essay thrift store

UC Berkeley’s Premier Undergraduate Economics Journal

Rise of Thrifting: Solution to Fast Fashion or Stealing from the Poor?

NANDITHA NAIR – NOVEMBER 19TH, 2019                                                                                       EDITOR: ABHISHEK ROY

Prior to the industrialization of the fashion industry, the lower classes relied on homespun fabrics which were made through hand warping, a time-consuming process. These items were mended, reused, resized, and remade into new pieces until they were beyond wear—and even then, those scraps were used to stuff furniture. Even for the rich, consumption of fashion was quite limited. Any reader of Edith Wharton can tell you that the affluent and elegant ladies of the West in the late 19th century made, at most, an annual trip to the world’s fashion capital in Paris to buy the following year’s wardrobe, and that quality was always valued over quantity.

However, with the development of new technologies such as the spinning jenny, the sewing machine, and a system of standard sizing, it became possible for ready-made clothing to be manufactured en masse at low costs and sold at cheap prices. Naturally, as prices—at least outside of haute couture—dropped, consumption patterns also evolved. Lower prices meant that clothes were now considered more disposable, even for those in lower income brackets. Mainstream clothes manufacturers responded in turn to this change in mentality by churning out more and more “seasons” or sets of styles—from 11 to 52 seasons a year by 2014 —resulting in the highly consumerist “fast fashion” industry of today, where keeping up with the latest trends is the order of the day. With such fleeting fads dictating purchasing habits, gone were the days of buying pieces that could last half a lifetime. 

The 19th century industrial revolution, along with making manufacturing and consumption cheaper, created highly populated urban centers that produced large amounts of waste in a limited space. Consequently, central waste management systems were implemented by governments to deal with increasingly consumerist lifestyles and to improve sanitation and health. As waste disposal systems developed in the United States under the likes of pioneers such as Waring in the late 1800s, second-hand clothing stores and pawnshops began to appear in response to textile wastes. Despite hygiene concerns and racial stigmas which discouraged buying second-hand, these resale stores were well established by the 1920s and continued to grow with immigrant populations, whose main business involved peddling, after tailoring (p. 29, Le Zotte) . This was in part thanks to the efforts of charity stores run by Christian organisations such as the Salvation Army, which helped further destigmatize the practice of buying second-hand. Since then, “thrift stores,” as they have come to be known, have had a stable role in American society.

But in the past decade, thrifting has taken on a completely new life, especially among individuals of Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2010. The reasons behind the rise of thrifting are numerous. For one, the fast fashion industry has faced persistent scrutiny in the past decade following numerous controversies regarding the unethical treatment of its workers and unsafe working conditions in garment factories, most notably after the 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh. These revelations have encouraged discourse amongst the global consumer base about the ethics of fast fashion consumption, discouraging the practice in favor of circular fashion, and have resulted in greater transparency regarding garment supply chains from brands, such as H&M and Gap.

Secondly, Gen Z and Gen Y are, reportedly , more concerned about climate change compared to older generations. According to McKinsey’s “The State of  Fashion 2019” report , “Nine in ten Generation Z consumers believe companies have a responsibility to address environmental and social issues.”  Across all industries, companies have not been blind to the impact of these environmental interests on consumer choices. In the fashion industry, many of the hottest brands on the market (in terms of editorial recognition and celebrity endorsements), such as Reformation and Everlane, are ones that strive to treat their workers ethically, to minimize the consumption of resources such as water, and to reduce their environmental impact by using recycled fabrics and less toxic production methods. However, these sustainable and ethical brands are often much pricier than their fast-fashion counterparts. Thrift stores, therefore, service the environmentally and ethically conscious consumers of today who do not have the resources to buy from such brands.

Lastly, the internet has played a critical role in the rise of thrifting. The pressure to stay trendy is inevitable in a market where mainstream brands like Zara and H&M ship out new styles to stores biweekly, weekly, or even daily . Social media giants like Instagram and Youtube have no doubt reinforced these societal pressures, resulting in consumption habits that have been both unhealthy for both our bank accounts and the Earth. However, popular social media accounts like bestdressed , which showcase thrift-shopping finds and DIYs, have conversely increased the popularity of buying second-hand in order to maintain a trendy image on a tight budget. In addition, online second-hand resale platforms like ThredUP and mobile resale apps like Depop, have supported the shift towards thrifting. The McKinsey report on Generation Z identified its tendency to view consumption as “an expression of individual identity” and its appreciation of uniqueness. Thrift stores, with their one-of-a-kind donated pieces, therefore cater to these desires in a way that mainstream brands cannot.

All this seems like cause for celebration or, at the very least, lends some support to any self-perceived moral superiority held by Gen Z. However, what does all this mean for low-income consumers for whom the concept of thrifting was created in the first place? 

The rising popularity of thrifting among more wealthy consumers as an alternative to buying from sustainable and ethical fashion brands reduces the already limited options available to low-income communities when it comes to clothing. Thrifting no longer carries strong taboos of uncleanliness and poverty as it had in the past. So, in the name of eco-consciousness, many demographics that could afford to splurge on high-quality, low-impact purchases are deciding to thrift instead. This means there are less quality items left on the thrift store shelves for those who truly have no other affordable options, say, for buying professional attire that could mean the difference between impressing or crashing at a job interview. 

In addition, larger sizes are rare in thrift stores, just as they are in brand-name stores. Since the poor are disproportionately more obese than the rich , one has to be especially conscious of the effect of thrifting on such pieces. For all their online hype, DIY-ing clothing projects popularised online by creators like coolirpa often rely on thrifting plus-size clothing and crafting them into more stylish pieces meant for thin bodies. Such that, even if one does place these newly styled items back on the thrift market, they now serve a considerably smaller and more privileged demographic.

Furthermore, many individuals exploit their online popularity to make businesses out of reselling thrifted items at marked-up prices. Depop is notorious for this—some of its most popular users, who started out simply revamping their wardrobe on the cheap, now go thrifting exclusively to find items to resell for a profit on the app. Unique and vintage items at affordable prices targeted towards underprivileged and marginalized communities then end up on an online marketplace that serves both consumers looking to dress respectably on a budget and those who are invested in finding a unique look for any price. This is especially problematic when one considers that the privileged are at an advantage when engaging in such ‘entrepreneurial’ activities, which require the time-consuming practice of sifting through thrift stores and the time-flexibility of being able to visit these stores soon after they are restocked, which working individuals simply do not have. Popular users on the platform, like Bella McFadden aka “Internet Girl” and Celia Hodgson, started off selling unwanted pieces at large markups. One popular seller explains that her sale of a pair of trousers bought at £10 and sold on Depop for £45 was what got her into the business. The time and energy invested by such users into finding rare pieces and curating styles warrants a markup in prices, similar to sneaker resale markets where individuals like Josh Luber stand in queues for days to buy limited edition shoes and resell them for a profit. However, the moral question of how high that profit should be allowed to go requires serious thought, considering that such activity excludes lower-income communities from products which they otherwise had access to.

