Thrift stores are an option where you can pay less money for clothes that you like and it is not fast fashion. It is an ecological way to reduce, recycle and reuse.

Problem with Fast Fashion

     In our present society, fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It takes a toll on our resources and most clothes are never recycled. That’s why thrift stores are really a cool way to buy cute stuff for less money while reducing the impact on the environment.

    The problem with fast fashion is that they are using mostly cheap and dirty fabric, and with all the chemical products, it can cause all sorts of problems. For the companies that are using fast fashion, the quantity is certainly more important than the quality because they want to make money.

The 3 R’s

    The impact that thrift shops have on society is related to ecology. In fact, the 3 R’s are a big part of it. Reduce; you can reduce the budget for your clothes because it is less expensive (buy more, pay less). Recycle: with the cheap things that you buy there, you can make new clothes with old t-shirts or jeans with cool patterns. Reuse: when you buy clothes, they are reused because someone had them before. “It is really nice to go into those shops with my friend to see all the things that were in my range of price,” said a secondary 3 student.

Things you should not buy there

    In thrift stores, there are some kinds of things that are not safe to buy even if it’s as cheap as possible. According to “The Insider” some items are difficult to clean and could potentially contain harmful germs. In this order of ideas, hats, helmets, shoes, bras, electrical devices and stuffed animals are things to avoid buying. If you go to thrift shops, it is always important to look at the items carefully. Laetitia, a secondary 3 student learned about it the hard way “one day I went to a thrift store and bought pyjamas for my sister without looking carefully at it so there were spots on them.”

   Thrift stores started in the 1920s, at this time, it wasn’t that popular, thrift stores were not really organized. It was really in the 1950s that it became a “thing”. Many people went to those shops in search of vintage couture items and it has remained during the years. Today, it is a good way to spend less money on clothes and to find small treasures.