Why I thrift shop
by Kiernan Roche on March 23 2021
I like to buy most of my clothing at thrift stores, because:
- It's cheap. I found a North Face raincoat in new condition for $30 that was sold new from North Face for $150. While most of the deals I've found at thrift stores aren't that extreme, on the whole, clothing is significantly cheaper at thrift stores.
- It's easy to find old clothing. Textiles have become more expensive nowadays, and competition in the clothing market has also increased, causing manufacturers to reduce the amount of material used to make clothing in order to protect profits. As a consequence, old clothing tends to be thicker and higher-quality than new clothing. While timeless styles are plentiful at thrift stores, styles that are no longer popular today are also easily found, so it's easy to make a bold statement and assemble an outfit that's hard to put together with recently manufactured clothing.
- It reduces demand for new clothing. Making clothing is energy-intensive, not great for the environment, and usually exploitative of workers in countries with poor working conditions. Thrift shopping reduces that impact, and also prevents clothing from going to a landfill.
However, the aspiring thrift shopper should watch out for some things:
- Clothing may be ripped, worn, or otherwise in poor condition. Thrift stores usually sell donated clothing. Aside from laziness and altruism, the biggest motivation to donate one's clothing instead of selling it is that the clothing is not in sellable condition. Thrift stores inspect clothing before putting it on the rack, but they sometimes miss things like inconspicuous stains or small tears. I once bought a pair of shorts with completely torn pockets that I didn't bother to check first. Also, donated clothing is sometimes tailored and might fit differently than indicated by the stated size. You can find some very high-quality garments in great condition at thrift stores if you're selective and careful to inspect the garment's condition and fit. This is good practice when buying anything, including new clothing, but is especially important at thrift stores where there is no guarantee of quality.
- It's time consuming. If you are being selective and careful, as described above, buying clothing at thrift stores will take longer than buying new clothing at a department or retail store, because the proportion of garments that you inspect and try on that you will actually buy is quite a bit lower, especially if you're a larger person or have otherwise non-standard proportions. Taking lots of clothing into the fitting rooms repeatedly to find only a small portion of it fitting well can be frustrating. I've found this experience to be highly variable - sometimes I quickly find lots of great stuff that fits well, and sometimes I walk out empty-handed. I follow this procedure to minimize time spent:
- The racks at thrift stores are not organized by style, but by size. I browse in my size (as well as adjacent sizes, because sizing varies between brands and I've found garments that fit perfectly that aren't labeled in my size) and pick out anything that catches my eye to try on.
- When I can't carry any more clothing, I take the whole batch to the fitting rooms to examine and try on at once, setting aside everything that's in good condition, looks good on me, and fits me perfectly.
- I return everything that I won't buy to the rack where I found it.
- Repeat until I have enough clothing.
- Buy the clothing.
I enjoy the frugality of thrift shopping: finding clothing of unmatched quality that isn't made anymore, in styles that suit my aesthetic, for the lowest possible price. However, I prefer to buy certain articles of clothing new:
- Socks and underwear, for obvious reasons. Thrift stores sometimes sell fresh packs of these more cheaply than department stores. I'm quite picky about the quality of these, since they're on my skin all the time.
- Footwear. Over time, footwear is broken in and adjusts to your unique gait and wear pattern, so I generally prefer to buy it new to get a proper fit. However, I've found very nice leather shoes while thrift shopping. A good pair of leather shoes can be kept in excellent shape for many years with proper care. I would buy leather shoes at a thrift store if they were very high quality and not heavily worn, so still had room to adjust to my gait and wear pattern.
I should also mention that I don't buy clothing (or anything except food) very frequently, because I have everything I need. By choice, I don't have much clothing, and only as my clothes deteriorate do I seek to replace them. I have no interest in being fashionable, so I gravitate towards simple styles that I can wear for many years and express my own aesthetic preferences.
It's easy for me to spend an entire day thrift shopping, since I only do it about once a year, but for people who have more clothing or go shopping more frequently, thrift stores might not be a great option as a primary source of clothing unless you're willing to spend the time inspecting the merchandise and trying it on. If that suits you, and the idea of finding unique, high-quality garments interests you, go thrift shopping and see what you find. If you just need a pair of pants quickly, go elsewhere.