Sustainability in Fashion: Why you should join Thrift Club

Is it ethical for resellers to spend fifteen bucks on a ton of clothes at the Goodwill bins and then heavily over-price them on Depop? Personally, I think it's a little shady, especially when the “vintage y2k baby tee” is labeled a size 3-4 Toddlers. Other people consider reselling a full-time job that requires a specific eye for fashion and the patience to look through hundreds of clothing items at a thrift store. 

Non-resellers will usually thrift because of cheap costs or sustainability purposes, if not both. With 100 billion new garments made every year–the top contributors being China and the US–thrifting is the most sustainable option, as these are clothes that are already made. Now let's get into the big questions of thrifting versus fast fashion: Is it okay for people to shop at super cheap thrift stores when they can afford to buy sustainably elsewhere? This is where the issue of reselling comes in. If someone can afford to buy something more expensive but finds something they know they are going to wear for really cheap, it isn’t wrong for them to buy it. But when someone is taking a TON of clothes that they don’t even plan on wearing and then overpricing that item so that no one ends up wearing it, that can be problematic. Of course, no one is going to stop resellers, but we can laugh at how outrageous the descriptions of a Justice tank top listed for $50 online are. 

The problems with Shein and other fast fashion brands are pretty well known. Why do people continue to buy fast fashion if it’s so bad for the environment? Well, it is incredibly cheap and accessible, which isn’t always the case for thrift stores. Also, many fast fashion brands like Asos have more plus size options than, say, a small clothing store that only really serves one body type. Unfortunately, a big reason fast fashion clothes are so cheap is because they fall apart pretty quickly. If people don’t throw away items after they stop liking them or they fall apart, they’ll donate them to thrift stores. This leads to thrift stores ending up with a ton of fast fashion items from places like Shein and Princess Polly, so it all comes full circle. 

I’m not one to judge someone for their clothes-purchasing habits. Clearly, there are a lot of reasons why people shop at different stores, online and in-person. But what I do judge is people not joining the Bush School’s official (brand new) Thrift Club. And some may be thinking, what happens to the money when people buy clothes in our upcoming Bush School Thrift events? Great question. We’ll be choosing from a variety of charities including Lifelong Thrift, which supports those fighting AIDS/HIV, Treehouse, a non profit serving youth in foster care, and any other charities students would be interested in supporting! Our mission is to bring cheap, sustainable clothing to The Bush School through our students, and we look forward to hosting many events this year. And to end off, the current amazing leaders are seniors, meaning the leaders of next year are TBD. If you’re thinking you wanna spice up your college app activities list, improve your carbon footprint, finally clear out your closet for a good cause, or just buy some cute new clothes, Thrift Club is the place for you. Thank you for reading to the end of this shameless plug.