well. Have you any of those by you to try? I hope that helps? Jet 🧡🎸🎶⚡️
@@RnR-Rebel thank you for the tips! I do need to find more shops that aren’t chains
@@moony647 - You’re welcome, good luck & I hope you find some fun little secret places😃! J. 😘🧡
i grew up in a small town where there are many more charity shops than new clothing stores so buying second hand was natural for my family
(i also kinda hate online shopping because i cant feel the material or visualise the colours and sizing properly)
7:44 those cages suck for hamsters though, ideally they should have a big enclosure with plenty of substrate to burrow in
I was a teen in the late 90s/early 00s and was very plus-sized back then, so all I wanted to do was fit in. Desperately. Most of my jeans were from Wal-Mart, but I insisted on logo shirts from mall stores (usually men's section, so they'd fit) to prove that I shopped at the "cool places". Had an Abercrombie shirt that I wore to death, because in my mind, if I had on that shirt, no one would see I was fat because that store didn't sell stuff for big girls.
SO glad to be past that point in life. Thrifting gleefully and happily not fitting in.... But I love that people seem a lot more fashionably free these days
As someone who lives in the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand as a little girl and then later Australia up to now), the fashion and thrifting cycles have been a lot slower than compared to you folks in the Northern Hemisphere. That meaning that unless we had friends and family who'd travel a lot or you also travelled a lot, you were always destined to be at least a little behind the times, and, with opposite seasonal cycles, behind the seasons!
Also, compared to the US and Europe with the majority of Current Society And History As Taught In Schools (Which Have Ignored The Indigenous Peoples), Australia and New Zealand are still quite young countries. Ergo, we don't have the uber-ingrained wealth of history of Society that you guys have, and the same goes for our clothes! I often yearn for an American thrift store bc DANG there be some funky pieces that we Aussies and Kiwis just can't *get* without spending a gucci's worth of shipping. Not to mention that just the sight of the American dollar makes the AUD and NZD weep.
Even with the rise of mainstream internet (I was born a mere 11 days after the start of the new millennium and ergo grew up alongside the internet), cycles were slower and even fast fashion counterparts over here couldn't always keep up. Until recently, I recall the vibe of thrifting (or, going to the Op Shop, as we call it) was just not the cool kid thing to do, tbh. You went there to get rid of old clothes or in tough times, have something on your back to keep you warm.
Though the past few years of *la pandemia* has really brought the internet and the world around it closer than before (perhaps often TOO close to what some of us would like!) and especially in a sort of 'global clock', shall we say, op shopping for Cool Pieces and Cool Fashions have only really slowly started to catch on in my little corner of Aus. I don't live near a major city (the closest to me is Bluey territory!), so it's definitely a slow uptick, but I'm sure the more mainstream (ie, internationally-known and frequented) the city, the more frequent op-shopping and styles from it are.
As for me? I do enjoy myself a good op shop moment - long live my ridiculous JOODIE (jean-hoodie and YES it is real, thrifted and I LOVE IT), conductor's jacket and even just inheriting/sharing my mom's old clothes from when she was in her 20's and 30's in the 90's and '00's respectively has been a joy - neither of us knew we'd share so much fashion DNA when I hit my 20's!
Gosh. I love every single part of this comment. Thank you so much!! It’s interesting to hear how Australia/NZ typically has lagged a bit in regard to “trends”, but then miss rona comes along and everyone is on the internet, All The Time, and things start to sync up (without the physical infrastructure to make things ACTUALLY sync up). Strange and weird and fascinating! Also LONG LIVE THE JOODIE!!
My Mom taught me the ways of thrifting from a young age, and I've never looked back! She thrifted throughout the 60s/70s out of necessity, but then gradually embraced the unique and high quality pieces she would find. She let me dress myself in whatever I wanted from the age of like 3 (and all of my baby/kids clothes were from a consignment shop where we would trade the pieces in for something else when I outgrew them), then she brought me to a thrift store in our neighborhood for the first time when I was like 6 or 7, and the love of exploring fashion as one avenue of self-expression truly blossomed from there. In high school in the late 2000s, I purposely combined the loudest things I could find at the thrift store to make the wackiest looks possible lol. I personally feel like fashion is always more fun with a sense of humor and playfulness infused into it.
To this day, my Mom and I love to go shopping for secondhand fashion whenever we can. We especially love checking out thrift stores and vintage shops while we're traveling together, because you find such cool and unexpected items!