And if that wasn’t enough, the rise of thrifting may be cause for spending practices to shift even more towards quantity over quality. Since the value we place on items is often a reflection of their price, getting cheap finds at thrift stores may contribute to a culture of not maintaining and caring for the items that we buy, at least when it comes to higher-income consumer brackets. The high transactional utility , a concept which describes the happiness derived from getting a purchase at a discounted price, involved in thrifting can also lead to more purchases, eco-friendly or not. This works decidedly against any minimalist ideologies that proponents of thrifting often praise. Furthermore, combined with the idea that thrifting ‘ saves the planet ,’ the current popularity of thrifting could be a recipe for guilt-free and highly consumerist shopping habits under the guise of social awareness. 

On the whole, resale apps like Depop and thrifting present an optimistic change. The rise of thrifting entails an increase in donated materials, which requires that the consumer base also increases alongside it in order to prevent excess supply from going to landfills or being sent to the third world, where they saturate clothing markets and prevent the local clothing industries from flourishing . More purchases are not necessarily an issue as long as these are recirculated into the thrift market rather than ending up in the trash (i.e., the practices of donation and thrifting go hand in hand). Some thrift stores also actively combat class privilege by ensuring that poor communities get first pick of incoming stock. And if the stores in question are also non-profits which reinvest into the development of poor communities —like Goodwill and Housing Works (compared to for-profit thrift stores, such as Savers and Buffalo Exchange)—that gives even more reason to support the shift to thrifting. In conclusion, both store owners and individual consumers must recognize their privilege when participating on the second-hand market in order to ensure that communities in need are being served alongside any strides made towards environmental friendliness.

Featured Image Source:  9Lives

Disclaimer: The views published in this journal are those of the individual authors or speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of Berkeley Economic Review staff, the Undergraduate Economics Association, the UC Berkeley Economics Department and faculty,  or the University of California, Berkeley in general.

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6 thoughts on “rise of thrifting: solution to fast fashion or stealing from the poor”.

This is the perfect blog for anyone who wants to know about this topic. The article is nice and it’s pleasant to read. I have known very important things over here. Thank you so much for this post.

Thank you so much for this article. I tend to congratulate myself on cheap finds at the thrift store without thinking twice about the class privilege and consumerist habits I’ve brought into these spaces. It is commendable that Gen Z is striving to consume fashion more ethically and responsibly, but we still have a long way to go.

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Not a single claim was backed up. I’m open to the idea that trendy thrifting affects socioeconomically underprivileged individuals but every claim in this article might as well be opinions and hypotheticals.

I want to thank you for your time for this wonderful Article!!

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Thrifting Culture Explained: why thrifting is so popular and where to grab trendy vintage finds

With the safety of in-person shopping and clothing stores up in the air for the next few months, sellers are scraping for new ways to stay afloat, and buyers are seeking a respite from online shopping. The Collective Vintage, a curated vintage clothing store, is leading this innovative group in Music City. 

Located on the corner of 21st and Belcourt, their pop-up vintage t-shirt store allows shoppers the safety of the outdoors and the unique thrill of thrifting combined every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

According to sellers Matt Wygant and Carter Stevens, The Collective’s pop-up vintage is a collaboration between multiple vintage clothing sellers that started about a year ago. Each tent belongs to an individual seller, but all the sellers trade and source together given the communal nature between local thrift stores, Stevens said. Looking at others’ finds was how he found a niche early in his career and most thrifters gain inspiration from each other. Stevens would “watch videos of what others were finding” online to see where to go and what to grab. 

In addition to the local thrifting scene, online communities are prevalent through websites and apps such as eBay, Etsy and Depop. According to Stevens, there has been a noticeable increase in online traffic since the beginning of the pandemic. He attributes exclusivity of items, a (somewhat) affordable price range and the sustainable nature of thrifting as motivations that have fostered new excitement in the thrifting scene. This added traffic, in combination with recent pop culture moments, have transformed the typically underground nature of thrifting. 

“It’s pop culture people,” Wygant said. “People like Travis Scott will wear a vintage shirt and post a picture on Instagram, and immediately that shirt will skyrocket to 500 bucks when originally it’s a 20 dollar shirt.”   

Sellers and buyers are constantly outbidding each other online into the thousands of dollars for a t-shirt that may have sold for a fraction of the original price. Wygant pulled some vintage Bart Simpson shirts, a Batman themed racing tee and a 1990 Grateful Band tee which, if sold as a collection, could fetch thousands of dollars in certain online bubbles, he said.

The conversation surrounding the gentrification of the thrifting market as a reaction to sales similar to those mentioned above is one heard often and loudly in the thrifting community, Wygant said.

“I see it as I’m running a business,” Wygant said. “You know what you’re looking at, and you know what it’s worth. And if it’s worth something to you and it isn’t to someone else, well that’s just the way it goes.” 

Relying on Goodwill and local thrift stores, often the nexus of gentrification conversations, is not a preferred way of sourcing, according to Wygant and Stevens. Many vendors depend on these locations, but they’ve become packed with bored teens throughout the pandemic, creating an unsafe environment. Instead, the pair look to shops that do buyout deals, shipping bulk loads overseas at cheap prices, estate sales and garage sales as alternatives more suited for their selling purposes, Stevens said. 

In terms of environmentalism, it is essential that The Collective members are ethical and using sustainable practices, Wygant said. The fast fashion industry’s waste and damage to the environment often acts as the driving force for people to turn to thrifting. 

“It shouldn’t be a trend to be ethical, it shouldn’t be a trend to want to act upon the problems in the world right now,” Wygant said. “If I can find something recycled and make something out of that, that’s what’s important to me.”

Wygant has numerous tips for those focused on finding exclusive pieces. He focuses on stitching, tags and if the piece was made in the United States (as the latter usually indicates an older piece). Wygant also suggested getting acquainted with dates of shows, movies, events and sports to understand if the shirts are genuine or masquerading as a lowly reprint. 

But ultimately, the relationships Wygant has built with fellow community members as well as global clients has been the most rewarding and beneficial aspect to boosting his collection, he said. 

“[Selling thrifted pieces] is nice because you bridge that gap across older generations with our connection over these common interests and items,” Wygant said. 

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Essay: Thrift Stor(i)es

Nüvoices - march 9, 2020 march 9, 2020.

BY GRACE OUYANG

Nonnative is a new series of personal essays on the Asian American experience with a focus on Chinese culture by Grace Ouyang, a writer based in Brooklyn. 

Follow the newsletter here to get each new essay in your inbox: https://nonnative.substack.com/ 

In Chinese culture, wearing second-hand clothes is taboo. I remember once running to my room to hide the thrifted sweater I had just purchased to avoid getting scolded by my mom. I still love that 100% lambswool sweater except for the fact it smells like mothballs and old perfume in someone else’s closet even after a few washes. In the smell, I can already hear her disapproving comments on my fashion choices (W hat’s wrong with buying new clothes? It’s not much more expensive  and  I wouldn’t touch someone else’s used clothes even if they were free ).

