For so many years, thrifting was my go-to way to shop for clothes. I have always prided myself on being able to find quality clothes for less. I first got into thrifting maybe 20 years ago when I saw some really good, hardly worn, and even brand-new pieces at thrift shops in Baguio City. I bought some pieces and sold several to my friends. Since then I really enjoyed hunting for great bargains. I consider it adventure shopping, where I am ready to be surprised by whatever great piece I might find.
Ukay-ukay is what we call it in the Philippines. It is a way of scrounging for a great piece in a chaotic pile of clothes. Those are the really cheap ones, almost a giveaway. In some stores, they are nice and washed and pressed and displayed in racks. I buy home clothes for P50.00 (one dollar!) and even P10.00! For office clothes, I would buy somewhere between P 250.00 to P50.00. I think I have some talent for thrift shopping because I have been complimented many times for the clothes I wear and people are quite surprised when they find out it costs less than their iced coffee.
But actually, the main reason I got into thrifting was that I was learning and living a more conscious lifestyle as an environmentalist. Some ten years ago, I went full-on. And there was even a time when everything I had in my wardrobe was 95% either given to me as a gift, handed down, or bought from thrift shops. I even went for a 100-piece challenge for myself when I worked in Cambodia. I am perfectly ok having all my clothes, except for intimates, thrifted or handed down, but I could never go minimalist in clothing. So since I thrift shop, I don’t budge when buying several pieces at a time. I chose really good pieces that would last me years. I handwash the best pieces and take care of them as I would care for clothes I buy at full price. And some of those I had to let go were even still good enough to be handed down.
From the same shopping adventure: a nice pastel green shirtdress, denim sleeveless dress with embroidered neckline, and lastly, a sheer polka dots long-sleeves top with crunched up turtle neck. Now ready for the price? I got all of the seven pieces at P200.00, yes, four dollars in all! Can you beat that? 🙂
In the United States alone, some 34 billion pounds of used textiles are thrown out every year. That is more than 100 pounds of waste textiles per person thrown away. There is a myriad of economic and environmental issues tied to the disposal of clothes. Fast fashion is unsustainable and we have to take it upon ourselves to make clothes last longer before being disposed of. Thrift shopping is a great way to slow down the disposal of clothes. Everybody should do it.
In the last three years, I have basically bought brand-new clothes. I went home from Cambodia just before the Covid-19 lockdowns. Most of my clothes were left in Cambodia, and in fact, they are still there, languishing in huge luggage under the stairs of my landlady’s apartments. I only had a few pieces of clothes and shopped for brand-new pieces whenever I had a chance. But since the year started I revisited thrift shops again, especially when I went to my hometown with three days’ worth of clothes when I had to stay there for two full months. I went thrift shopping and was able to buy nice pieces I could wear at home, nice shorts and comfy shirts, and even a nice blouse. So when I went back to Dumaguete, I thought, why not visit the thrift shops again?
So it’s definitely back to thrift shopping for me. I do enjoy some nice brand-new pieces, but I think I could go for 60 to 70% thrift-shopped clothes in the next few years. It saves me money, helps the environment, and I feel a sense of fulfillment finding nice pieces that I could get for a few dollars.
How about you? What is your take on thrift clothes shopping? #src
shielarcastillo 