To fully understand my fascination with this bustle, I'm giving you my top seven reasons why I love thrift shopping and why you should too!
Mother Earth- friendly. We're all aware of the capitalist modes of production--- produce at high rates with the lowest cost possible. These procedures have been extremely detrimental to the human life and the natural world. Plus, it's a great way to recycle. You can donate clothes and buy more clothes, eliminating waste in the process.
Economical. Have you heard of the saying, "More bang out of your buck"? I guess this was tailored to thrift shopping. Let's be honest, most of us go thrift shopping for this reason: bargains. The last time I went thrift shopping, I spent 200 PHP (approx. 5 USD) with five items on my hands; whereas if I went shopping for brand new clothes, that amount wouldn't even make me purchase a single item that I like!
Finding designer or high-end brands. Yes, and at a fraction of its cost! Personally, living in Iloilo (Philippines), we don't get a lot of designer or high-end brands in malls. My eyes get big whenever I see at thrift stores Armani Exchange, Dolce & Gabbana or perhaps J. Crew pieces that I like; but wait 'til I discover that it only costs 100 PHP (approx. 2 USD) per item! I cry. Seriously.
One-of-a-kind pieces for fashion. Purchase clothing from malls and you'll most likely run into someone wearing the exact thing. Thrift stores have a more diverse assortment of clothing. Also, with these pieces that you can find you can definitely mix and match, discover your style and have a unique one, too!
Hunting for treasures. There's something about entering a thrift shop that is just packed with potential. Shopping for second hand lets you dig through the racks for your personal treasures; and since there's still a little bit of stigma associated with it, there's not much competition as there should be for designer brands or vintage items that can add a spike to your fashion statement. Then, you can find items that are no longer being made.
Instill good shopping habits to your children. For parents, taking your kids to thrift shopping is passing on to them knowledge and a strategy of finding good, quality products while saving money.
Fun, fun, fun! I don't know about you but digging through the racks and trying to think of creative ways to style clothing is fun for me. There are items that only need upcycling or re-fashion and they'll make a bad-ass addition to your fashion collection. It can be a good bonding moment with family and friends,too!
I'm sharing to you my latest "Ukay" finds and how I styled them together:
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| Uniqlo tee and Zara sandals for 125 PHP (approx. 3 USD) |
