Thrift-Shopping Fashion Influencers
5 Sustainable Fashion Creators on How to Find the Best Thrifted Clothing
Carolyn @petite_punk
POPSUGAR: Tell us about yourself.
Carolyn: I'm a funky and thrifty petite fashionista with a love of all things '80s and secondhand. I am also proud to be Goodwill of Greater Washington's Senior Manager of Communications and Community Engagement, a role in which I get to make an impactful change in the DMV community through championing thrifting and Goodwill's nonprofit mission.
PS: What makes you pick up a piece of clothing when you are thrifting?
C: When thrifting, I specifically look for vintage items, for they are built to last the test of time and are literally pieces of history. Attributes I pay attention to include pattern, style, seams, and fabric composition.
PS: What is the best thing you've ever thrifted?
C: Great question. Years ago, I found a whole lot — 10 items — of vintage Chanel, YSL, and other luxury brands for under $10 a piece at Goodwill. I still have them and hope to pass them down to future generations.
PS: What are your predictions for the future of thrifting?
C: It's here to stay. I do think the inventory at secondhand stores will soon change. With the explosion of cheaply made fast fashion, we will continue to see lots of that at secondhand retailers, making vintage and unique well-made items increasingly rare.
That's why it's so important to slow down our pace of buying new and focus on what we already have. It's also integral to shop less and with more intentionality. I am a huge advocate of if you need something, seeing what you have, then thrift, then buy new if absolutely needed.
