Writer: Emma Hantman
For decades, thrifting for clothes has been an environmentally positive and budget friendly way of shopping. But in recent years, thrifting has blown up. Although time consuming, shopping for clothes has now become a treasure hunt. Bringing a pair of latex gloves and diving through bins at Goodwill is now fashionable, fun, and trendy.
Spending hours searching for the vintage Dior purse stuffed behind scuffed converse has become the new fun activity, and the environmental benefit isn’t invisible. Making new clothes requires oil for polyester, an immense amount of water, and produces millions of tons of CO2, not to mention the amount of clothing ending up in landfills. The fast fashion market is worth an estimated $40 billion. By 2030, it’s estimated it will be responsible for 1.24 billion tons of carbon dioxide (Hall, 2024). Thrifting combats the immense environmental cost that is presented by fast fashion. The more people who choose the second hand option, the greater the reduction for producing new clothing, and the market adjusts. Production of cheap clothing slows, reducing the resources used for production.
But why has thrifting become so popular? The general allure of thrifting to the younger generations can be boiled down to three things: quality, affordability, and uniqueness.
First, in a world where fast fashion has rapidly grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, well made clothes that stand the test of time have become intriguing to the younger generation. Many times I’ve purchased items from various fast fashion brands, and they barely last two wears before damage starts happening, so well-made clothing is exciting.
Second, thrifted clothing is sold at drastically lower prices than retail. In 2026, prices of t-shirts range around $20, whereas in thrift stores, you will frequently find hundreds of items listed for under $5. For someone with access to thrift stores, and with enough time, thrifting is a great opportunity to get many pieces of clothing for a very reasonable price.
This also goes for designer items. Not only has recycling clothes become an affordable option for everyone, but it has also become readily available on a designer level. Typical thrift locations include Goodwill, Salvation Army, or local independent thrift stores and consignment shops. But in recent years, platforms such as The RealReal offer authenticated vintage luxury items.
The final reason for its increased popularity is uniqueness. Finding one of a kind pieces rather than subscribing to brands mass producing the same style for the general population to wear, shoppers can find truly unique pieces. Personal style is branching out, and thrifting allows for truly unique finds to diversify a wardrobe. Building an entirely new closet in time for back to school doesn’t require much effort anymore. It often seems that when a popular fast fashion brand drops a new line of clothing, at least five people in your life will wind up buying and wearing one of them soon after. Thrifting presents the opportunity to find truly unique pieces that haven’t been sold in traditional retail stores for years.
In recent years, not only has thrifting in brick and mortar stores increased, but multiple apps, such as Poshmark, Depop, and Vinted, have popularized thrifting online. Secondhand clothing is now at everyone’s fingertips.
How can you contribute? The next time you’re contemplating throwing out the old shirt you haven’t worn in three years, consider donating it to Goodwill or post it online. Or maybe visit your local thrift store when shopping for back to school, and sprinkle some preloved clothes into your wardrobe.
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