Remember the song “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore? Wearing your granddad’s clothes is now in, as shopping second-hand is becoming more and more popular.

“It’s always been my hobby to go into stores and find these unique pieces for little to nothing,” says avid thrift shopper Anne Marie Toomer, “ in high school my friends and I would always go.”

With shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army, there is also another side to secondhand. Curated shops are on the rise, as they filter through the pre-owned clothes for you to find unique pieces. 

Jenny Salada and April Burger, co-owners of French Fried Vintage, talked about their way of finding the clothes worthy for their store. “ It started with our collecting and our collection…” Burger says, “ we’re lifers of thrifting.”

While both the co-owners and Toomer share the same opinion that second hand is cheaper, that is not the only cost to consider: the cost on the environment when producing new clothes. When talking about why thrifting is important, Solada said, “almost all styles end up recycling so there’s no need to produce more than is already existing here on Earth.”

French Fried Vintage is located off of North Central Street, and they make it a point to welcome all to their world of second hand. I hope you accept the challenge to find something while thrifting with only $20 in your pocket. 

Reporting