My family owns a laundromat in Queens. They once hosted a garage sale for clothing people left behind or never came to pick up. Each piece on the clothing rack outside the front entrance was sold for ten dollars. I remember my dad told us how surprised he was that everything sold out quickly. He was bewildered at Americans actually paying money for secondhand clothes. He even admitted to being tempted by a high-quality leather jacket but decided against it in the end. Taking it home would be way too out of his comfort zone.

I wore hand-me-downs from relatives and family friends when I was smaller. Somehow, it’s fine to wear clothes from family and people you know but not from strangers. My mom has an overabundance of clothes and enjoys giving old pieces to her sisters. My current clothing cleanse comes from seeing how much necessary clothing she piles up and from Marie Kondo’s influence. Still, my mom is appalled to find out I am shopping at thrift stores. My parents aren’t persuaded by the appeal of environmentally friendly living and blending in with white hipsters.

There are a few theories on why wearing secondhand clothes is considered inauspicious in Chinese culture. The obvious one is a matter of “losing face”, or humiliation, in not being able to afford brand new clothing. It could also concern over hygiene. I suspect a major cause of aversion to secondhand clothes is a deep-seated fear of wearing a dead person’s clothes. A person’s aura becomes attached to their possessions and stays even after the person dies. Ghosts are often drawn to their possessions again*. That could explain why most clothing and possessions are burned during funerals in Chinese culture. If you’re asking me, the ghosts are sounding a bit materialistic. If I had to be a ghost, I would rather choose to do fun things like haunting the MTA along the entire 7 train line instead of finding the next owner of my yoga pants.

The joy of shopping at a thrift store is the adrenaline rush of “getting lucky” in finding something you like that fits. If it’s true L Train Vintage sources their clothing from nursing homes as Instagrammers claim, then thrift stores must be filled with ghosts that feel attached to their belongings. Perhaps the ghosts are just untold stories. We fear the clothing piece’s unknown history, a gap left to be filled by only our imaginations.

About the author

Grace  Ouyang is a writer from Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of New York City public schools including Macaulay Honors College at CUNY. She wants to become familiar enough with dog breeds to instantly recognize them on the street and is still working on a plan to initiate a socializing MTA subway car.

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Essay | Can thrifting combat fast fashion?

Found in the Goodwill bins, costing less than $5, and customized with paint pens by myself (left), and my friend Surana (right) [@Suranamacfarlane] Instagram. These beat-up Nike sneakers exemplify the endless potential that lies in pre-loved items. (Madison Paulus)

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The reality that the amount of water needed to make just one pair of my jeans could sustain me for 10 years seems unbelievable. If only we could swap jeans with water bills.

I was five years old when I faced the quantity of my consumption as my mom had me partake in my first annual Goodwill run, in an attempt to save my old clothes from an eternity in landfills . Little did I know the rolling hills of clothes strewn about my bedroom floor awaiting bagging were a portion of the 60 million tons of clothing purchased annually . 

Threading through history

Thrifting, the process of purchasing donated and often used items, including clothing , is deeply rooted in my family. I interviewed my grandma, Connie Northern, to gain further insight into my family history surrounding thrifting. My grandma’s childhood recollections include a rag man who gathered waste fabric donations and communal thrift networks where her friends were able to donate their clothes to poorer peers. Thrifting in the United States spans further back, with Goodwill and St. Vincent De Paul beginning at the turn of the 20th century .

However, the mainstream introduction of thrifting was birthed from societal developments such as Progressivism and Populism, particularly from their focuses on morals and money, during the period between the First World War and the Great Depression. Today, the global thrifting industry is worth an estimated $14.4 billion . 

My experience at age five grew into a passion for thrifting, although recently I have bought fast fashion due to the lack of affordable and accessible thrift stores in Washington DC. I have been curious about the impact that thrifting has on combating fast fashion and clothing waste, given that in each second it takes you to read this, a garbage truck load of fashion waste is burned or piled onto already mountainous landfills. Fast fashion consists of business strategies including mass over-production and the rapid cycling of products reflecting trends.

Fast fashion and sustainability

Fashion brands have shifted from four annual fashion cycles to 50 or more, producing 100 billion clothing items, 50 billion of which are disposed of, most worn only seven times . In addition to the accessible, trendy, and affordable nature of fast fashion products; global economic development, higher living standards, and social media has all been additional driving contributors to fast fashion by quickening the pace of fashion trends through platforms with widespread visibility. 

Along with the growing presence of fast fashion since the 1990s, the production of fibers used to produce woven materials (textiles) used for clothes has also increased. These fibers include polyester and nylon, derived from fossil fuels, and contain microplastics that eventually make their way into our environment, according to Sharon George , research chair at Keele University focusing on green technology and environmental sustainability.

In addition to the waste and use of fossil fuels and plastic, fast fashion has broad environmental implications regarding land use, water consumption, and chemical pollution. Production of natural fibers such as cotton causes deforestation, overgrazing, and leakage of chemicals and pesticides into the environment through the excessive agricultural practices employed to meet demand . 

Back to jeans, the water consumption from the clothing industry is absurd, with estimates ranging from 20 trillion liters to 215 trillion liters  annually , amplifying water scarcity and pollution. A variety of different chemicals are also utilized throughout the production process, with estimates of the total kinds varying from 8,000 to 20,000 .

Many of these chemicals pose risks to environmental and human health, exemplified by polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS ), which “are immune hazards to the human population,” commonly used for water-proofing or stain-proofing, all while contaminating the environment, water , and our bodies . Despite the United States containing only 4.2% of the world’s population, we make up 14% of the world’s demand for textiles. The burden is most heavy on low-income countries producing the bulk of clothing products in high demand among the wealthy. 

Of the 15% of clothing waste saved from disposal through donation, only one-fifth is sold to the public , while the rest is sold to industries to be repurposed, some ending up in landfills regardless. Despite the risk of donated items eventually being disposed of, the social impacts of donating clothing are overall positive, including increases in employment opportunities often among marginalized populations, support for charity fundraising efforts, enhancing clothing circularity, and limiting waste. 

Thrifting also combats waste and its environmental effects, exemplified by Salvation Army thrift stores preventing 82 million pounds of fashion waste from ending up in landfills in 2018 alone. Public education is critical in limiting textile waste and its environmental impacts through increasing rates of involvement in the thrift economy . 

Is thrifting the answer?

I am motivated by these findings to obtain most of my clothing through thrifting whilst in Washington D.C. While it has been difficult to find a good thrift store in D.C. in my budget, I am determined to regain power in individualizing my consumption and doing what I can to combat the negative effects of the fast fashion industry  while reconnecting with my artistic side. Growing up in Seattle among the seemingly infinite sea of Goodwills, my favorite pastime was customizing thrifted pieces with materials such as bleach, acrylic paint, sewing, and more .

