Rows upon rows of rainbows line the walls, with a plethora of items ranging from fluffy sweaters to old, beat-up T-shirts. Stacks of jewelry, though carefully hung, are not perfectly or professionally displayed. There is a feeling of warmth, friendliness, and home.
This is the typical image of a thrift shop that comes to mind. But it may not reflect what a thrift shop looks like today.
Since their inception in the late 19th century, thrift stores have undergone a massive transition. What once served as a way for people to recycle clothing and purchase secondhand items at lower prices has evolved into a trend driven largely by Generation Z. Thrift stores have seen an increase in customers in recent years, largely due to a growing emphasis on sustainable fashion.
I sat down with a few thrift store owners and employees to hear their thoughts on these recent shifts.
The popular New York City vintage store Metropolis started in Soho as an antique market before relocating to the more youthful East Village. The store is well known for its vintage T-shirt collection, particularly its selection of niche band tees. Owner Richard Colligan said the renewed interest in 1990s fashion has contributed to a boom in the vintage business.
Until the pandemic hit, Metropolis was experiencing its best year, Colligan said. While trends suggest that increased interest in secondhand shopping can be attributed in part to TikTok, Colligan does not believe the app is the only factor.
“The fashionistas or designers would come looking for inspiration,” Colligan said. “But once thrifting entered the modeling world and you started seeing celebrities wearing vintage pieces, it really took off.”
Hailie Keliuotis, an employee at the Evanston, Illinois branch of thrift store Crossroads, has also seen a rise in customer traffic. However, she noted that many shoppers within the typical TikTok demographic, high school and college-aged customers, come in specifically to purchase designer clothing with the intention of reselling it.
On the morning of our interview alone, Keliuotis recalled a customer who purchased a $20 chair with plans to resell it for $200.
This trend has sparked ongoing controversy among shoppers. While thrifting offers a more sustainable alternative to fast fashion, which contributes roughly 10% of global carbon emissions, it has also attracted a wealthier customer base. In some cases, this limits access to affordable clothing for those who rely on thrift stores for everyday necessities.
“I can respect someone upcycling,” Keliuotis said. “But coming in and taking items from people who cannot afford to buy them new feels questionable.”
Beyond debates around affordability, questions have also emerged about how inclusive thrift stores truly are.
During the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Keliuotis received a call from a woman who claimed Crossroads was not welcoming to Black customers or inclusive of people of color. The store’s inventory tends to reflect the surrounding Evanston community, which often consists of higher-income families and students.
“We do have people come in who are outside of that demographic, and we don’t always have much to offer them,” Keliuotis said. “It becomes a cycle where they don’t come in to sell their clothing, so we don’t have items that reflect them, and it can appear unwelcoming even though that is not our intention.”
There is no doubt that resale and thrifting provide income opportunities, from straightforward reselling to clothing flips, where secondhand garments are altered and sold for profit. At the same time, this practice can negatively affect lower-income individuals and families who depend on thrift stores for affordable essentials.
As conversations around sustainability, accessibility, and equity continue within the fashion community, one thing remains clear: thrift stores are here to stay.
