Second-Hand Clothes, First-Hand Style

As new styles and trends emerge, keeping up with them can be overwhelming and expensive. Thrifting has become the new “cool” way to find current or new stylish clothes. More and more people are buying second-hand clothes, finding popular brands for half the cost. Lululemon, PacSun, Aerie, Nike, and more are popping up all over thrift stores. Plato’s Closet, a popular store, organizes certain clothes by “trendy” or “70’s chic, ” specifically jeans, pants, sweaters, and athletic wear.

Thrifting has exploded into the lives of many people through both word of mouth and social media. This is how it was for Sophomore Taylor Greene, who “just saw some people on TikTok go,” and “thought it would be fun.”

Thrifting has also skyrocketed in popularity due to its convenience, like with sophomore Meredith Button, who explains that she “really like[s] the variation in clothing, the low costs and the fact that it helps reduce clothing manufacturing which damages the environment.” The decrease in waste is another very common reason to start thrifting. Many love the fact that they don’t have to go to the mall to get new cute clothes.

Around the city, there are tons of stores that people shop at, and with so many options we wondered which ones were the best. For Button, she shops at Uptown Cheapskate in Dublin and Plato’s Closet on Sawmill. Some people, like Greene, go a bit farther away to the Goodwill Outlet Bins near Reynoldsburg. These stores accept donations from all types of brands and then cut the price down based on quality. Although most everything in thrift stores is second-hand, the quality does not drop, as everything is checked to make sure it isn’t too worn.

Just like if you were to go to a mall, thrift stores have everything you could want, from the most popular pants to the most out-there shirts. There are some pretty amazing clothing pieces you can find while thrifting. For some people, a fuzzy sweater could be their number one purchase, while others could find some awesome cargo pants, according to Button, “there are only very few good ones and I celebrate every time I find a pair”.

Thrifting has exploded the trend for fast, affordable fashion. Around the city, there are dozens of thrift stores to choose from, and while sometimes the options can be limited, with a little luck, you can find some quality items. More people are beginning to see the benefits of thrifting. Reduced prices, more variety, and a sense of mystery when you enter, all add to the fun and unconventional experience that is thrifting.