How the mainstream success of thrift culture benefits the youth of today

In the year 2017, the term "thrifting" has become one of the most trendy ways of shopping. Shopping at thrift stores has not always been considered cool until 2013 when the hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released a hit single called "thrift shop." This song had radio play that would make it to the top of the build board charts. The music video showcased the Seattle lifestyle of thrifting: trying jean jackets, vintage fur coats, etc. This music video would gain a nomination during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards for "Video of the Year. With various artists showcasing exposure for the culture of thrifting, this has helped elevate the second hand shopping to another level.

The youth of today have either one of the two mentalities for thrifting. One being to shop to create their own personal outfit. This allows one customer to be independent with creating their aesthetic for their outfit. A common trend for thrift buyers is to buy cheap jeans for $4 or so and distress them on their own time to make them look like distress jeans from a high-end company. The second mentality thrift buyers have is hustling to numerous thrift stores to find high-end designer clothes. It almost becomes a treasure hunt with hype beasts in western society, who will rarely find popular brands like Bape or Jordans, then to buy the items at a cheaper price to potentially resell. This method of business is called flipping.

So why is thrifting an art that benefits teenagers of today. By one creating their own personal clothing, this builds an independence in the shopper. Allows shoppers to be precise on what they want to complete their blueprint of an outfit. What is crazy is that thrifting can be utilised in the complete opposite way. Some customers show up to their local Value Villages or Salvation Armys to be surprised by what they find. Few may even by the most random things just for the heck of it: like a piano, furniture, wigs, anything for the memories. Thrifting allows all financial classes to shop in the same place. That is how diverse the thrift culture is especially in Toronto. Lastly thrift stores is known to have a lot of vintage clothing to sell. By buying second hand clothing, you are helping your parents financially and you are bringing back great memories for them vicariously through style . So start thrifting, build your own outfit, or hope to be lucky enough to find a pair of yeezys. This is the art of thrifting.