When people give me compliments on my clothing, it always means much more to me than they realize it does. As a college student who spends most of her time focusing on my grades and assignments, whilst keeping up an active social life, it does not leave me much time to hold a steady job to make the money that I need to get all the luxuries that I want.
My parents are amazing to me and will buy me clothes and food and an education, but I feel as though I need to help pay for some of my life, especially since I am in college and old enough to not rely on them so much; plus as a middle child of three, there are a lot of expenses in our household and money is not unlimited, so when it comes to my clothing, that is why I refer to myself a thrift-a-holic.
When people ask me what my hobbies include, I get some strange looks when I tell them I love to thrift shop. A lot of people do not know this about me, including some of my close personal friends, but approximately 60 percent of my regular wardrobe has all been recycled and hand selected by me to become a part of my collection. It is almost a therapy to me to spend hour after hour scouring a thrift store and seeing what I can find, and then the best part, I have something to show from it every time I walk out of that store.
You’re probably thinking that my wardrobe must look crazy and out of style, and I will admit, that a lot of the clothing is old and worn down, but if you have the dedication to search through all the racks and indulge yourself in this lifestyle, I promise that it will pay off. People donate some really good name brand things, and no, my wardrobe is not out of style by any means. I have came across brands all across the board including Nike, Forever 21, Eddie Bauer, Adidas, and even LuluLemon. I have even stopped purchasing from retail clothing stores because everything that I need, I am able to find at a second hand store.
Coincidentally, there are some right around East Lansing that I have made myself at home at. I go around once a month when I am not in classes to see what goodies I can find and I even encourage my friends to come with so I can show them how cool it is to me. I have been told I get madly excited and light up when I push open those doors every single time we venture out to go inside a store. It is really amazing that I am able to continue my love for thrifting while I am up at school and grow my collection of treasures I have come across, especially only spending a fraction of what I would end up paying for my clothes otherwise.
So, to people who think that thrifting is unsanitary or a lower standard of living, or even people who think I am being a hipster and just trying to be cool, I say that it is a wonderful thing that is given very little credit. It gives me something to do, have a passion about, and put time and dedication into, while barely denting my wallet. I love to keep up to date with today’s hot style, but I do not have $90 to drop on a pair of leggings. That seems nuts to me. With my weekly trips to the thrift shop, on the other hand, I have managed to save my money, while still being an active fashionista.
