It wouldn’t be too hypothetical to say that the word “thrift” became part of our cultural memory when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ song ‘Thrift Shop’ hit the charts in 2012.
However, what if I told you that it is possible to dress yourselves up in high-end branded clothes for less than a thousand rupees and save the environment at the same time?
The word thrift comes from the middle English word called ‘thrifta,’ which means to ‘grasp’ or ‘get hold of.’ That’s ultimately what you have to do while thrift shopping – to get hold of the cheapest and amazing clothes before someone else does!
What Are Thrifted Clothes And Why Should India Thrift Shop?
The clothes that you would get in a thrift shop are pre-owned, but are still in good condition and cheaper than their original prices.
Some might find it absurd to wear clothes that have already been worn by someone else, but you should remember that even in shops that sell new clothes, you buy clothes that are tried on by other people in trial rooms. Also, clothes can always be washed.
India has been facing a crisis of waste for a long time. However, very less research has been done on how much textile waste India produces. There are no statistics available that determine how many garments go to waste. In fact, according to a report, India will need a landfill as big as New Delhi by 2050!
Sadly, India also imports defective and second-hand clothes from first-world countries, some of which are sold in stores. However, the rest of them go to waste. There is less awareness among citizens concerning this.
Read More: In Pics: These Posters Prove That Only Indians Have Innovative Ways To Recycle Their Used Clothes
Thrift shops are an effective solution to such a problem as they easily upcycle clothes that would have just gone into the bins and they don’t compromise on style as well!
Benefits Of Thrift Shopping
If you’re someone who does not wear a piece of garment more than ten times, then you could buy thrifted clothes instead of buying new ones since they are cheap, worn and branded. This can help instill in you better spending habits, instead of spending 5,000 rupees on one dress, you could buy ten!
Eventually, it may also inspire you to adopt a better relationship with your wardrobe – you could start thrifting your clothes as well. We could ultimately defeat multi-millionaire corporations by buying from them only when we require them.
Thrift shopping is also a good way to help your conscience because it allows you to help small-scale businesses thrive. Most of the pages on Instagram are started by homeworkers or young people who want to upcycle their clothes. You could be a good citizen by helping your community.
Ultimately, thrift shopping is an easier way to do your bit for the environment as such a practice eliminates a lot of waste. Manufacturing, producing, transporting and distributing clothes end up consuming a lot of energy as well. If you remember watching WALL-E, you would remember the nightmarish dystopia that landfills full of garbage created on Earth.
The COVID-19 lockdown witnessed a lot of online thrift stores on the rise in India. There are a lot of pages on Instagram that you can visit and start your shopping spree! Here are five pages where you can start from –
Lunoe.closet
They sell a variety of clothes ranging from corsets to long coats, and many of them are from international brands.
Swift_thrift._
You can visit this page for casual and simple pre-loved clothes.
Bombayclosetcleanse
They sell vintage clothes that are picked from around the world.
Bottomdrawervintage
This page is run by a mother and daughter who are working towards slow fashion.
Thrift_w_min
There are also pages that are aesthetically appealing!
There are also websites such as Kiabza who partner with non-profit organisations. Thrift shopping may be the best bet for us to save our planet whilst also satiating our fashion needs.
Image Credits: Google Images, Instagram
Sources: Hilaris Publisher, Vogue, Instagram
Find the Blogger: @aiswaryanil
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