Understanding the degree to which fast fashion consumption contributes to environmental degradation and the climate crisis incentivized me to further research accessible thrift stores, and I have found two of my favorites, Value Village and Buffalo Exchange just outside the city . A practice that grew from necessity has since developed into a desirable activity closely linked to individual identities . The thrift economy depends on consumers like myself and the other 16-18% of American thrifters , to both donate and consume, while incentivizing others to participate. Partaking in the thrift economy provides a unique sense of satisfaction that is difficult to obtain from purchasing and discarding new items of clothing.

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Thrifting Trend Among College Students May Help Save the Planet

by M. Blessing Akeju | Jan 17, 2022 | Article , Education , Hudson , New Jersey , Sustainable Business , Waste | 0 comments

Buffalo Exchange in New York. Photo courtesy of Buffalo Exchange Marketing.

While it used to be seen as a choice for low-income and older people, the increase in thrifting for Gen Z and younger can be attributed to several factors, including social media. Apps such as Tiktok, Youtube, and Instagram all have flashy videos of students showing off vintage items from their last thrifting haul.

The demographic for thrift stores has shifted to include undergraduate and high school students who are looking for a quality retro jacket or a rare style of jeans. At a thrift store, they can get items at a fraction of the price they would pay at a retail store. Recently, the younger audience has realized that thrifting is a cost-friendly way to expand their wardrobes with staple clothing and one-of-a-kind statement pieces. Now, it is viewed as an exciting activity to take part in with friends.

Fashion resale might seem like an unlikely industry to flourish during a global pandemic, but the internet thrift store ThredUp, for example, has seen a 31 percent increase since the first COVID-19 lockdown.

But while students may be thrifting solely because it is popular, experts say it is a trend that should be cultivated and continued because of the environmental impact. Thrifting is a practice that leads to less waste and can even guide people into buying less.

Aarian Frye from the thrift store chain Buffalo Exchange said, “Back when we first started in 1974, we had more of a niche customer base and there was more of a stigma against secondhand clothing. These days, though, secondhand shopping is becoming the norm and, in many cases, preferred to buying brand-new because of the wide variety of clothing available and the affordability.” Frye said that thrifting has no downsides because it allows thrifters to keep up with the latest styles while simultaneously reducing levels of textile waste that often ends up in landfills. Buffalo Exchange has 43 stores in the United States, including 6 locations in New York, where customers can buy, sell, or trade clothing.

According to Frye, thrifting is more than a passing trend, as it has environmental benefits: “The fashion industry accounts for about 10 percent of global emissions and tons of clothing ends up in landfills every year. Moving towards sustainable practices like thrifting and upcycling clothing is a great way to keep clothing out of landfills and combat environmental pollution since buying secondhand reduces the carbon emissions and water waste that comes with producing new clothing.”

Fast fashion, while considered convenient, wastes great amounts of packing material and fabric. The existence of fast fashion, along with the fashion cycle, pressures people to purchase excessive amounts of clothing. Much of it is thrown away after being worn once or twice since it is generally low quality. Clothing that people give to thrift shops has likely already withstood several years with the original owner without becoming damaged. As a result, thrift store items are usually more durable. Besides, most thrifters know to select well-made items.

On the other hand, thrifting can be a hard habit to keep up with since it’s more difficult to find items in the right size, and not everyone lives near a thrift store with low prices.

James MacKinnon, the author of the book The Day the World Stops Shopping, said “Thrifting itself is not enough, but it can be effective if it’s moved in certain ways. If the trend of thrifting pushes us towards a culture where it’s more acceptable to wear older clothing [and] it’s possible for us to hang on to clothing for a longer period of time, not participating in the constant acceleration of fashion cycles… that would have an impact.”

MacKinnon said that if people want to reduce their impact, they have to consciously purchase fewer items. “If people combine thrifting with reducing the number of articles of clothing they are buying, that would make a difference. If people focus on buying durable thrifted clothing as opposed to disposable thrifted clothing, that would make a difference because they could keep them for a longer period of time.”

It appears that young people have to do their own research or ask some savvy friends to understand how to approach thrifting and its environmental effects. But, are people thrifting because they think it is good for the Earth, or do they simply want to take advantage of low prices and follow their peers until the next clothing trend?

New Jersey City University (NJCU) junior Gabriel Petruziello said he has brought some of his own clothes to thrift stores and also said he had seen his friends thrifting and wearing second-hand clothing. Petruziello was asked whether he believes students are thrifting for the long-term due to environmental concerns, or whether he thinks it is a temporary fad. Petruziello said, “I try to stick to it, but I don’t really know about other people. I hope they do.”

Why is Thrifting Good for the Planet?

Thrifting is an environmentally conscious habit for several reasons. Sold in retail stores and online, fast fashion requires a large amount of energy and plastic waste to produce, sell, and internationally transport new, identical items of clothing. Some of the energy used to produce these items are non-renewable resources, which often leave the environment worse off. Thrifting is a much greener option since it doesn’t directly promote the creation of new materials.

In addition, when people choose to thrift, fewer chemical pollutants are created. Goodwill’s website says, “When it comes to clothing, textiles need to be grown using pesticides, and then those fabrics are treated with harsh chemicals and dyes that can be not only harmful to the environment but also to our health. When we create synthetic fabrics, greenhouse gases are released which contribute to climate change. These chemicals contaminate our water, soil, and air, and this can impact wildlife and the quality of many resources we use to survive”.

Such chemicals are harmful to animals and humans because of bioaccumulation. When plants and animals we may eat are contaminated by chemicals, we end up with a greater amount of those toxins in our bodies.

When asked how he feels about people giving up their sustainable behaviors after trends are over, Petruziello said, “I’m scared about the future of the Earth. More could definitely be done, we just need to stick to good habits.”

Educating Students About Environmentally Friendly Behaviors

Young people may eventually abandon their thrifting habits because they don’t recognize the environmental benefits. They also may not see the need to consume less, especially when they are constantly pushed to consume more. MacKinnon said, “Really powerful forces compel us to consume, including the fashion cycle, advertising, the global production of goods that make them gradually become cheaper. At this point, the most important thing is education and stirring conversation about how consumption itself is a problem.”

Mass consumption is the greatest threat to the planet currently. MacKinnon said that it is crucial for young people to make a movement out of the issue. This begins with research and small groups of people committing to making greener choices daily. It snowballs into organizations pushing for widespread change. Young people need to write about it, discuss it with friends, and use social media to spread awareness, educating their peers.

“It is really good to see that there are signs that this generation may be one that brings the issue of overconsumption back to the table since it is the biggest driver of our environmental crises,” MacKinnon also said. The issue is how the information will be given to young people, who could work together to accomplish this task.

To avoid environmental collapse, environmental experts and common people alike agree that drastic change is necessary. Many are beginning to see the reason for switching up their daily habits. If one person can convince a handful of others to consider thrifting and how to practice it in an environmentally conscious way, then others may begin to do the same.

