Credit to Faith Smith

Senior Mallory Barker shops for a St. Patrick’s Day outfit at Plato’s Closet on Mid Rivers Center.

Clothing and fashion have undoubtedly been a pillar of culture in nearly every community, and that is especially true for high school
students. It’s one of the strongest ways for students to express themselves in a time where that can be difficult for many. Within that pillar of culture, buying used clothing or thrifting has always been a prominent part. Some stores, such as Plato’s Closet, operate on a resale business model, in which people can sell their used clothing for some pocket money. The store sorts through the clothes that are bought and donated and determines which items are most likely to be sold. Those clothes are then put up on the shelves at a substantially lower price than the market value. This allows people to buy clothing at a cheaper price while also allowing the store to make a profit.

“I love the culture of the store,” Emily Moore, part-owner of Plato’s Closet said. “It’s sustainable, too. The entire business model is fantastic and people love it.”

The biggest advantage buying used has over buying new is the price and the variety of items that can be found as opposed to what is currently on the shelves. While some stores follow a resale business model, more typical stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army operate on a purely donation-to- floor business model. That allows those thrift stores to sell goods at a low price that is particularly accessible to high school students looking to change up their wardrobe in any way.

“I would say thrifting culture is mostly really chill but there’s some people who will thrift items that are really nice and then resell them online for way more expensive, and that’s not cool,” senior Shaylin Jones said. “I think it’s really annoying, and they just want to make a profit.”

The culture around thrifting is nothing new, especially to those in spaces where fashion does not line up with what is currently trending on
the mainstream, or to those who grew up during times of financial hardship. However, like any other culture, it has changed significantly with the times and continues to evolve as it gains more popularity.

“Thrifting culture has been around for a long time, just look at how many different stores that continue to pop up,” fashion teacher Marissa Heyer said. “A great deal of people feel rewarded to donate and they’re doing better for the environment when they purchase something secondhand.”