The Ethics in Thrifting

Guidelines for Thrifting as a Middle-Class Consumer

Cover Photo by Parker Coffman on Unsplash

“Thrifting” is a term that is typical among our younger population, referring to the act of second-hand shopping in thrift stores like Value Village or Plato’s Closet. However, when I was growing up in the early 2000s, thrifting was derogatory. It was a shameful display of being too poor to purchase the new, pristine clothes that every other child was wearing; it was uncool; it wasn’t even called thrifting.

Today, thrifting is complicated. In my mission to lessen my negative impact on the environment, like others, I have taken up thrifting to curb my dependence upon brands that mass-produce clothing despite the harm it can cause the environment. However, rising prices in common thrift shops depict the detrimental effects of the middle class’ constant, widespread thrifting. It is especially impactful for lower-income populations that depend on the items in second-hand stores. What was once seen as embarrassing and undesirable, thrifting has now become a trendy pastime where those with the monetary privilege should conduct themselves using a few rough guidelines in order to lessen their burden upon those who frequent thrift shops out of necessity.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

When you are thrifting, try to make meaningful purchases

By “meaningful,” I mean: only consume what you need or truly love. It’s easy to find items that are appealing, like a pair of Levi’s jeans that are two sizes too small, but if you don’t need them, don’t buy them.

Going from shopping online or at the mall to shopping at the wonderland that is a thrift store, it can be easy to justify overconsumption. Everything is a lot cheaper in comparison. However, there are a few problems that come with consistently taking more than you need.

1. By over consuming, you are not practicing control over your material desires which is one of the key components in becoming more environmentally conscious. Sustainable fashion is about getting the most use out of less, so by taking more than you need or love, even from a thrift store, you do not teach yourself to use your clothing in a way that promotes good environmental practices.
   
   

2. Buying in excess takes away options from lower-income populations. At worst, targeting thrift stores for merchandise to upsell on platforms like Depop not only reduces the amount of product in thrift stores, it also exploits a system made for those in need. It abuses the market and makes clothing more inaccessible. While this is speculation, I believe thrift stores have rapidly increased their prices because those that run them see the profit they can make from the increased interest in the middle-class consumers who purchase excessively. In turn, those that aren’t fortunate enough to shop anywhere they want turn to cheaper options like Shein who are notorious for their damaging environmental practices and exploitative labour.

Photo by Korie Cull on Unsplash

If you are a patron of thrift stores, I highly encourage you to also give back to the thrift stores.

Thrift stores exist because they receive used, unwanted products either for free or for a small price. When you are a regular patron of thrift stores, contributing to the cycle of buying and giving has its benefits.

1. By donating or selling your old clothes to a thrift shop, you increase the items’ lifespan and allow it to become a part of sustainable fashion. Environmentally, giving others the chance to use items that would otherwise be thrown away is preferable. Whatever the item becomes, as long as it has a use and does not simply contribute to trash, you have made a small, positive impact on the world.

2. Additionally, when you donate your clothes, you give others options to love. As stated before, overconsumption has many negative effects, one of them being a lack of variety for other people. By increasing the options at thrift stores, there are a plethora of ways people can be confident in their styles. Ensure when you are donating that your garments are in decent condition.

While we as consumers are not responsible for the ways in which thrift stores conduct their businesses, our patronage shows them how profitable thrifting has become. It is my belief that we have a responsibility to the environment, but most importantly to those around us. Thrift stores have always been a resource for the lower-income population and therefore, we should not try to overtake their space in our desire to become more environmentally conscious. In being a green-thumb of the world, you must be aware of your effects on the world and ethical thrifting involves both an awareness of our environmental impact and our consideration for our fellow humans.

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