Pictured are doors to The Salvation Army. By Leah Cedeño.
She walks in and a small bell rings signalling her entrance. The room smells of dust and the air that fills it is humid. The dim lighting slightly reflects off of her vintage leather jacket. A leather jacket that cost her a mere $60. Vivienne Yu, an International student from China, is a regular at her local thrift store. However, it would be a mistake to think that Yu is not fashionable. Yu is known for wearing high-end clothing. The expensive look of Yu’s clothing is, for the most part, an illusion. The majority of Yu’s statement pieces come from consignment shops and thrift stores. “The clothes are super cheap,” Yu explains, “and most of all I love how they all have their own stories.”She told the story behind her leather jacket saying, "[T]he pre-owner of my jacket was a guy that loves Marlon Brando a lot, so he got this jacket when he was young."
Vivienne Yu poses in her favorite vintage leather jacket. By Unknown.
Caroline O’Connor, a high school student at Central Catholic, thinks that thrift stores are the perfect places to find interesting items. “One time [my friend] bought a track suit at a thrift store and I absolutely loved it!” O’Connor said, “I even found a beautiful beige sweater for only fifty cents!” Caroline’s classmate and friend, Halle Boucher agrees. “I love that people can find treasure in other people’s trash,” said Boucher.
Various fashion racks may look messy, but if you search vigorously you may come upon great items. By Leah Cedeño.
Despite their musty smell and often untidy appearance, thrift stores are becoming the new mall for young adults. Why? Many young adults aren't able to afford expensive brands, and used clothing is the cheapest way to get quality items for extremely low prices. With the price of college and rent on the rise many young adults are more careful with their money. The tedious act of looking through various racks of clothing to find a single decent item doesn't seem to deter students from thrift stores.
Many customers have found luxury brands such as Chanel and Gucci at thrift stores. A bomber jacket, a current fashion trend, can be found at a thrift store for around five dollars. In addition to lucky finds, many students are starting to ‘DIY’, or customize, their own clothing. With an abundance of YouTube videos and Pinterest tutorials, the possibilities are endless.
Pinterest search results show various DIY tutorials to turn old clothing into current fashion. By Leah Cedeño.
Students are buying much more than statement pieces for their closet. Many high school students even buy their prom dresses from consignment shops. One student at Central Catholic High School went to a consignment shop to sell her own dresses and ended up buying one. Prices of prom stores simply don't compare to those of consignment shops. Used prom dresses are a cheaper alternative that allows students to save more money for events such as graduation parties and post-graduation vacations.
Many who haven’t thrift shopped hope to soon. Meghna Iyer, a professional dancer, says that “[she has] never been thrift shopping but [wants] to because [she] feels that if you look, you could find some pretty awesome vintage stuff.” Overall, those who haven’t thrift shopped want to, and those who have love to.
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