Urban Armor: Only those living from pay cheque to pay cheque have an idea of how un affordable it has become to manage basic needs. Walking or carpooling, no dine-outs, and compensating the figures on bills with the same monetary figures out of somewhere — despite these, there remain knocks on pockets for groceries, education, clothing, etc.
In an economy that never gets kind enough to let you live below your means, people struggle to live at least according to their means. By suppressing their wants, recycling items, and carefully budgeting, people manage to get by. But what happens when someone records your lifestyle to share it as content for their followers? Suddenly, the surface of the puddle is not yours to touch, even though you’re drowning and they’re walking.
Transformation of thrifting
What once was unanimously accused of being “embarrassing” is now proudly announced: “Oh, this is thrifted.” As old money and vintage aesthetics caught the warm eyes of the masses, thrifting culture started thriving. Then it also got mistranslated by glamorising and aestheticising it as just buying something used or antique, when it was always meant to be an experience of unexpected finds.
Then, it was misinterpreted as merely glamorising and aestheticising the act of buying used or antique items, whereas it was originally intended to be an experience filled with unexpected finds. Large influencers emerged, transforming thrifting into a form of shopping. How is it even called thrifting if an influencer is getting clothes in PR and then promoting the store? In other news, these influencers profit from their followers by introducing their own “pre-loved” stores online. You can find imported, branded items that are nearly unused in these popular stores, but I wonder, are we still discussing thrifting?
Glamorisation of livelihood
But those who continued relying on it despite the criticism are now stripped of their one pocket-friendly source. With the surge in the thrifting culture, prices have started to skyrocket. It is not unexpected to find thrifted clothes at the same price as brand new ones, if not more, in the name of being vintage and retro fashion. Thrift stores used to be a wardrobe of their own, with casual, chic — and yes, not forgetting your vintage clothes — all there for one to discover, but now, due to being organised as a result of thematic interests, for this effort, prices have now been further hiked. Additionally, thrift stores only ever have clothes in the desired size anyway.
When the many privileged are done having the time of their lives, with their ability to shop for fun and the leverage of not being able to hold back themselves, they take away the decent items that somebody was wishing they could spot after saving up for months.
Misunderstanding
Caring for the environment is often used to justify the over consumption of thrifting, but it doesn’t change much if someone has to go buy new clothes because of somebody else’s spree. The majority of thrifters online are more invested in buying logos and brands than in making a conscious effort for the planet. Whatever modern-day thrifting has turned into is definitely far from what thrifting actually is. Anything thrifted means it was donated in the first place to be sold at a lower margin, for profit or not-for-profit. “Recommerce”, or selling previously owned products, is not what thrifting is, and this misunderstanding has led to the exploitation of the thrift market for those who actually survive off it.
Thrifting was meant to give second chances to clothes and to people. Stripped of that purpose, it has become yet another playground of privilege. If we cannot draw the line between livelihood and lifestyle, then perhaps the word “thrift” has already lost its meaning.
