Thrifting Offers Sustainability and Fashion for All

Natalie Levy's dress from Goodwill

By Luccia Moraes
 
The majority of my closet is made up of clothes I have thrifted. Thrifting is shopping at second hand stores and wearing reused clothes. But it's more than that. While second hand places may be considered to be dirty, gross, or cheap, there are so many benefits to thrifting. By avoiding fast fashion, high prices, and unsustainable clothing, you are actively contributing to helping the environment.  Give thrifting a chance; you never know what you might find.
 
Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. Typically fast fashion clothes are made by extremely underpaid--or unpaid--workers in foreign countries, and a lot of the time, those workers are children.
 
Fast fashion is an extremely ignored issue, and lots of people may be unaware they are contributing to it. One of the reasons it's so popular is that fast fashion clothes are usually very affordable. I'm guilty of it too. But there are better alternatives. Items at thrift stores go as low as a couple dollars for trendy and relevant clothes, while also not supporting abusive production methods. 
 
Another plus to thrifting is its sustainability aspect. Sustainable fashion is a big part of helping eliminate waste and making consistent recycling a reality. We can keep re-wearing, and donating, and continue a cycle, so the same clothes get a second, third and fourth life.
 
According to The Huffington Post, “In 2018 alone, the worldwide fashion industry contributed 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions [into the atmosphere].” That is significant potential environmental damage that could be avoided.
 
Clothes are rarely recycled—only about 13% in 2018, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Manufacturing, shipping, production, and waste are all environmental costs that come with strictly buying new clothes. 
 
To help you get started, here are some places within half an hour of Newtown to thrift

• 2a Thrift: 300 Commerce Blvd, Fairless Hills, PA 19030Second Ave Thrift is the largest thrift store I’ve ever been to, and you’re guaranteed to find something to take home from there. It has everything from silverware to wedding dresses, and it’s kept pretty clean. It’s just in Langhorne and it’s easy to get stuck there for three hours, just shopping!

• Goodwill:  2365 Lincoln Hwy, Langhorne, PA 19047Goodwill is probably the most well-known second hand store and it’s in Oxford Valley Mall, right near 2a Thrift. The prices are so satisfying, with high quality jeans and pants for $5. It also has name brands that you’ll recognize. Goodwill in Langhorne also has a variety of sizes and a very full plus size section as well, so it’s perfect for all bodies. It’s a smaller thrift store, but it’s definitely worth the trip. 

• Salvation Army: 191 Lincoln Hwy, Fairless Hills, PA 19030Salvation Army is an awesome place to shop, as it has a great selection and so much variety. Like Goodwill, Salvation Army is very well known. There’s a grand furniture selection, and so much more. 

 
There are also some online options, if you don’t feel like leaving the house for the day. 
​

• Mercari: https://www.mercari.com/Mercari is a thrift online shop. You might know Depop, a trendy, secondhand app, and Mercari is pretty similar. But Mercari has lower prices and much more variety. It also focuses beyond clothes on items such as CDs, posters, tech, records, and more.

 
Those are my favorite thrift stores, and you should try them out too! Be a part of a more sustainable, environmentally friendly future of fashion. Thrifting is a completely fun experience, and you can buy as much as you want (within reason) without completely emptying your pockets. So next time you need some new clothes, check out a thrift store!
 

---