My Thrifting Experiences
Thrifting! Indian families down the centuries have been practising it. Large joint families with a hoard of children would naturally pass on clothes from one child to the next. Clothes mended, altered, resized, and used from one child to the next was the norm. But somewhere after industrialization, the acceptance changed. But in the past decade, there has been a renaissance in the fashion world. Catchphrases like relove, pre-loved, refurbished, and pre-owned have created a buzz. Let me share My Thrifting Experiences.
Style Swing
Slowly but surely, we can discern the swing towards thrift. Many young people are endorsing thrift articles. A generation which believes in fast fashion and has a throwaway outlook and in a time where fashion goes out of style before you could say, Jack Robinson, is actually validating buying second-hand clothing.
Why is Thrifting so Rewarding?
The blending of the search and the unearthing of something new is an experience that we don’t get to encounter in our regular shopping sprees.
Thrifting Anecdotes
As a kid, second-hand was what I wore. Being the youngest of 3 sisters and 2 cousins, I wore hand-me-downs always. While I grew into a teenager, I started tweaking, tucking, and redesigning worn clothes and flaunted them with aplomb. Thrifting was “cool” for me. I’m a tremendous supporter of thrift shopping. I filled my wardrobe and my home with exceptional pieces. My mom was an inspiration, and I just followed in her footsteps. Thrifting is good for the environment, for your purse, for the community, for the planet and, of course, for your wardrobe. I wish I had pictures of all those dresses. When I was in college, we were enacting Merchant of Venice for the College’s Annual day. They asked me to get a heavy skirt to wear as I was playing the role of Portia Portia. I cajoled my mom to part with her heavy brocade saree and pleated it into a skirt.
My Thrifting Experiences
Redesigning and Restyling–My Thrifting Experiences
Another incident of saree thrifting was when my daughter was born. I was going to host my son’s fifth birthday after 15 days of giving birth to my daughter. As it was a C-section, I was recuperating in the hospital for 8 days. My hospital bed is where I designed my dress for the party. I had this Chandler lace saree in my trousseau and I transformed it into a beautiful ankle-length lehenga. If I have to give away any dress. Remove the fancy buttons and use them to embellish a new one. I buy a simple plain dress and beautify it with recycled lace, and buttons or embroider it myself. I have used ornaments from handbags to adorn my dress.
When the Millennial Thrifts
A couple of years ago, I visited a thrift store in Bangalore, but I cannot recall the name. I bought a plain top and enhanced it with fancy buttons. It is very heartening to see my daughter cheering thrifting. The smirch associated with buying pre-owned items is waning and transforming young shoppers’ preferences towards sustainability is on the rise. These are not your next-door retailer places but are luxury brands’ resale stores. Now that there are many thrift stores online, she has bought and sold her clothes from them. She recently ordered a few dresses and can’t stop preening in them.
Thrift is IN
Each tells a story and has a unique, mysterious history am sure. And this is the good news: Thrift is IN. Trends are in and out of style, which means these thrift stores are bursting with treasures that are great for your style and for the environment.
A few stores that my daughter orders from are listed below
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
My previous post on the Blogchatter Blog Hop is a Story-Twin Souls- Message in a Bottle and 4 things about today’s world that puzzle me, Let’s toss-read versus Write, Make a Wish
This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop.
@wordsmithkaur
@wordsmithkaur
Wow Harjeet, you are an inspiration to all of us.
Thank you so much, Geetika
Wow Harjeet! loved the ways in which you transformed some of your items and I enjoyed looking at the pictures that go with these transformation. Thanks for sharing.
You are right, there is a new movement going on especially with Gen Zs and may be Millennials too, about getting clothes from thrift shops. My daughter keeps going to thrift shops with her friends even after I told her I can get her something brand new. Secretly I like the fact the young ones are environment conscious. Even without the global movement, about 7 years ago a group of Mom’s started a hand-me-down group at my daughters school. I would share her fancy clothes and school uniforms – not thinking that it’s cool, not worried about stigma, just doing our thing cos the alternative was the throw them away. I attribute this to how we grew up, sharing with our sisters and having a conscious that says simply tossing stuff away doesn’t feel right – recycle, upcycle, reuse, hand-me-down and thrift.
I guess I got my thrifting skills from my parents who would always bring me and my siblings to school bazaars in Japan when we’re younger. I remember having a blast checking bins and bins of clothing to books to stuffed toys and going back home with a black trash bag full of our new scavenged stuff that we bought at a fraction of its price. I guess that’s their way of saving on $$$ also as with 3 kids and growing expenses. I must say that’s the same way me and my husband have been able to survive here in Singapore during our first few years. Carousel or GumTree has been our go to websites to buy stuff and sell ours as well. Great for the pocket and for the environment as well!
