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Thrift Store Fashion Appeal

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By Ryan Sciaino

For the better part of my teenage life I've bought my own clothes. Rather than beg my parents for money to buy clothes from conventional stores, I sought out the cheap finds available at the local thrift stores and church sales. My thinking has always been, "Why would I pay a lot for pants when I can buy them for two dollars? Why pay 18 dollars for one t-shirt when I could buy 18 shirts at that price?" The economic benefits are obvious, but finding clothes that are different and new, or in this case old, is also my purpose in thrift store shopping.

I cringe when I am forced to shell out a lot of money for clothes. Certain things, jeans in particular, are impossible to find second hand, but I just can't help feeling down when I have to pay more than 10 dollars for any piece of clothing. What makes me feel even worse is knowing I can find the same style cheaper! Recently the fashion industry has begun to imitate the thrift store "crappie clothes" and worn look style — preserving their hefty price tags, of course. T-shirts reading "Al's Trucking" line the walls of Old Navy. It's the kind of shirt I would buy for a dollar I suppose — definitely if it was made of the soft cotton old t-shirts are made of. There's nothing better then a snug fit of a fuzzy over washed cotton t-shirt. Pulling it out of a huge pile or cardboard box at a church sale, you can tell that it's just right by the way it sits in your hand. There's a whole goldmine lying among the piles and over packed racks, like insanely interesting —and also functional — shirts and sweaters with dogs on them or odd stripes or whatever.

The key is getting to the good stuff before the mad dash of other people, clued in to the whole thrift idea, can grab hold. The mock thrift store clothes in commercial stores are made of scratchy new cloth. The vintage looking shirts and pants that also carry heavy price tags hardly maintain the same splendor sitting in an identical rack of 20.

Where did the shift from name brand looks to crappie clothes style begin? Well, we are in a recession, so many people could be seeking out cheap clothes for the sake of economics while still trying to maintain that fashion edge of vintage. Name brand shoppers now want to blend in, picking up on this art style. My question to them is why are they paying name brand prices for thrift store looks? Then again, why should I ask? I don't want to wake the attention of any thrift store convert who could be competition for my cheap and stylish wardrobe.

I'm Ryan Sciaino.

WBGO Host Back Announce: Ryan Sciaino comes to us from Youth Radio New Jersey, a collaboration between Columbia High School, WBGO FM, and Youth Radio in Berkeley, California.