As college students, we stand in the crossfire between trends, low budgets and mainstream consumerism. The University of Tennessee allows us to rise above this, with a couple of Rocky Top thrifting resources at our service.
The giant corporations of the clothing industry have a target on our backs. As we fall for trends that leave us as quickly as they find us, students need to wake up and take it into their own hands — and even their own wallets — by thrifting. Secondhand shopping is the preferred way to stock apartment and dorm closets.
UT offers several options for thrifting on campus for students who are unable to front the fees of the VolShop. The Free Store is a fantastic resource, allowing students to escape potential financial burdens and help eliminate landfill waste, whether that consists of clothes to spruce up your everyday wardrobe or business casual apparel for an upcoming class presentation.
When suggesting thrifting to local students, I am not only looking out for your style but also for the betterment of our environment. As consumers, especially when it comes to fast fashion, we are heavily contributing to textile waste. In the United States, we have averaged a total of 11.3 megatons of textile waste since 2017. By thrifting, you can be part of a change by lowering waste, carbon emissions and contributing to a circular economy.
Shopping through industrialized fashion markets creates excess waste. Not only is the process of developing the goods harmful, but you must consider the transportation it takes to bring this merchandise to our doorsteps. Large freight containers on either ships or planes making their way to the United States release a dangerous number of pollutants and toxins into the environment.
It is far more difficult to escape the grasp of consumerism as a college student. Expensive name brand clothing lines are constantly being shoved down our throats through social media feeds, marketing and even classmates bragging about their latest purchases. I know when I spot a stranger in a cute outfit, my brain goes straight to, “oh, I want that too!” Believe it or not, there are ways to accumulate these fashionable outfits without harming the environment — or our bank accounts. We can achieve this by thrifting, both on campus and off, and even moving toward online secondhand shopping platforms.
Companies like Shein and Temu are surfacing with the intention of getting customers to spend a comparatively small amount by sacrificing the quality of their clothing, known as exploitive fashion. I can speak to the quality of clothing from Shein and can proudly say it is not worth the greater issues it causes. Their clothing is usually sheer and poorly constructed. Not only is the quality questionable, but Shein is also well known for their unworkable conditions. Time magazine described their factories as “unsafe workshops, lacking safety protocols like windows and emergency exits.” There are numerous reasons not to shop from this site. However, many college students fall down this rabbit hole when it comes to their budget.
To combat this agenda, many students have turned to online thrifting platforms, further facilitating the urge for thrifting among students who either do not drive or are living on campus without their car. I know I miss the ease of being at home, when I was able to drive five minutes to the local Goodwill. However, since being here, I have found online thrifting to be my new normal. Apps such as Depop, Mercari and Poshmark give all the resources and advantages to students, with the thrift scene at their fingertips. Through the click of a button, we can now extend our clothing supply or flip it and resell our used clothes.
Don’t want to repeat a game day outfit? Post it and resell it to another Vol! Thrifting allows the orange to live on!
By choosing to thrift as opposed to shopping new, we are stepping out of our fashion comfort zones and making the best of our resources. Reduce, reuse and recycle will become the mantra of students here in Knoxville in no time.
Isabell Norman is a Freshman at UT this year studying Journalism. She can be reached at kml965@vols.utk.edu
Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
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