It’s almost time for the 30 Day Thrifted Fashion Challenge!
Happy New Year (and decade), my friends! I am just popping in here with a very brief post to remind you that tomorrow kicks off the 30 Day Thrifted Fashion challenge. If you are not familiar with it, I laid out all of the rules here. Today I wanted to take some time to talk a little more about the why, and encourage you to participate… even if it’s just one day a week! The idea originated as a challenge to myself and Emmy, but then I thought to myself, what if I shared and invited others to participate, and then they shared and together we changed the world, even just a little!
Before I go on, I do want to explain something to you… I am in NO WAY a fashion blogger or fashionista. I am a regular woman, and I dress for comfort, wear mostly pretty boring clothes, leggings and jeans, because that’s what I am happiest in, and you won’t see a ton of super creative fashion from me because that’s just not who I am. Throughout shopping for this challenge, I found so many fun items, but every time I picked one up, I asked myself if I would actually wear it frequently. We don’t have much storage space and I don’t want to take it up with fun dresses I might wear once. If the answer was “no,” I didn’t buy it. My apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and Emmy as well dresses for comfort. However, I am sure that so many of you participating are super fun and fashionable, and I plan to share the outfits you tag me. 😉 I just wanted to get that out of the way in case you are expecting some couture looks from me.
Why buy thrifted clothing?
You will save money.
OK, let’s state the obvious here, but in purchasing items from thrift shops, garage sales, websites like ThredUp and Poshmark, you will save loads of money and never pay full retail for gently used items. Often times, I’ve found pieces of clothing new with tags in the thrift shop. Emmy actually got THE CUTEST velvet jacket that we will be sharing with you, and it still had its original tags in place. There are also so many brands whose clothing I love… I love the fit, the quality, but the price is sometimes out of my reach. I’ve scored awesome Free People, J.Crew, Anthropologie brand items at thrift shops for under $5 each. You definitely won’t find that in store. One day I found two vintage Pendleton blazers at my local Goodwill! If they hadn’t been petite sized I’d have snatched both up, but the sleeves were a little too short for me. I’ve got long arms, and am nowhere near petite.
You will save the world.
Perhaps that statement sounds overly dramatic to you, but it’s the truth. Did you know that the textile industry is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to pollution? I actually recently read an article about just how much damage ugly Christmas sweaters alone are causing, and I have seen tons of those in my thrift shops. There is no need to buy new! Even brands like Patagonia are telling consumers not to buy their products unless they have a legitimate need, and they are even offer recycling of their old jackets. They know the damage that their production mills are causing and they are doing their best to create their product while remaining ethical. Unfortunately, over the last decade there has been a huge increase in fast fashion, and many influencers only support that with sharing fast finds from Amazon and more. By creating this challenge, I am not expecting to change the entire world. However, I know that by making small changes and encouraging others to do the same, I will cause a ripple effect and together we can make the world a safer and healthier place, one thrifted sweater at a time.
You will have fun.
You guys, Emmy and I have had a total blast shopping at our local thrift shops to put together these outfits for you! One day while we were in Goodwill, we saw two teenage girls shopping, trying clothes on together, and having a blast. It made my heart so happy to see these girls having so much fun together. I’ve also seen adults plan group get togethers where they go to a thrift shop, everyone picks a thrifted outfit for someone else in the group, and then they go out for the evening in those ensembles. What’s not to love about that? Aside from the laughs and silliness that ensues, you’ll also push yourself to think creatively as you come up with unique outfits.
Join the fun!
I shared all of the rules in my first post about this challenge here, but I wanted to just give you a quick refresher on how you can join the fun.
- Use #30daythriftedfashion on all social posts (instagram, twitter, etc.)
- Join the facebook group I’ve just created where we can all interact, share tips, amazing scores, and more!
- If you aren’t in any of those places and avoid social media, feel free to email me at [email protected] with your photos and finds!
I am so excited to be doing this with all of you, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with as well! Cheers to making 2020 a year we work together to change the world!