The Pros and Cons of Thrifting

I love thrifting! Always have, always will.

But that doesn’t mean there’s downsides to the trade. I will talk about a few of them in this post, but I will also throw in some of the benefits. Obviously, I still do it, so the cons haven’t deterred me in the slightest, but they might for you.

CON #1: THE CLOTHING IS HARDLY EVER BRAND NEW

You’ll be very lucky to find a piece among the thousands that has their original tags still attached. Whenever I find these gemstones, I wonder what made the owner decide to donate/sell it again. If it’s a high-end piece, I assume they ordered multiple (or lately I’ve been thinking it’s influencers dropping off their unneeded PR). Or, if they’re like me, it sat in their closet for half a year, unused and it was time to say “goodbye.”

If you hate the idea of wearing something that was once owned by someone else, that’s completely fine! I can understand not trusting the washing machine to take away the remains of its former owner (even if I actually trust my washing machine). Not knowing what the person who wore the item was previously doing with said item causes a lot of anxiety in people. I’d feel icky too if I knew the story that came with half the leather skirts & sexy cocktail dresses I have in my closet. The good news is — I don’t!

But this is definitely a gross con of thrifting (and why you should inspect each item carefully before purchasing) so it goes at #1.

CON #2: Sometimes You’re Not Actually Saving Money

If you’ve shopped enough like me, you know your brands. You learned which ones are higher quality, which pieces you like, what style suits you. If you’re just starting out, you’re going to make mistakes and one of those is going to be spending money on a piece that cost just as much the first time to purchase — brand new! Thanks to the rise of fast fashion, thrift stores have become overrun with items from companies like SHEIN, ROMWE, and Cider, to name a few. Have I purchased items from these sites? ABSOLUTELY! At a certain point, I think everyone did. And questionable means of creation aside (referring to Chinese sweatshops), the items are cheap, fall apart after 3–4 uses, and are usually not in style after a few months. Seriously, if I see another pair of cutout pants or graphic tops with cheap-ass writing on them, I will actually scream!

These brands are a glistening trap for a new secondhand shopper, especially after these brands upped their game and started copying small business styles and giving the appearance of higher quality.

Good news is, this con is meant to happen to you. You’ll learn and you’ll become a smarter person for it.

CON #3: YOU CAN FALL INTO THE TRAP OF OVERCONSUMPTION

Seriously, who needs every single blazer they come across just because they like blazers? Who needs every single white button-down shirt they find, regardless of its quality, practicality, or function? Who needs every size 11 show in the store because it’s so “difficult” to find shoes in that size?

ME — that’s who. I was this person, and to a certain extent, I still am. I’ve been working on stopping my bad habits for over a year now and compared to 2022 me — I’m doing much better, thanks for asking.

However, my closet looks like a thrift store itself. Seriously, my sisters go shopping in it all the time behind my back. If I wasn’t so OCD, I wouldn’t even be able to notice when they sneaked off with my favorite backless dress for a night out with their friends (yes, sis, I saw that in your room and I took it back).

For a couple years now, my closet is all that occupied my mind. Shopping for clothes was my favorite thing to do. My top hobby! And it shows. I have a vast amount of clothes I’m never going to wear, that I spent valuable money on, and they sat wasted in my closet for years while I projected my fantasies onto my clothes and then those fantasies didn’t become reality.

If you’re going to thrift, or maybe you already are, don’t fall into this trap. It’s a headache and it takes a great amount of self-control to recover from it.

If I was an environmentalist I’d make some crack about how it’s polluting the earth, but I’m not so I’ll leave the comment section for people who are experts on that to share their findings. Please keep it kind down below . . . I’m not knocking environmentalists and I love their passion for caring for the earth. I am here though, as a person with bad habits who is trying to fix them and help others not to fall into the same trap.

CON #4: FASHION HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE

Yes, you heard me. In my last post I mentioned reselling your old items for cash. Well, thanks to the glorious rise of fast fashion and the ever-changing tides of trends in our 2020s decade, two years is the cut-off. After two years, most of your pieces are considered unfashionable and better suited for a Goodwill.

How do I know this? I worked at an upscale second-hand clothing store. I watched beautiful pieces get turned away because their tags said three years old. They were in great condition but you couldn’t sell it.

