Thrift shopping, or “thrifting,” has become all the rage this decade, with fashion lovers and bargain-hunters opting to shop for their favorite brands and vintage pieces second-hand. Stores like Goodwill and Saint Vincent De Paul have become modern malls, with shoppers flocking to their doors to find unique pieces to add to their collections.
Thrifting is not only an eco-friendly way to buy; it also allows consumers to avoid the skyrocketing costs of clothes from large chains. However, its rise to popularity has been highly criticized for potentially making second-hand clothing less accessible and affordable.
At the spotlight of this criticism are resellers. Resellers purchase pieces from the thrift store, and resell those items on popular storefronts like Depop, usually making a significant profit compared to what they originally paid.
However, not all resellers are the same. Though some may buy hundreds of items from the thrift store with the sole purpose of selling, others buy pieces to use for a short period before handing them off to a new home.
Chicago local Brooke Matthews, an avid reseller, stands by the idea that reselling is a completely valid choice for people who thrift. She said not only is thrifting better for the environment, but she also worries about increasing fast-fashion trends and the use of child labor. For Matthews, thrifting gives her the opportunity to purchase unique items that fit her specific aesthetic, while being environmentally and socially conscious.
“I got into reselling during Covid because I was spending a lot of time at thrift stores and noticing how much people were online shopping,” Matthews said. “I became passionate about fashion trends and executing them in sustainable ways, and then selling them to people who would get better use out of them than I would.”
Fast fashion has changed the culture of the fashion industry, pushing for new clothing to be continually designed and made for in-demand items. This influx of textile manufacturing not only encourages over-consumption; it is detrimental to the environment and incredibly wasteful. In America alone, there is an estimated 11 million tons of textile waste coming to landfills every year, according to Earth.org.
For clothes that don’t end up in the landfill, they’re typically donated to thrift stores to be recycled and repurposed. Matthews said that for this reason, she continues to thrift, as accessibility to used clothing is not necessarily a problem. If you’ve ever walked into a Goodwill and sorted through their dozens of clothing racks, the idea of second-hand clothes being limited seems preposterous.
“There is an abundance of unwanted clothing, and thrift stores are often overflowing,” Matthews said. “There is more than enough for everyone who needs or would like to thrift.”
For low-income individuals who use thrift stores to shop for clothes, the idea of someone buying thrifted items in bulk just to resell them for profit can be disheartening. The fact is—whether trendy or not—some people need thrift stores to live.
However, for shoppers looking to save some money, or avoid the social and environmental consequences of shopping at fast-fashion stores, thrifting is a completely valid and reasonable choice.
Local Chicago thrift shopper and fashion student Winnie Godinez also weighed in, giving her perspective as a designer and fashion guru.
“Owning second-hand goods has always been exciting to me, as it allows things to live out their intended longevity,” Godinez said. “My thrifting is very intentional. I try to keep an eye out for the quality and longevity of any item I buy.”
Looking for quality items in the oversaturated second-hand market can be difficult, but Godinez prioritizes finding items that will last and putting thrifted clothing to good use. Godinez thrifts items to add to her collection and suit her style. She said she believes thrifting is a great way for her to live a sustainable lifestyle and continue using quality items that have been discarded or donated.
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However, due to her education as a fashion student, Godinez said that she finds the thrifting “trend” to be harmful and blames resellers for contributing to a toxic thrifting culture.
“I feel like the trend has become more for show and profit rather than for the actual importance of living a sustainable, circular lifestyle,” Godinez said. “I remember growing up going to the thrift store and everything was priced under ten dollars. Now going back, the starting price is at least ten. I’ve even seen $30-$40.”
This rise in thrift-shop prices due to skyrocketing sales is concerning, especially since most traditional thrift stores obtain these items for free. Second-hand clothing has always been a way for people to shop affordably and sustainably, but now many stores price their items equally to mainstream stores.
“Thrift stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army have caught up to the trend and are raising their prices because of how big it’s gotten,” Godinez said, sharing concern for how these changes affect certain communities. “It takes from lower-income areas, and people are now reselling products for outrageously high prices.”
Godinez said she is completely against reselling, and believes that these thrifting “archetypes,” as she calls them, shop for personal gain, rather than to shop sustainably. She said she attributes rises in thrifting costs to reselling and bulk-buying.
With these competing perspectives in the thrifting world, it’s difficult to truly gauge the moral aspects of reselling, buying, or even thrifting itself. However, there is no question that the environmental impacts of continued textile manufacturing have consequences—and thrifting remains an important solution.
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