Places To Go Thrifting

Buffalo Exchange: Website and Locations

Another Man’s Treasure: Website

ThredUp: Website

Goodwill: Website

Salvation Army

The Gothic Rack:  The Gothic Rack provides professional clothing options for NJCU students, both slightly used and unused, for special events such as interviews, work, and careers fairs. It is located in GSUB room 211. More information can be found on the NJCU website .

New Jersey City University’s Gothic Rack is located in GSUB room 211. Photo by David Wilson.

This story was produced in collaboration with CivicStory ( CivicStory.org )  and the NJ Sustainability Reporting project ( SRHub.org ) .

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by M. Blessing Akeju, New Jersey Sustainability Reporting Hub January 17, 2022

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Thrift Store Impact to Local Community, Essay Example

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In order to receive increased support from local community, the management of SMCA needs to do two things: create awareness of the impact customers can make in lives of students who need funding of school, and to reduce prices in order to attract more customers and supporters.

By creating awareness of the store’s aims, missions, and vision, donations can be increased significantly (Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation, 2002). This will, itself make the store become more appealing to shoppers in the area. However, many of the customers are also comparing different used merchandise stores, based on quality of service, layout, and price of the items. Having enough merchandise is not enough; it is important that the management listens to feedback from customers, makes the layout of the store more shopper-friendly.

Further, involving more young people, current or past students and school volunteers in running the shop can create a positive image within the community. Past students can talk to customers about how the money is used, how it helps current students from low income families get an education.

Engaging college staff, students, and parents in redesigning the facilities in the store, creating a plan for changing the layout, and carrying out the project will create greater awareness, resulting in free word-of-mouth advertisement. Higher community engagement will result in more customers, and if the management is able to constantly monitor prices, seek feedback on customers’ shopping experience, a two-way communication can be utilized to improve the image of the store (Wodon & Wodon, 2013).

It is also recommended that newly recruited volunteers design posters or signs to be displayed in the store or the shop front to inform potential customers about the mission the store serves.

Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation (2002) When good work makes good sense: social purpose business case studies. Retrieved from http://www.proveandimprove.org/documents/good_work.pdf

Wodon, D. & Wodon, N. (2013) Analyzing the determinants of individual sales at nonprofit thrift stores: a case study for Martha’s Outfitters in Washington, DC Washington International School, Washington, DC, June 1, 2013 Retrieved from http://www.amstat.org/education/posterprojects/projects/2013/SecondPlace7-9.pdf

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‘I’m gonna pop some tags’: the pros and cons of thrifting

May 9, 2022

By Em Grybko

If you walk through the halls of any college or high school campus, you’ll see hundreds  of students, and many teachers, donning their secondhand thrift finds. On a weekend you’ll find  flocks of young people looking through the racks at Goodwill or Salvation Army for the prized item they’ve searched so hard to find. 

Thrift shopping and second-hand shopping is by no means a new experience, but in recent years, especially with recent focus on environmentalism and sustainability, there has been a massive boom in thrift store patrons. 

I spoke to ARHS students and many prospective Mount Holyoke College students (where I’ll be attending college next year to learn more about people’s experiences with thrift shopping – as well as some of the controversies and criticism. 

While results were extremely unique, there were some common threads found in the responses. Some shoppers have been thrifting for only a few years, while others have been going their whole lives. Rachel Adler, a senior at The Madeira School in Virginia, said she has been thrifting for “most of my life.”

“My mom taught me how to sew at age 8 and we love upcycling together,” she added.  

The styles that people look for differ depending on the person. Grace Robes-Kenworthy, an ARHS senior, shops for basics. “I look for jeans, flannels, or sweaters,” she said. Others have specific styles they aim for, such as Caroline, a recently graduated student who hopes to land things that are “punk and comfortable.” 

Senior Allison Houn bought her prom dress from a Depop seller. (Depop is a second-hand clothing site). She likes buying second-hand because of the cost and the exclusivity of items. “It’s cheaper, and people most likely won’t have it,” she said. 

Responses were mostly positive, but many people also noted the downsides of thrifting. Despite the benefits of thrift shopping for the environment and our wallets, some thrift shoppers have been calling attention to the harmful effects of an increase in second-hand shopping and reselling. 

In an article titled “How Thrifting Became Problematic,” Vox journalist Terry Nguyen points out the concern over upper and middle-class resellers and “haulers” or people that buy many secondhand clothes that they will not wear. This has led to essentially the gentrification of thrift stores in low-income areas. 

Online reselling sites such as Depop, Mercari, and Poshmark have made the reselling market skyrocket with new sellers, especially during a pandemic, when people are looking for ways to make some extra cash from home.

On Depop, users can create their own shops and sell clothes that they have thrifted or made themselves. Although this provides the opportunity for young people (90% of Depop sellers are under the age of 26) to generate income, the concern is that this buying and marking up the prices is driving the cost of thrift store merchandise to increase while also depleting the clothing available to shoppers with less access to wealth.  

ARHS students indicated that they do not resell clothes that they buy. Out of the youth I interviewed, only one person said that they sell second-hand. 

Rey Watson, a junior in high school, said, “I usually wear them first or I’ll resell them if they don’t fit, I don’t buy clothes just to sell them.”

Although it is easy to see resellers as a target, there has been no indication that individual shops are driving the prices of thrift stores to increase. Instead, this is likely a result of company greed. Large store corporations, although associated with charity and helping others, are still companies, and still aim to make a profit. If the consumers of a store are willing to pay higher prices for clothing, then the stores will take advantage of this and raise the costs.

“Thrifting certain items (like winter coats) can also take them away from people who need them because they can’t afford anything else,” said Kali, a high school senior.  

Some critics are quick to point out that second-hand buying and selling was never about the altruistic reasons associated with it, and that this isn’t a new conversation. 

Additionally, there is no shortage of critiques on the politics of popular second-hand stores. “A lot of thrift stores like Salvation Army and Goodwill have some bad business practices, such as donating to right-wing causes, underpaying disabled workers, and selling bulk clothes to developing countries, undermining their local industries,” said Kali, and some of them also espouse anti-LGBTQ ideology, 

Many thrift stores receive more donations than they can process, and a majority of donated clothes are shipped overseas for low prices or sent to landfills. And although second-hand clothes shoppers may critique the overconsumption associated with reselling, many point out that this practice markets second-hand clothing to those who previously wouldn’t buy used clothes – people with access to wealth. 

Consumers are drawn to calls of “vintage” or “trendy” clothes, and suddenly those ordinary 2000s low-rise jeans can be sold for upwards of $400 dollars. “Retro aesthetics are co-opted once enough consumers think it looks cool, ” said Jennifer Le Zotte, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Terry Nguyen’s Vox article. 

Sites like Depop have a largely unregulated structure. This paired with young consumers’ minimal knowledge of determining true vintage items from the mass sold on second-hand sites, may lead consumers into paying too much for ordinary clothes. 