Hopefully, in the near future, fast fashion takes a nose-dive and so will this con. But for now, it’s staying strong.

If you want to make money off your wardrobe that you don’t wear anymore, make sure you hate your items by the time you’ve owned them for a year-and-a-half.

• THERE ARE DEFINITELY MANY MORE CONS TO THRIFTING BUT I’LL KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE FOR YOU GUYS TODAY!

Onto the PROS!

PRO #1: SECONDHAND SHOPPING IS AFFORDABLE

Despite the rise of fast fashion making the dollar $ amounts tick upward on your secondhand clothing, it is still much more affordable than brand new clothing. For a mom with three kids struggling to find them clothes (or, very often, for herself) it’s a lifesaver. For that girl pinching pennies to pay her way through college and look stylish while doing it, it’s a dream come true. For that woman starting a new job and having no idea what to wear in her corporate 9-to-5 its a place to find herself and start fresh. For that boy who’s been wearing his brother’s hand-me-downs and decides he wants to freshen up his closet but doesn’t want to spend $150 to do it, secondhand is his way out.

What people need is to feel beautiful, put together, and happy with expressing themselves. Secondhand stores give people the chance to do that without robbing their bank accounts.

PRO #2: You’re Supporting Small Businesses & The Environment

This one is very simple: someone owns the store you’re shopping in. Not a corporation like Target or Walmart or Macy’s. Someone rented or bought a space with four walls and made it their own. When you shop in those stores, you’re paying for their liveliehood, their business, and their family. It’s why I don’t even shop at Goodwill anymore and try to keep my secondhand thrifting local.

I’m not saying you have to do this but it’s definitely a pro in my book.

PRO #3: YOU CAN RESELL YOUR UNWANTED ITEMS

I know I listed the fashion expiration date as a con, as well as the harm to the environment, briefly. But there is an upside that far outweighs those cons. Any items you don’t want, need, or can’t fit anymore can go to another person in need. I know we’ve all dropped off a trash bag at the local Goodwill before, elated at our chance to help out the needy. But if you’re a side hustle chic like me there is a way to capitalize on a few of those items.

Drop off that stack of wardrobe rejects at your secondhand store, open an account, and sell the items for a profit. Most places will offer you store credit or cash. Depending on my needs, I’ll often switch between the two. With store credit, you take the money you earned from selling your old wardrobe and purchase a completely new one without wasting more money and creating more waste. With cash, you put it towards your latest grocery bill or your savings/investments.

The circle of life continues. Someone will buy your items, wear them, and pass them along down the road; be it to Goodwill, another store, or sell them on Depop and Poshmark. With this constant circle of buying, selling, and reusing, we are making waste disappear.

PRO #4: YOU CAN HAVE INDIVIDUALITY IN YOUR STYLE

I’ve complained a lot about fast fashion and trends in this post but you’re going to hear it one more time. Everyone looks the exact same! Which is why this pro is number 4 and not number 1.

However, if you’re like me, and you’ve got certain brands, styles, and looks that you prefer and know look great on you, shopping just got so much easier for you. You can bypass all the fast trends and find items that will last you for years. Because you love them! Because you know you look great in them!

Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t some items that fast fashion has that can be made to last with your other items. I still have a basic bar-hopping top that I love to wear (that I ashamedly got from Shein in my past days) and I’ve made it last me three years and counting.

In this case, I’d say it’s more about the value and purpose that favorite piece has in your closet, then where it comes from.

With secondhand shopping, you can look unique and beautiful — and different! Like it or not, we all don’t want to be like everyone else. We want to stand out and be fierce!

I’m sure you’ve realized by now that a lot of these pros and cons combat with each other. It really comes down to where your principles lie as a person. If you’re big on saving the environment and going to the minimalist lifestyle, good for you! These cons are probably ones you’ve weighed with the pros and decided it isn’t worth it for you. If you’re just starting out and don’t want to waste a lot of money finding who you are and what you love, then the pros are going to outweigh the cons for you.

That’s why I’m here — to validate both of your choices, pro or con.

Drop any comments down below and any topics/questions you have for my next post! I can always use the inspiration.

Thanks, guys!