Every day, we try to keep with the latest trends. Be it cars, clothes, shoes, or technology, we try to keep up with the way the tide flows.
The hobby of "trend-following" can be expensive, but not participating tends to leave people feeling left behind. My way to keep in style, and save a penny or two, is by thrift shopping.
We've all heard the song, and are grateful, I'm sure, for Macklemore's wise words. But when I say thrift shopping, I mean truly thrift shopping; Going out to some second hand store and making a stellar find.
Thrift shops, or resale stores, are places in which people can either donate or shop for old and new treasures.
I took up "thrifting" as a hobby about three years ago, and have acquired quite the collection of antiques, clothes, books, and random items of intrigue.
In terms of keeping up with trends, as I addressed above, I have found that most of my current outfits can be attributed to various resale shops, generally places like Goodwill. When you walk in to that disinfectant-filled room, and see racks upon racks of retired clothes, it's almost refreshing. A normal suit, at a place like Ross or Kohl's, might cost you upwards of $50 (and those are the cheap ones). But at Goodwill, the most you pay for suits is about $25. They even have discount days, where you can get these great deals for even less! The lowest I paid for a two piece suit was $5, and it fit perfectly!
Another big fashion trend is shoes. There are some Goodwills that have a few dozen collectible shoes; basketball shoes, e.g. However, I happened upon the deal of the decade (in my opinion, anyway). I found a pair of Steve Madden's, brown and lightly worn, for only $15! Compared to an actual shoe store, we're looking at about a 70% markdown.
Aside from clothing, I have also stumbled upon many exciting items. I have started a collection of the Harvard Classics, a volume series of some of the greatest writings in history, and I buy them one book at a time. I have also discovered interesting fiction and nonfiction, and perhaps my favorite find: A collection of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poetry, published in the 1800's.
There have been great finds, and also busts, like the time I bought a journal allegedly kept by a passenger of the Titanic. I believed it was fake, but I wanted to prove it. Finally, I was able to crack the riddle: they didn't have bar codes in 1912! Despite the fake, it was still an interesting find, and makes you wonder why someone might have taken the time to write it.
So the next time you need to go on a shopping spree, I urge you to visit your local thrift shops. They are everywhere, in nearly every town, but they are a dying breed. Maybe if Macklemore does a part two, or if we all go out and support our small town heroes, we can make the difference.
Next time someone asks you where you found your sweet new kicks, I invite you all to join me in exclaiming, "I got it at Goodwill!"