I DO distinctly remember wearing a thrifted dress to a family bbq when I was around 14, and some of my cousins were genuinely disgusted when they found out where it was from. (Cue the panicked, "But someone else has worn it! Did you wash it???"). I didn't care, though, because I loved it!
It has been kind of wild to watch the "thrift-ification" of the trend cycle aesthetics, but it gives me hope that the trend cycle can finally be pushed off to the side a bit and folks can just wear whatever they want without feeling pressure to look/dress a certain way. It also makes me happy that more folks are more receptive to secondhand clothing/items in general, because there is SO much that already exists! More than we could ever need or use!
Ahh thank you so much for sharing your experience!!! The “but it’s not NEW?!” reaction has always flabbergasted me. I’m like… what do you think.. happens if someone else has worn something?! Lol. Also totally agreed about never needing new clothing. We’ve got all we need, baby 💕 it’s just treasure waiting to be found!
@@KathleenIllustrated Absolutely! :)
My mom would always take my sister and I to the thrift stores growing up. I also remember wanting to blend in and find the Abercrombie moose even if it was out of season. For me, my mom would try to get me trendy things but wouldn’t be able to afford the standard black high top converse or ugg boots or something. But she would get me a knock off brand or the outlet version that always had a funky color or pattern or something just a little different from the coveted trendy style. When i was young i hated it bc i just wanted to blend in, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized how much that impacted my style. I’m always looking for those funky and unique pieces that stand out a bit more.
My current closet is almost at a place where I fully love everything in my wardrobe and a lot of it pairs and mixes and matches well. I’ve done a lot of analysis on my closet and looked at what colors and styles complement me well and make me happy. I did some Kibbie tests and color season tests but took them all with a grain of salt and took what i liked from those. I also started using an app called Acloset that helps you visualize your closet and put outfits together on the app. I used it to test out new outfits or if I’m looking at buying something at a thrift store or getting something secondhand/vintage online I’ll upload it to the app and try to make outfits with it to see if it works with my color scheme.
My mom and I had a very similar conversation to this at a thrift store the other day. I remember her preferring to shop at the thrift store when I was a kid because we were so poor, and I never wanted to in middle school particularly because I just wanted to fit in with everyone, and the kids already made fun of my clothes.
My mom said that she went through the same thing in the 60s and 70s, except it was that her peers who were starting to buy their clothes from stores instead of them being made at home. Her mom (my grandma) made pretty much all of my moms clothing growing up because they were also poor, and my mom said she regretted not being more appreciative of the effort and time her mom put into making clothes that still managed to fit the styles of the time period from fabric/clothing she already had on hand. My grandmother grew up in the Depression/ WWII era, so it was a period of hardcore "make do and mend" mentalities, which I dont think is a bad thing at all, especially now.
My mom also said she regretted getting rid of all of her clothes from that period, even though it was understandable that she did. She hadn't been planning on having kids to begin with, so the idea that someone in the family might want those garments didnt even cross her mind. I can only hope that possibly whoever found those handmade clothes from the 60s and 70s at thrift stores appreciated them as much as me and my mom would now.
It's also just funny how mentalities and attitudes around garments get recycled just like clothing trends.
I love this insight, Fox. Thank you!
it's hard to think about how a few years ago so many people still thought thrifting was "poor" and "dirty" and now it's shifted to the complete opposite of that and everyone thinks it's cool and quirky. probably one of the best fashion changes in history though.
In the 70s and later in the mid 90s in the America, I used to go to thrift shops and found great stuff from shearling coats to handkerchiefs to toys to shirts, to suits if need for a job. And we did not call it thrifting, it was just something some people did. and you basically said "oh I go this from a thrift store" or no one really asked they just liked your style. I used to go to different places a lot so if you have questions let me know. I probably have many of those items still, and since I sew, I usually would adjust clothing or items to what I want it to look like. I even took clothing I bought like shoes and painted them, or added to them in some way. I think because I am crafty and do sew, it could have stemmed from that. But basically I did not have a lot of money but I did not look at that as a bad thing. It was: wow look at what I can get for a lower price point and it is unique. Also my mother loves thrift shops.
I have also donated so many items over the years before they had those clothing bins that you see in Random places. Then I started going to Ebay and still do and other online places. Then I started seeing people say this is "thrifted" I did not know what that meant. Hence your channel. So I think I get it. I did not know it was a thing.
