Debunking the Glamour of Vintage Couture Finds in Thrift Stores
Not everything is measured in labels.
A woman in Palm Springs recently purchased some designer finds from her local thrift store, items worth thousands of dollars more than she bought them for. Examples include a Hermes clutch worth $5000 and a Valentino crossbody purse.
After her thrift trip, she took to her social media to tell her 18,000 followers the news, and they were quick to sing her praises and ask which thrift store she went to.
While finding big brands at the thrift store is extremely exciting and helps destigmatize the belief that all second-hand clothes are gross or worthless, I don’t think it’s something that should necessarily be praised to this extent.
Let me explain.
Buy What You Love
Not everything is measured in labels. Just because something is designer, doesn’t mean that it’s something worth buying. I think a lot of people forget this.
They show up to the thrift store and ask, “Where's the heat at?” when in reality, the “heat” is anything that you think you’ll wear.
At the end of the day, brands shouldn’t matter as long as what you’re purchasing is something you like. For example, this one girl went thrifting and found a pretty black corset. When she checked the label, she found out that it was from Spirit Halloween of all places.
What About Fast Fashion?
Now, this might be controversial, but I think that mentality extends to fast fashion ONLY when it's already at the thrift store.
I don't condone buying fast fashion directly from the wholesaler, but if you happen to stumble upon a piece from Shein that you really love, I don't think there's a problem with it and you shouldn't be embarrassed to buy it.
I view purchasing fast fashion at thrift store as just another opportunity to keep clothing out of landfills. I'm giving the clothes a second life. This is important because fast fashion is quickly filling up thrift stores, so if I'm able to reduce that number in any way, why not?
Plus, I hate to say it, but I've actually found some really cute pieces from fast fashion brands:
The Question of Quality
I understand that bigger fashion brands typically mean better quality, and if that’s your criteria as to why you’re thrifting those pieces, then that’s great and I have no problem with it.
But, if you’re simply buying a brand because it’s well-known, then you’re missing the point of fashion and self-expression.
Also, keep in mind that bigger fashion brands don't always have better quality. There's definitely a gray area.
The next time you're at the thrift store, make sure whatever it is you thrift, regardless of brand, is something you love.
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