However, many shop owners note that the majority of these sellers are young women who are trying to make a profit with what they have available to them.

While Alvin Phin criticized resellers and overbuying and said he hopes they will “try to keep it ethical,” he still uses thrift shopping as a tactic to “avoid fast fashion.”

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Price Gouging the Poor: The Rising Prices in Thrift Stores

Goodwill Industries’ prices are increasing, hurting the lower class

Manifa Baghomian , Staff Writer | November 18, 2020

A decade ago, shopping second hand wasn’t something people bragged about. Thrift stores were seen as unsanitary, children who had to wear secondhand clothing were mocked in school, and as a whole, it was a symbol of poverty. Thanks to the millennial and Gen Z population, there has been a cultural shift on the act of shopping second hand, which is now associated with environmental sustainability, an exciting pursuit to shop for unique items, and a positive outlook on frugality. However, thrift stores across the country have been increasing their prices at the detriment of the lower class, and consumers don’t know who to blame.

Secondhand shopping is a growing industry, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, total employment in the thrift store industry in the United States is more than 170,000 people, with a significant bump of 28% occurring between 2007-2012. When regular businesses grow to such a scale, a large portion of their income becomes designated toward taxes. But in the case of non-profit organizations such as thrift stores, they are exempt from federal income taxes under subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Service tax code. In addition, second-hand shops receive their products for free; after all, we’re the ones who donate to them. Thrift stores still need to pay for their employees’ wages, the rent to operate in a physical store, and the costs of loading and unloading products across different locations, but by design, they have a profitable business model. Many consumers argue that those operating costs shouldn’t have changed throughout the years, but the prices on the goods have, so what gives? 

As stated by the Association of Resale Professionals , one of the most profitable thrift stores is Goodwill Industries, which is responsible for about one-third of all thrift store industry revenues in the United States. Therefore, Goodwill serves as a model for other second-hand stores, and their price increases throughout the years might not seem drastic to those who can afford it but are damaging to people in poverty . As a non-profit, they must report how valuable each item is to the IRS so their donors can deduct their contributions from their taxes. This shows proof of how much the prices have increased over the years. One valuation guide from 2010 shows all of their goods valued with flat rates, with examples such as $4.00 for shirts, $6.00 for jeans, and $6.00 for shoes. In a 2020 valuation guide, the costs range from $2–12.00 for women’s shirts, $4–21.00 for jeans, and $4–9.00 for tennis shoes because there are also price differences on the style of garments, and whether they belong in the men or women’s sections of the store. Many of these prices have doubled, if not tripled or quadrupled.

Their response to the rising prices of goods is that they are simply responding to the cost of expansion and labor. “ The primary reason for the change, which we publicized in all our stores beginning Dec. 1 [of 2016], is that our operational costs have increased due to changes in health care, Department of Labor regulations, wages and benefits, insurance and other related expenses,” said Jaymie Eichorn, a spokeswoman for Goodwill of Northwest North Carolina.

Furthermore, to gauge the way they should calculate the increased value of their secondhand goods, Goodwill Industries conducted a “competitive market study” to compare their prices to that of other thrift stores, including for-profit stores, which create a generous margin that Goodwill may use to price their items.

With the extra revenue from these rates, one would hope Goodwill Industries, like all other non-profit thrift shops, is giving back to their community through equity and outreach programs. However, the impact of the increase in valuation on secondhand goods has real-world effects on low-income families who rely on thrift shopping to replace their old work shoes, furnish their homes, and clothe their children. In a study on the correlation between impoverished familie s and secondhand shopping, Spencer James from Brigham Young Universit y writes, “When housing and other costs increase without a concomitant augmentation of salary or wages, families may obtain more items in [secondhand shops], where sales tax is generally not charged, and merchandise is typically priced below retail value. Both of these strategies can aid households in their efforts to stretch the family dollar”, so keeping the prices accessible should be the top priority. At the end of the day, it is unclear whether the extra profit that Goodwill and other thrift stores have been earning is worth the impact on the community.

Manifa Baghomian can be reached at: [email protected]

• high prices

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Thrifting: Sustainable or Just a Trend?

• Samantha Hall
• Anna-Becca Chester

Thrifting: Is it the answer to textile waste or just another trend? This research is an examination of how today’s generation uses the practice of thrifting versus the environmentally beneficial origins of second-hand clothing. In recent years, teens and young adults have been making a profit through purchasing low-cost items from thrift stores and reselling them on popular websites at a much higher cost. This brings up the potential issue of gentrification wherein the thrifting experience has become something of privilege (Abdellatif et al., 2020 p. 51), rather than just an eco-friendly or low-budget approach to shopping. At the basis of it all is whether or not these consumers care about the environmental impact of their habits or if it is all about staying trendy. Results from the research explore the psychology behind this trend-driven consumerism, sustainable shopping habits, and how this idea of reselling thrifted items will impact sustainability in the future.

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Regardless of how high you rate your writing skills, it's always a good idea to check out an expertly written College Essay example, especially when you're dealing with a sophisticated Thrift topic. This is precisely the case when WowEssays.com database of sample College Essays on Thrift will prove useful. Whether you need to think up an original and meaningful Thrift College Essay topic or examine the paper's structure or formatting peculiarities, our samples will provide you with the necessary data.

Another activity area of our write my paper company is providing practical writing support to students working on Thrift College Essays. Research help, editing, proofreading, formatting, plagiarism check, or even crafting entirely unique model Thrift papers upon your request – we can do that all! Place an order and buy a research paper now.

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Essay: Thrift stores are not plus size friendly

To me, nothing beats drifting through a Goodwill with a medium iced coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other. It feels comforting knowing that I’m shopping sustainably, reducing my carbon footprint and curating a collection of unique clothing items. From a green hoodie that’s somehow both nostalgic and trendy, to brown pants that are practically second skin, some of my favorite pieces of clothing have been thrifted. When GW Thrift  put on its second pop up of the year just a few weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to go. As a thrifting enthusiast, I was excited at the prospect of perusing a thrift store right here on campus. But when it came time to go, I couldn’t bring myself to go. I didn’t want to experience the disappointment of not finding any plus-size clothing options. 

I was looking forward to supporting the organization, but I couldn’t come across anything I could buy. Though this was disappointing, I was far from surprised. Most thrift stores I’ve been to do not have sections accessible for people looking for plus-size clothing. For a long time, almost all trends were catered to small bodies and small bodies only, leaving the rest of us behind. Now, with an increase in sustainable, recycled fashion that does less harm to the planet, the regular-size thrift community is still not inclusive to others trying to participate and be environmentally conscious. Even with sustainable shopping becoming more mainstream, plus-size bodies are not accounted for in the world of fashion.  The major downside to thrifting as a plus-size person is how few options I actually have. I can usually find a max of 20 pieces in any plus-size section, and some stores don’t even bother to section things off at all. Once I get past the v-necks and cold shoulders, all I can do is cross my fingers that there’s a reasonable top, but 90 percent of the time there isn’t, and I just tell my friends I’ve been trying to save money anyways. Like many other plus-size people, I turn to fast fashion  to stock my closet.

