Thrifting

The Beauty of Thrifting

Darcy Mullane '24

News Editor

With one click I can buy a new dress for $100, or I could go to my local thrift store and find unique clothes that fit my style for a fraction of the price. I know people enjoy the simplicity of looking online and being able to find the exact clothes they need, but the planet and the overworked employees of large companies will thank you for buying second hand. 

One of the main reasons people thrift is to better the planet, but what really is the impact of thrifting? To begin, the average American wastes about 81 pounds of clothing per year, and 85 percent of that clothing goes to landfills or is burned. Thrifting allows for these clothes to not go to waste. If everyone started thrifting, we would save money and the planet because the clothing going to the landfill would be reused. 

Some of the racks of clothes you can find while thrifting!

As well as being environmentally friendly,  thrifting would also stop the support of fast fashion and underpaid laborers of many brands. According to the International Law and Policy Brief, most workers in countries that produce clothing work an average of 14 to 16 hours a day. They also only get paid below living wage meaning they cannot even support themselves and their family. 

Another reason for thrifting is the ability to find new and unique pieces of clothing that the shopper would never think of buying. In thrift stores, one can find vintage clothing from the 1960s all the way up to the 2000s, seeing as Y2K is back in style. 

To elaborate, many people shop at online stores such as Shein because they are cheaper, but one could find clothes at the same price at thrift stores. These clothes may also be better quality. Furthermore, thrifted clothing also doesn't support unfair labor and helps the planet thrive. 

You may not know where to start so here are some great thrift spots in LA, so you can better the community.