By Chloe Miller
Going shopping at the mall and buying brand new clothes is always exciting, especially when you get to go home, pop the tag off, and freshly wear it. It always feels great to find a cute, new article of clothing that fits perfectly. You know what feels better than buying brand new clothing? Buying from thrift stores near you. Shopping at a thrift store retains sustainability by reselling used clothing. Sure, that might not be your thing because somebody owned it before you, but it is way better for the planet and for your wallet. Some of my favorite clothes actually came from thrift stores, I now rarely ever buy brand new clothes.
“Fast fashion” companies like Shein (most common) sell their clothes at ridiculously low prices, but they use poor materials that have microplastics so when they cut the fabric, it gets exposed into the environment. The dyes and soaps they use often leak into local waterways and can harm aquatic habitats. These fast fashion companies also treat their employees poorly, often having little to no restrictions on age, working conditions, hours, and pay. With this clothing being so cheap, it is easy for one to purchase multiple pieces at a time. When the clothing arrives at a person’s house, if they do not like the way it fits or feels it is usually not profitable to resell so most people just throw them away. A huge amount of clothing waste is taking over dumps and causing tremendous pollution. To put a halt to this, is it important to try and recycle as much as possible.
Donating to a thrift store is free and they sell the items for usually under $10; this doesn’t require manufacturing so no waste is produced in this process. Clothing at thrift stores comes from people with different life stories, interests and hobbies. This makes the selection process time consuming because one has to thoroughly search through each rack to know what is all in the store. Once a person finds something they are interested in, it is usually a piece that nobody you know has. It is unique. I think that is why thrift stores intrigue me so much because I know if I find something I enjoy, I know people are not going to be familiar with it so it will draw more attention to my outfit. Fashion is very important to me because it helps people express themselves in many different ways pertaining to color, style, material and fit.
Chloe Miller is a Lanesboro High School student, one of 15 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 26th year.
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