Fast fashion is cheaply made clothing often produced under dubious conditions that serves to fulfill a small trend and then be thrown away. Stores like Shein, Fashion Nova and Forever 21 are just a few examples of companies infamous for their detrimental environmental impacts and employing child labor. Buying clothes from these companies completely goes against my values, but there are times when that’s legitimately the only option for me. 

Practically anything in my size that catches my eye at the thrift store comes home with me and I proceed to wear it constantly. But if I want something more modern, or if I need something specific for an event, it has to be fast fashion. I don’t stand a chance in a thrift store with that mission, which means that I’m participating in fast fashion much more than I’d like to.

I still go thrifting when I can, I just have to be optimistic about it. It’s fun to help smaller friends pull outfits together, and there’s always something nice in the jewelry section. I try to work with what I’m given while still being as sustainable while I can. Plus-size thrifting isn’t sustainable, neither for the environment nor for myself. If I tried to thrift all of my clothes, I would have nothing to wear. To smaller size thrift-loving GW students, try not to make a face when a plus-size person says they got something from Shein, because it’s often the only place to get clothes. Allow us to help the planet in the ways we are able to and plus-size bodies should be able to partake in looking good just as much as the rest of the population.

Bridget Bushey, a freshman majoring in journalism and mass communications, is an opinions writer.

Welcome to the Future of Thrifting: How New E-Comm Technology Is Changing the Way We Shop Secondhand

Resale is on the up & up…& up, we’ve arrived: the future of e-commerce technology, thrifting is democratizing fashion, original reporting on everything that matters in your inbox..

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Essay on thrift shopping?

I’m going to be a senior so I’ve started thinking about what my essay should be about but I can’t seem to think of anything that has affected me. In the past few months I’ve gotten really into thrift shopping and flipping the clothes I find. I have always been very indecisive about my future and could always see myself doing a million different things with my future. I was thining of writing an essay comparing walking into a store with thousands of clothes and having to sort through to find clothes that I love and can make work for me to going to college undecided and exploring my options to find what I love. Would this be something that admissions would find interesting?

Despite what people keep on telling students, your essay doesn’t have to be about How I Overcame Adversity. In fact, using that particular topic risks cliche.

The point of your essay is to show something about yourself which the AOs will not read in the rest of your application, specifically, something which will cause them to think “that person will be a great addition to our student body”. Wring about something that you really enjoy doing is the sort of topic which is great for that purpose.

In short, thrift shopping is an excellent topic for an essay. Just remember the first three rules for writing:

A. Show, don’t tell, B. Show, don’t tell, and C. Start by writing in a foreign language…

Joking, C is also Show, don’t tell.

I think thrift shopping could be a fantastic topic. It is really just the backdrop for selling yourself to the college, showing you are a match. There’s a lot to work with here.

Reminds me of this thread, with a similar question… http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/2100212-college-essay-about-thrifting.html

boooooooooooooooooooooringgg, ngl

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I Flip Thrift Store Finds: Here Are 14 Things I Always Make a Profit On

W ith life getting more expensive by the day, many people are looking for new ways to make extra money . A popular side hustle lately has been flipping, which ranges from selling your old stuff from around the house to searching for items at thrift stores that can be flipped online. The good news is that flipping is a side hustle anyone can get started with, since there’s no real barrier to entry and you can learn the skills on the job.

Discover More: 6 Best ChatGPT Prompts To Find Your High-Income Side Gig

Try This: How To Get $340 Per Year in Cash Back on Gas and Other Things You Already Buy

GOBankingRates spoke with a thrift store flipping expert who was generous enough to share his best advice on what it takes to make money through this side gig . 

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How Can You Make Money From Thrift Store Flipping?

In the simplest terms, the strategy behind thrift store flipping is to find items you know you can resell for a higher price. The goal is to find an item at a thrift store and then sell it on an online platform like eBay or Facebook Marketplace at a decent markup that makes this a worthwhile side hustle venture.

“The key is to find a few profitable niches to get started with thrift store flipping,” said Rob Stephenson, the thrift store flipping expert behind Flea Market Flipper . “It can be overwhelming to walk into a thrift store and not know what to look for. One trip around most stores can make you frazzled if you don’t know what to look for.”

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This leads to the next logical question: How do you find a niche?

“First, start with things you already know. Do you have a hobby you like? What are the most expensive items in your hobby? Are you in a phase of life with babies or kids? What are some baby or kid items that are higher-end? Do you know what kitchen gadgets hold their value or are trending lately?”

You want to have a game plan before you enter the thrift store so that you don’t get discombobulated. Stephenson concludes with, “You can’t spend two hours looking up every single item and what it’s selling for, but you can learn a few niches and learn how to spot them quickly.”

How Do You Avoid Wasting Your Time?

One fundamental aspect that must be mentioned is that it’s easy to waste your time and money on this space if you don’t know what you’re looking for. You have to know your market so that you don’t end up with a home filled with junk.

This also means that you must know when to walk away from a purchase, since the whole point is to make money. “Your profit is made in the purchase of the item, so you have to know when to walk away,” Stephenson said. He goes on to mention that we luckily have the internet at our fingertips, so we don’t have to take that big of a risk.

What Skills Do You Need?

Stephenson believes that anyone can get into this business, because it doesn’t matter how old you are or how educated you are — you can learn the skills by just getting started. This is good news for anyone reading this article because it means that this is an accessible side hustle that doesn’t require you to spend money or time upgrading your skills.

Here are the skills that you should work on if you want to get into thrift store flipping:

• How to spot items at a reasonable price. You want to study prices so that you know what a good deal looks like.
• Measuring comparables on eBay and Google. You want to find similar items sold in the last 90 days on eBay or Facebook Marketplace to ensure that there’s demand for this.
• Proper packaging of your items. You can save money by printing your label through eBay. The goal is to package your items correctly so that there are no issues in transit.
• How to negotiate. As a thrift store flipper, you have to negotiate with both buyers and sellers.

“Negotiating doesn’t have to feel icky. If you do it right, it should be a win for everyone,” according to Stephenson.

What Thrift Store Purchases Can Always Be Flipped for Profit?

Are there thrift store purchases that can always be flipped for profit? According to Stephenson, “It’s hard to say what always sells because items go out of style and get upgraded, but if you have solid brands in your niche , they will most likely sell.”

It’s also not worth looking for the ultra-rare beanie baby, as they’re not worth it. You can also save time and hassle by limiting the number of items you seek.

