@rinskoes i absolutely adore only doing pop-ups for @🤍 threadlightly 🤍 now but sometimes i do miss having a physical store hehe so i went to visit the rest that are at queensway sc where i was before moving online 🫶🏼 #thriftsg #vintagesg #thrifthaul #tiktoksg🇸🇬
While scrolling through TikTok, I came across the video above. I clicked on the search term “Thrifting in Singapore”. To my pleasant surprise, there were many other similar short clips that were introducing thrift stores in Singapore!
What is thrifting? According to Okafor (2022), thrifting refers to the action and process of purchasing used items, frequently found in second-hand stores. They could sometimes be deemed as thrash due to its used condition. Rashiti (2020) asserts that the thrifting culture started in the ’90s where it is often associated with hipsters and the growing influence of popular grunge music bands. The act of thrifting was also deemed as an anti-fashion statement because no specific fashion trends were followed and its intent was not to make clothing look expensive or brand new (Rashiti, 2020). As thrifting is considerably cheap, it was also often practised by low-income individuals in an effort to reduce expenditure while having clothes to wear (Seo & Kim, 2019).
In addition, thrifting has also become increasingly popular due to the increasing sentiments toward being environmentally conscious and the need to practice sustainability. Thrifting is also seen as a way to curb waste generation into the environment, hence reducing the negative polluting effects it produces such as chemical pollution, water and land use, and carbon emissions (Persson & Hinton, 2023). Thrifting can also be perceived as a form of activism where people who practice thrift shopping are making a stand against the fast fashion industry where clothes could be produced unsustainably and unethical practices persist.
However, in recent years, the motivation behind thrifting could be due to it being a fashion trend. Presently, thrifting has become increasingly popular, especially among the Millennials and Generation Z age group (Rashiti, 2020). Previous motivations for thrifting such as its affordability, environmental friendliness and sustainability aspects continue to persist contemporarily (Alami, 2022). Other motivations behind thrifting currently could also be attributed to the increasingly prevalent fashion trend in society such as vintage fashion (Seo & Kim, 2019).
To keep up with this growing fashion trend, more and more businesses are jumping on the bandwagon of selling thrifted second-hand clothes. Through my observations of some thrift stores, some of them focus on imparting environmental benefits of thrifting, however, some still continue to focus on pricing strategy to entice customers in hopes to boost their profits. However, it is praiseworthy for business owners to earn money through selling used items as it can significantly reduce the environmental pollution effects the fast fashion industry produces.
All in all, thrifting exemplifies how one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure. Thrifting is a good alternative to getting new clothes through sustainable means while aiding in the reduction of environmental pollution. Moreover, in comparison to opening up new fast fashion stores, the increase in thrift stores could provide a more sustainable way of making a profit.
References
Alami. (2022). Thrifting: 4 reasons why young people love thrifting. ALAMI Sharia. https://alamisharia.co.id/en/blogs/lifestyles/thrifting-lifestyle/
Okafor , J. (2022). What does it mean to go thrifting? TRVST. https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fashion/what-does-it-mean-to-go-thrifting/
Persson, O., & Hinton, J. B. (2023). Second-hand clothing markets and a just circular economy? Exploring the role of business forms and profit. Journal of Cleaner Production, 390, 136139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136139
Rashiti, V. (2020, August 10). The rising trend to thrift shopping. Youth Time Magazine. https://youthtimemag.com/the-rising-trend-to-thrift-shopping/
Seo, M. J., & Kim, M. (2019). Understanding the purchasing behaviour of second-hand fashion shoppers in a non-profit thrift store context. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 12(3), 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2019.1611945