Wow this is genius. The ultimate history of thrifting! I am not exactly a pro in it. My parents have instilled in me that it’s not good. The mindset needs to change.
It was a common practice to exchange clothes and re-design them earlier, my parents and senior members have done that so much. It really helps in many ways and I try to continue this tradition as well.
Loved to see those vintage pics Harjeet😊.
Even I hear a lot about thrift shopping these days but I’m yet to explore it. Your blog kind of motivated me to do it.
I had seen redesigning with my grandma. But your talent is really good. Your pictures are really good.
Wow, this is incredible. Thriving is always my first love when it comes to have any special parties where you want to dress up different and you know very well you are not going to use the same one again in any other festive. I love the way you turned that sarii in ghagra. I made gowns from my sarries and some kitties which can be used in western and traditional way too.
I have worn clothes of my cousins and vice versa. Thrifting for me mainly has been related to books, furniture etc. Infact we started a group in our apartment where people can buy & sell used stuff or even auction them off to the highest bidder to keep things interesting! As part of charity drive, we also collect clothes, shoes, books etc from residents and organise a sale for day where the support staff of the society can buy very good stuff for throw away prices starting from ₹20 to around ₹200! This makes them feel like they are actually buying and not as a ‘charity’. Plus the money we accumulate from this is used to buy groceries or other similar stuff required for an pre-identified NGO!
This was such a beautiful read, Harjeet. Loved reading about your thrifting experiences. Growing up, “rotating” clothes were the norm. Winter wear in particular was passed on from child to child. I have worn dresses and jackets that were once worn by my mom and uncle before being passed on to my cousins. So much better than ending up in a landfill.
After reading your post i understood the real meaning of thrifting although i was practicing it long and learned that from my parents. But you added my vocabulary with this amazing post… Thank you so much
Wow, Harjeet! Just loved the post, I really enjoyed looking at the pictures that accompanied the descriptions of the ways in which you had altered certain items. It’s helpful in so many ways, and I do my best to carry on the practice.
Your pictures are great Harjeetji! I have never tried thrift shopping or tweaking my old designs but would love to give it a try. You seem to have an amazing hand at designing. I will check out the online stores you have listed.
I enjoyed reading about your thrifting experiences. Thrifting was very common a few decades back and it is really good to see it return back. We sisters used to swap our sarees and winter clothing when we were younger.
Happy to know your thrifting experience and even you made your daughter to buy those. Great job. The list of online stores is highly useful.
Im this types, let it be clothes, shoes, jewelry all of it. Innovative types. Good post liked this
Wow how brilliant it is. I have not tried thrifting yet, but I know it is picking up among the current generation and why not asit is so environment-friendly.
This is such an important and interesting post, Harjeet! As the eldest in a long line of siblings and cousins, my clothes were always handed down. But recently, after my passed away, I used a shirt of his to get a blouse made for myself.
I have seen my mom doing it and I totally loved it. As you said thrifting is not just good for you but for our environment too. When you do that you feel some kind of achievement and this is the best way to innovative. I love this idea.
Wow that is some thrifting you are doing. I have never recreated anything though we put our materials to the best possible use. My mom would buy some meters of cloth for her suits and the rest she would make a skirt or top for me. I was tiny then…
With climate change came the consciousness to recycle and reuse and that is why the younger generation has no qualms about thrifting. I personally like the idea as it definitely brings down waste.
Such a wholesome article. kind of remind me of my growing-up years
Your post has remind me my college days, when me and my friends used to do lots of thrifting things. in fact, we have created many beautiful dresses with recycling and re designing. I loved all your creation. another wonderful post from your side.
I’ve never been to a thrift store but have learnt a lot of reuse and recycle from my mother. Her old silk saris have become my ghagra and choli while her withered chunari gave buttas for 2 brand new sarees.
Growing up, thrifting was common in my household too; and its heartening to see when this generation kids too become a part of this positive change.
Being third among all sisters, I.can so much relate to this…you are such an inspiration to.all.of us and I love reading your experiences of life!!
My mum loved thrifting from what she got from her mum and I absolutely loved her for that. Even i try to upcycle some stuff out of clothes which I love or have some emotions to them. Your post is so inspiring, I totally adore how you have designed your dresses here. and thank you for sharing those store links, book marking the page 🙂
Harjeet, you are truly setting example of thrifting with cool quotient. Clothes and accessories are common for passing from generation to generation and the spark in the eyes remain same. Good to see some pics of yours.
Every household has thrifting experiences. And indian families are full of it. That one cloth piece that varies through various utilities. I find it fun to observe all those ways. Thanks for sharing yours.
I appreciate your efforts and lovely pics. I’ll check out the stores as mentioned by you.
I love thrift shopping but I think the best part about this post are your lovely vintage pictures!
Thanks for the blog loaded with so much information. It’s really informative.
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Thank you for your appreciation and for stopping by.