The other day, I was walking to class with a friend when he asked where I got the light blue, Calvin Klein jean jacket I was wearing. When I told him I got it at the Goodwill for $5, he was surprised, mentioning that his friend wanted to get a similar jacket from American Eagle but didn’t because it was $50. Two thoughts immediately came into my head at that point. First, I gave myself a mental pat on the back for my commendable purchase, and then I started thinking about the irony of people buying vintage-looking pieces at mainstream retail stores when they could get the same thing at a thrift store or the salvation army for a lot less.

Nowadays, stores like Urban Outfitters are copying pieces regularly found at thrift stores and making a lot of money off of it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Urban Outfitters, I just want everyone to have a full knowledge about what they’re buying.

So, I’ve been thirfting for years now, but I’ve began to do it even more this year as my style has evolved. I love thrifting; it’s a lot more fun than shopping at the mall and I truly adore everything I get. I have a few friends who love to do it with me and others who think they’re above it. I accept their choices, but I refuse to accept others’ naiveness about it.

I’m sure that there are people out there who do it, but don’t want to admit it, and I just wonder– why not? Nowadays, with the “hipster” and “grunge” look becoming more and more popular, I think that thrifting has as well. Some fashion icons such as Zoey Deshanel, Alexa Chung, Emma Watson, and stylist Rachel Zoe are known for their vintage looks on and off the red carpet. They obviously have the money to shop at high-end retail stores, but they appreciate the quirky look vintage pieces assemble.

Some are repulsed by the fact that the clothing has been worn before. Yes, it’s true; what you find at thrift stores is not brand new, but rarely do things look dirty and we, in the 21st century have a thing called a washing machine. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. You put your clothing in there followed by some nice-smelling liquid, and, then thirty minutes later, voila. Everything in there is magically clean.

Now, let’s get back to the important stuff, the shopping.

“Every time I go [thrifting], there is usually something new that I haven’t seen, typically there are a lot of vintage leather and jean jackets, awesome shirts, high wasted shorts and jeans, even really cool vintage purses and jewelry,” says senior Angela Guinta, a regular at thirft stores.

If this post has convinced you to at least try thrifting, and I hope it does for at least a few of you, I will warn you that patience is necessary. You won’t find a dress that you really like and that fits you perfectly right away.

“It takes a lot more work to find what you are looking for. A lot of the really good stuff is mixed in with other things so it takes time to find it. You also may have to deal with the fact that not every thing is in perfect condition,” says junior Lily Chatman.

I would recommend trying things on over your clothes or holding it up next to your body to see if it fits. If you have a sewing machine at home, like me, most alterations can be made quite easily. Most importantly, have fun with it.

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