One of the craziest things about the world of fashion to me is how the industry was and still is able to incorporate thrifting.

Thrifting is the act of shopping at a thrift store, garage sale etc. with the goal of finding items for a low price and usually send hand. 

They said it, low price, not me! I remember as a kid my mother and everyone else in my family used to go thrifting. It was the only place we could regularly purchase clothing items, shoes and accessories. Once in a while we would purchase something new — maybe for an event or what not —but our go-to was definitely waking up early in the morning on a weekend and go look at second hand clothes. It was definitely a luxury to us, as well as it still is to me. Things were sold for the range of $ out of $$ price point.

As I grew older, I started to realize how drastically this had changed… Vintage became a trend, and when something becomes a trend — prices go up!

Stores like Uptown Cheapstake, Buffalo Exchange, Plato’s Closet, are what young people like me think thrifting truly is. I personally love —still to this day — to go to my local Texas Thrift and browse through an enormous variety of clothes for a cheap price. All these regular thrifts that exists amongst our communities are where the real gems are, of course — if you know how and where to look!

Back in the good days, people were even embarrassed to say they bought something second-hand. Now, everyone feels like it is cool to shop at these upscale thrift spots where they not only sale, but they buy and trade things from you, which I think is a great way to introduce a different perspective of clothing suitable to all! I personally would not call it thrifting, just because they do sell things on a higher end of the bargain, about $$$ to $$$$ price point while they buy from you and you get literally 1% return. I can compare prices as high as an H&M, where new can be purchased. The concept is awesome, but maybe it is time to add a new name for these shops.

I think it is important to always keep in mind no matter where we are shopping on a Sunday, we are always staying authentic to ourselves and our sense of style.

To conclude, there are so many Vintage stores absolutely everywhere I can’t even count with all my own fingers. The saddest part about our generation is that they might never know what thrifting used to be! Just remember no matter where you shop, you always find what is suitable for you when it comes to cost. Whether you like going to your local thrift and see all kinds of people and styles, or you like a more upscale version of vintage clothing like Buffalo Exchange, there is value in all stores.

If you regularly purchase new, I recommend you maybe to try out these new buy, sell and trade shops. While I do think they are about $$ on price and higher, they are a fun and good alternative I am sure some people don’t mind paying and they sell absolute everything. If you are feeling bold, don’t be shy to hit up your local thrift. You never know what you can find for $5! I will always recommend people to don’t wear new items of clothing when there is a whole variety of cool things out there for everyone to wear!

As the weekend approaches, I encourage all of you to hit up one of these places if you are in the mood for creativity and adventure, or you just like to shop. You never know if you’ll find that sweater you were always looking for… Stay tuned for next week.☺

OUTFIT OF THE WEEK