I Challenged Myself to Thrift Everything I Wanted in 2020

By Emma Wright

Let’s start with the inspiration. Once or twice a year, it felt like I was getting fed up with everything in my closet and purging out the things I didn’t wear anymore. Also once or twice a year, it seemed like I would come home (or find on my doorstep) an armful of bold, new clothing items from trendy, but cheap, retail outlets. Sounding familiar? 

I would be surprised if it didn’t. Fast fashion — the term used to describe an industry with low prices and quick trend turnarounds — was a 36 billion dollar industry in 2019, and the nature of the business encourages consumers to continually buy more. Think of companies like Forever 21, Nasty Gal, H&M, Fashion Nova, Zara and so on. The clothing is mass-produced, doesn’t last long in terms of wear, and is quickly replaced. What happens to the overstocked clothing in stores and in closets is another animal entirely — U.S. landfills acquire around 85% of unwanted textiles annually. Clearly, we have a problem. 

I’ve been moved by the growing statistics for some time now, and have been wondering what I could really do about this on a consumer level. So, at the beginning of the year, I challenged myself to thrift all of the clothing I wanted or needed before turning to major retailers — and I have to say, now that the year is coming to a close, I’m pretty impressed with myself. I ended up so intrigued with my own challenge that I extended it to other areas of my life, including decorative pieces and furniture. Here’s what I ended up with:

A gorgeous, very ’70s glass end table for my bedroom. Madewell flares jeans in great condition for only $17. A vintage Oscar de la Renta gold chain necklace. The most adorable turmeric-yellow coat with a fuzzy interior that I get at least one compliment on every time I wear it. A queen size platform bed frame, handmade by someone in my area who couldn’t take it with them on a cross-country move. An actual bridal gown that I scored for $20 at the Goodwill and turned into a Corpse Bride costume for Halloween. The most intricate woven basket I keep fruits in on my kitchen counter for $1.99. I also ended up with a handful of adorable and functional sweaters (some vintage, some not), a pair of very comfortable and flowy pants, a few pairs of jeans to get me through the winter, and last, but surely not least — I thrifted a bridesmaid dress to wear to my friend’s wedding in Costa Rica this past February. Boom. 

Technically, I didn’t even spend a dime for the bridesmaid dress; I took some of my own clothes to Plato’s Closet to sell, and the price of the dress was less than the money I received for a few articles of clothing. So I left the store with $4 extra that day and had my mom fix the hem of the dress to better suit a beach wedding. Obviously, that dress is something I’ll wear very rarely, but all of the other pieces in my closet or decorating my bedroom are more exciting, they have a bit of a story, and they’re going to last me more than one year. I also spent significantly less on clothing than I would have if I got any of these items from popular retail outlets — even the cheaper sites like Shien or Nasty Gal (yeah the clothes are 60% off, but aren’t they always?). 

Now, I didn’t execute my challenge perfectly. I still ended up with a few things that didn’t come secondhand, but I made it a mission to source them as ethically as possible:

Workout shorts from Wolven and a sports bra from Girlfriend Collective — both companies that source from sustainable and recyclable materials — as a gift to myself for becoming a certified Pure Barre instructor in May. Also from Girlfriend, I got some exceptionally comfortable underwear and socks (I wasn’t sure I wanted to look for my socks and underwear at thrift stores, and I was in desperate need of a refresher). I also purchased a pair of Adidas and a pair of Sketchers sneakers to wear to my other job as a server at a restaurant. Having the right shoe is critical when you’re working fast on your feet for 8 hours, and I couldn’t find anything while I was thrifting that still had enough of a sole to make it worth my while. Lastly, I bought a shiny new pair of black Doc Martens. Now, hear me out — I have been dreaming of a pair for years, and no matter how detailed my dream was of finding the perfect pair hidden at the Goodwill, my dream never came true. So, I bit the bullet and bought myself a brand new pair. I don’t regret it one bit. 

When I began this challenge, I thought I would be counting down the minutes until 2021, when I could go shopping like “normal” and find exactly what I was looking for. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I have every intention to keep this mindset with me in years to come because I legitimately had so much fun with this project. I found pieces that have a bit of a story to them, will last me longer than a season and were more sustainable. I also truthfully just love the way my closet looks — it’s more interesting than it’s ever been. So although I won’t be stopping myself from buying something “new” in the future, I do know that I’ll be utilizing other avenues first. 

(For more on the fast-fashion crisis, here is a 2019 publication from the U.K. House of Commons outlining detailed statistics, studies, and recommendations.)

Emma is a lifestyle writer for La Tonique.

Emma Wright

Emma is a Boise, Idaho based seeker of adventure, community, and delicious food. Although hailing from the East Coast, she prefers the thrill of mountains and rivers found out west. A lover of antique furniture and thrifted clothing, she strives for a balance between minimalist living and collecting unique artifacts from places visited. Her writing for La Tonique plucks at many of her heartstrings, including mental wellness, reproductive health, relationships and connection, and sustainability. When she’s not sitting at a coffee shop or local bar to write for La Tonique, Emma enjoys reading historical fiction novels, singing, adding temporary color to her hair, teaching fitness classes at Pure BarreⓇ, and exploring the various winter and summer recreational activities that Idaho has to offer.

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