Thrift shopping is a staple for the teenage experience. However, due to recent price hikes, shopping second-hand is doing more harm than you may think.

     With a “fashion renaissance” unfolding in recent years, pursuing 70s and 80s styles is more popular than ever. The easiest way to dress old-fashioned? Thrift shopping. 

     “Thrifting is made for people who can’t afford better [clothes]. To raise these prices is selfish because thrifting is to help the less fortunate and now [chain thrift stores] are making it harder to do so,” said freshman Amani Clark. 

     With an increase in demand for vintage clothes, chain thrift stores originally designed to assist the less fortunate began to raise their prices. Previously where a trendy sweater may have only been four dollars, companies such as Goodwill and Salvation Army are now charging double so consumers can sport a “vintage aesthetic.”

     “People that want a vintage aesthetic could be taking clothes from people who actually need it. If you can afford to [shop] somewhere a little more expensive, you should,” said sophomore Anthony Hanrahan. 

     Why are higher prices such an issue? For a middle-class citizen, an eight dollar sweater may not be too much of a stretch, but for a lower-income citizen, that sweater may just be the difference between a cozy winter or a harsh one.

     “[This situation] shows extreme privilege and classism. With things like this happening, people have [fewer] places they can go to pick up necessities. The fact that some people can go somewhere and pick up clothes for a few dollars extra without it being a big deal shows privilege,” said Hanrahan.

     However, the situation is not as simple as it seems. Thrifting alternatives consist of low-quality pieces from Walmart or Target, name brands such as Romwe and H&M that utilize child labor, and high end fashion names like Gucci and Prada that are far out of the price range of even a middle class family. With such unsustainable options is it possible for consumers to ethically purchase clothes?

     “[Chain thrift store companies] need lower prices and [need to] put stores in lower-income areas. Lots of people need the affordable prices,” said freshman Carson Greene.

     To properly support low-income communities, chain thrift stores need to take steps to lower their prices and focus on consumers who need their products the most.

     “I stopped thrifting after I realized how bad it was. Instead, I shop at small businesses and sustainable stores,” said Greene. 

     With the increase in price, thrifting has lost its original purpose: to help the less fortunate. Since its popularization, shopping second-hand has become reliant on profit. 

     “Thrifting isn’t for people who want a discount on clothes; it’s for people who need it,” said Clark. 

     With such few options for ethical consumption, will thrifting as we know it survive or, much like the items sold in stores, become a thing of the past?