When I was a kid in the early 80ies second hand shops simply did not exist in my area. I received a lot of hand me downs from my aunt, though. Mainly late 60ies and 70ies clothes... back then they felt weird to me and I was truly ashamed when my parents made me wear them to school. Fast forward some years years the first second hand shops turned up plus I started making my own clothes and I suddenly loved being different. This came to an end when I "grew up". For the next almost two decades all I did was blend in and follow fashion. Today I say: "how boring" and am back to second hand and vintage with full force. We do not have any thrift stores where I live now, but the internet has opened a whole new world to me plus I still do sew and can alter my online finds. I wished I still owned my aunt´s pieces... They were so great!
I feel lucky to have grown up in a college town where vintage clothes were always cool! I had so much fun going to vintage and thrift shops by campus and finding fun clothes. It didn’t hurt that I couldn’t afford Abercrombie anyway
Such an articulate editorial. Really well done!
Can we all just talk about that stunning white water pitcher on your background shelf !? ❤
Ooh lala thanks for noticing! Not many folks comment about my BG! 💕💕💕🌈
Like you and like a lot of others, I too grew up before thrifting became 'cool' - back when 'cool' was cool. :P I remember a time where the thought of getting my clothes from anywhere else but the mall was simply unacceptable. Looking back, I too just wanted to blend in and wear the same trends as everyone else, and that was my guide when buying clothes: I purchased items that were trendy as a priority, second priority was if I liked the way I looked in them and would fetch compliments. In a nutshell: I literally dressed to please others first.
My focus now is quite the opposite. I purchase my clothes exclusively via thrift and consignment stores, my first priority is how the item makes ME feel and the second is how it fits my body. In a nutshell: I dress to please myself ONLY, completely devoid of fantasies of the compliments I'll get or how trendy the item is or is becoming.
It's quite a mental shift to tune out the intrusive thoughts of how others will perceive the item, as well as whether or not the item is on trend. That almost sounds like saying the same thing twice but you get it I'm sure. Of course compliments are great; I still get that rush when someone compliments my outfit or an item I'm wearing, praise is always appreciated! It's just not a priority while looking for new items, and I can't express how freeing that is. Once you let go of that need for validation from others, finding your own personal style becomes so much easier, so much more fun, and you end up with pieces that are a part of who you are, not just a timestamp of a trend that becomes so easily disposed of. All of that culminates to having a wardrobe that you genuinely love, and that is an extension of your true self. I like to think that's what clothing and accessories are truly meant to be any way.
I just found your videos and yay! I definitely grew up in the era where thrifting was not cool, but as high schoolers we also discovered what a gold mine it could be for those of us arty kids starting to curate our own individual styles. I shook off the shame and never went back. Now as a whole grown adult with kids of my own I initially was a little peeved by the recent thrift boom, but you're right, and I've settled in a happy little place of being able to view trends with some distance. I'm particularly excited about the return of some of my favorite 90s trends, and of the vintage sneaker vibe that brands like New Balance are leaning into. They were vintage inspired in the 90s and I'm so ready for them to be back. It feels good to have the freedom not only to thrift and source unique pieces like I always have, but also incorporate some more mainstream trendier items I find inspiring without the fear of being seen as trying too hard or selling out. Or maybe my 90s kid is just showing.
I started thrifting to explore styles as an adult on budget, but found I enjoyed the process of slowly looking and building a wardrobe as well as buying amazing high quality pieces at (often) a fraction of the traditional store prices. Good for my creativity and my wallet
Loved the video and couldn't agree more! I came to a point in fashion where I inclide trends I I feel like it and like it but at the same time just wear what makes me happy
I love this observation. I have been feeling overwhelmed with all of the Fashion trends that look second hand but when I see the price I kinda try to justify it. Thank you for grounding me, QUEEN!!!
i was a punk rocker and a goth so used to buying from thrift stores or stealing my dad's clothes lol but sort of stopped doing that when i was bringing up my son .I have got the bug again because i am sick of bad quality clothes and boring clothes .Have found some of my favourite clothes second hand and get more compliments than i did before so will be continuing to buy preloved forever 😍😍
Linda! I love knowing you have punk rock in your blood & that you’re getting back to your roots 🤘🏼 amazing