Why Thrift?

Thrifting allows people to get amazing items at a discounted price. Based on research and feedback, the initial discount is generally around 50%. This means that if the price of something a person can buy at Walmart is $10, then a thrift store will sell the same item for $5. Not only does thrifting save you money, but it also can allow you to be creative! Buying clothes from a thrift store doesn't always mean finding items that are already perfect. Part of thrifting is finding items to upcycle!

Americans alone throw away 10.5 million tons of clothes each year.The amount of clothing produced has dramatically increased while clothing prices and quality have gone down, meaning clothes get worn down quicker. 60 percent of the clothes made worldwide are made from synthetic materials (plastic). When thrown away, they often sit in landfills for hundreds of years, if not forever. Buying secondhand means you’ll be keeping plastic out of landfills and positively contributing to the decrease in worldwide textile demand and subsequent waste.

The pair of jeans you may be wearing right now took roughly 1,800 gallons of water to make. The production of those jeans also generated greenhouse gases equivalent to driving over 80 miles. Similar numbers apply to tee shirts, skirts, and most other articles of clothing; this is much more energy and water intensive than what is commonly believed. By switching to second hand shopping, the money you spend won’t go toward supporting an industry that is characterized by water and air pollution.