As far as thrift store finds, here is a list of different categories of items that you should be looking to flip from thrift stores:

• Vintage items: Video game consoles, video games, old vintage tube TVs for the retro games, record players, phonographs and typewriters
• Kitchen gadgets: Crockpots, coffeepots, toaster ovens, bread makers, toaster ovens, microwaves, cooktops and pressure cookers
• Electronics: Old phones, laptops and tablets
• Furniture: Coffee tables, bar stools, chairs, patio furniture, desks and dining tables
• Sports equipment: Skates, roller blades, baseball gloves, bats, golf clubs, tennis rackets, cleats, dumbbells, treadmills and ellipticals
• Outdoor equipment: Camping gear, road bikes, tents, hiking backpacks, scooters and mountain bikes
• Brand name clothes: Dress shirts, suits, ties, dresses, jeans and vintage shirts
• Shoes: Men’s dress shoes, women’s heels, boots, running shoes and golfing shoes
• Kids’ toys: Legos, American Girl dolls and accessories, Matchbox cars, Pottery Barn and Barbie Dreamhouses
• Collectibles: Trading cards, Pokemon and sports memorabilia
• Tools/indoor equipment: Lamps, paintings, vacuum cleaners, rugs, air purifiers, holiday decorations, digital picture frames, clocks and craft supplies
• Jewelry: Costume jewelry, sterling silver and gold jewelry
• Instruments: Trumpets, flutes, saxophones and guitars
• Outdoor tools: Lawnmowers and power, hand and mechanic tools.

Anyone who has ever stepped foot into a thrift store can confirm that you don’t know what you’re going to find on any particular day. This is why it helps to have a checklist with you so that you know what to look out for. 

Closing Thoughts

There’s money to be made from thrift store shopping if you take the time to do some research so that you know what you’re looking for. Stephenson urges that you start off by learning about a few niches and then branching out as you get more comfortable with flipping.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : I Flip Thrift Store Finds: Here Are 14 Things I Always Make a Profit On

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What Happened to the Wrap Dress?

A pandemic, the demise of “girlboss” culture and new values around what’s “flattering” have made the classic design seem outdated to some.

By Jessica Testa

By Amanda Sanders’s estimate, she owns more than 100 Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses. She has been collecting the style since the 1990s, after she graduated from college.

Ms. Sanders, 51, liked that she could “throw on a dress and look so polished and put together,” she said during a phone interview on a recent Friday afternoon as she was walking around Saks Fifth Avenue, where she was, in fact, wearing one of her wrap dresses (blue snake print, maxi length). “It almost felt like cheating.”

But in recent years, she has struggled to find the style in stores in New York City, where she lives.

“Now you have to seek it out,” said Ms. Sanders, a former costume designer who is now an image consultant. “Most of the better designers don’t make wrap dresses. I don’t come across them as often as I should.”

Diane von Furstenberg popularized the design in the 1970s, though she wasn’t the first designer working in the United States to be inspired by early Asian wrap-style closures. In the 1940s, Claire McCardell was also known for her utilitarian “ popover ” style. In her book “ What Shall I Wear? ,” she defined “ popover ” as “something that goes over anything. It is an apron one day, a bathrobe the next, a dinner dress, if necessary with lots of beads.”

Ms. von Furstenberg’s version was softer, stretchier and sexier, with snug arms and a tie-cinched waist. The hem typically fell below the knee. The V neckline pulled back the curtains on cleavage. The dresses were covered in prints: orange ikat, red leopard, brown with geometric shapes.

They were ideal for working women, hailed as both office-appropriate and “flattering.” After the initial 1970s boom — think Cybill Shepherd in “Taxi Driver” (1976) — the wrap dress enjoyed a resurgence from the mid 2000s to mid 2010s , when workplace empowerment again became a cultural focal point. Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton, among that era ’s most influential dressers, made it part of their wardrobes. It telegraphed competence and femininity. If you bought Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” when it came out in 2013, you probably owned a wrap dress.

And now? Wrap dresses occupy a more curious category , like skinny jeans or ankle booties or long cardigans: once a closet staple, now a staple of closet clean-outs. Ms. Sanders may not be able to find them in New York department stores, but they’re readily available in Ohio thrift stores, said Kathleen Martin, who lives in Columbus and makes YouTube videos about thrifting.

“Specifically, I’m seeing the kind you might connote with 2010s business casual,” she said — with slinky fabric and ditsy prints. Sometimes the stores miscategorize them, Ms. Martin added, as robes instead of dresses. In 2020, during the early months of the pandemic, Vogue suggested wearing them as such.

Danielle Vermeer, the chief executive of a thrifting app called Teleport , once found a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress priced at $5 at a secondhand store. The abstract black-and-white print was part leopard, part oil spill. In 2022, she consigned it with the RealReal, which sold the dress for $40 and paid her $12. (A new DVF wrap dress today starts around $378.)

“Post-pandemic,” said Ms. Vermeer, who is 35 and lives in Washington, “I think there’s been more of an openness to try different styles in an office or professional setting. In the 2010s, I was working in offices that were very masculine and very formal, especially my first couple jobs. I would wear wrap dresses or pencil skirts and button downs. That was the uniform. But now, for those in their early 20s, the attire for that sort of office has really shifted.”

Workplaces are more casual , filled with workers more interested in dressing to express their style.

“I still love them because they’re super chic and easy to put on,” Ms. Vermeer said of wrap dresses. The following day, she sent a photo from a Salvation Army in Chicago, where she had come across a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress for $29.99. (“Not my size but it’s in excellent condition,” she said in a text message.) “But I can see for a 23-year-old today that it might seem very ‘Girlboss,’” she said, a moniker for ambitious young women of the 2010s who embraced corporate feminism and fell almost as fast as they rose .

Allison Bornstein, a stylist known for helping people identify their personal style keywords — and who offers FaceTime appointments with people who are, among other things, trying to clean out their closet — had another theory about younger people’s aversion to the style.

She said the form-fitting wrap dress might have been sold to “a generation who was going for the wrap dress less because they loved it and more because it made them look thin.” What if younger generations, more eager to embrace body positivity or neutrality , don’t care about what is flattering?

“They obviously want to look good, but that means something different to them,” Ms. Bornstein said.

In late March, Target introduced a collaboration with Diane von Furstenberg that included several wrap styles . One hewed closely to her original design from the ’70s. (Ms. Sanders bought that homage dress for herself, queuing with her teenage daughter at Target when the collaboration went on sale.) Frilancy Hoyle, a boutique owner in Seattle, purchased six dresses from the collection. She returned all but one.

To her, traditional wrap dresses just look “outdated,” she said.

Yet there is still hope for the style. Ms. Hoyle carries versions from the Brazilian brand Farm Rio at her store, Rabecca Onassis Boutique. They are not obvious wrap dresses; they have other design elements, like oversize puff sleeves or a high neck, which catch the eye before one even realizes the waist is wrapped.

“There’s a way to do a wrap dress that is so seamless,” Ms. Hoyle, 32, said, “that you do not even know that you’re wearing a wrap dress.”

Jessica Testa is a Times reporter covering the worlds of style and fashion. More about Jessica Testa

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