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Iconic, Individual, Confident, and Healthy

Make those desires your reality through non-traditional fashion

Article by Bailee Havener

Photography by Sherree Padilla - firehoundpress.com

Originally published in Cross Timbers Lifestyle

I remember being in elementary school and though I loved Summer, I also loved what came at its end. Every year before the new school year my mom would take my sisters and me back to school shopping and let us pick out some new clothes. That first week back was always exhilarating getting to wear all my new outfits. I remember feeling empowered like I was getting to express myself. I loved to play outside in the mud with the bugs, but I also really loved playing dress up. Now I am 23, still young and ever evolving as is my style. Over the years I have fallen in love with second-hand shopping, specifically at thrift shops. I am an avid ‘thrifter’ and though I will always be changing, that truth will always remain the same. I know a common perspective is that to thrift you have to compromise on quality and class, but that couldn’t be further from true! In today's society what we are all conditioned to go after is fast fashion. Fast fashion is cheap clothing produced rapidly for the masses based on the latest fashion trends. Most of these clothes are worn for a short period and then end up in our landfills to make room for the new trends. Our typical fashion habits are terrible for the environment and when I say they are cheap, I mean the product you are buying is cheap quality. What you find in thrift stores is often older styles that are actually coming back around, especially the vintage, which is monetarily cheaper than fast fashion but much higher quality. Thrifting allows you to save tons of money. Just a few days ago I stopped by one of my favorite thrift shops to see their weekly sale, which was all regular clothing for one dollar! I spent $13 and got thirteen new pieces of clothing to add to my wardrobe. The average basic t-shirt costs $24.99. What more can I say? Thrifting allows you to score high quality pieces for very low prices. A few weeks ago I got a vintage Vera Wang dress for one dollar! I got a genuine leather button up for one dollar! When you thrift you can curate a one-of-a-kind wardrobe. You get to stand out with your fashion and express your personality. The more I trade my closet for thrifted pieces, the more confident I feel in my fashion because I am wearing what I like, not what’s trending. I have never loved my clothes more, much more than anything I have bought new. I also feel great knowing my fashion styles are sustainable. I am giving donated clothes another chance to be loved and diversifying my wardrobe in an environmentally friendly way. You are recycling, eliminating your waste, and then you can always re-donate what you purchased, making room for something new and allowing those special pieces to serve someone else! I feel classier than ever because a lot of older styles are fancier and more sophisticated than what’s popular today. I never owned pants suits and beautiful gold jewelry before I really got into thrifting. One of my favorite aspects of thrifting is that the best spots I have found are also non-profits, or give much of their proceeds to non-profits. Some of my favorites you should check out are: North Texas Charities Resale & Boutique, Stepping Stones Foundation, and Christ’s Haven for Children. This is your sign to go into that shop you pass on your way home from work, find your styles, upgrade your wardrobe, save tons of money, and feel great knowing the impact you are making.

The more I trade my closet for thrifted pieces, the more confident I feel in my fashion because I am wearing what I like, not what’s trending.