entertainment. Through these stores and markets, a sense of community is embedded in the local secondhand shopping experience, which is yet another perk of choosing to thrift something old and giving it new life. An organization in Gainesville tapping into the world of thrifting and offering educational resources in the process is Thrift Club at the University of Florida. Founded on the premise of providing “a community for students who share a passion for thrifting, upcycling, repurposing and learning about/advocating for slow fashion” in a casual and approachable setting, this organization encourages community building through sustainability, President Gabrielle Ray said. “Thrift Club came to life because we noticed a lack of a community for UF students who were passionate about promoting sustainability through secondhand shopping, borrowing, swapping and upcycling,” Laura Long, internal vice president, said.
Time to Get Thrifty: Talking with Thrift Club at UF and The HOW BAZAR Co. Stor y and Photos by Viv iana Moreno
Imagine this: It’s a day out on the town, and you’re stopping at all of the local secondhand shops hoping to claim that perfect, staple black T-shirt that is missing from your wardrobe. After scouring through rack after rack, your fingers land on a hanger holding just what you were looking for — and it is in pristine condition. After a quick inspection of the material, the shirt is safely tucked under your arm as you head to the checkout area. What is that little pep in your step? That’s the glow of a mission accomplished, but it’s also more than that. For most of us, a thrifted T-shirt can be just a simple tee on the surface, but the beauty of thrifting clothing is repurposing garments and breathing new life into its threads. Thrifting a piece of clothing or an item of housewares can prove interesting because the item has a story, an origin of sorts, and the new keeper is part of that history. For the past few years, there has been a noticeable uptick in the popularity of thrifting and shopping secondhand. Shoppers are increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of fast fashion and also find secondhand shopping to be at a more accessible price point, especially for notable brands that can often be out of reach. In fact, the secondhand market is expected to reach $64 billion in the next five years, 50 The Origins Is sue
according to thredUp’s 2020 Resale Report, which includes third-party data from Global Data. A variety of factors are driving these numbers — increased environmental awareness, Gen Z setting thrifting trends, less stigma around buying secondhand, increased ability to find unique purchases and more. Resale sites like thredUp, Poshmark and The RealReal are offering thrifting to everyone from the comfort of their device, which is also contributing to increased sales in the resale area. All in all, shoppers, especially younger shoppers, are contributing to a movement set to radically change the fashion industry, even more so than they already have. Locally, organizations, markets and secondhand shops are feeding the thrifting cravings of locals. In the Gainesville area, there are plenty of places to choose from to shop locally and secondhand. Locations include national establishments like Goodwill and Plato’s Closet and local stores like Sandy's Savvy Chic Resale Boutique and Flashbacks Recycled Fashions. There are even market experiences such as The HOW BAZAR Co., a vintage store offering resale and reworked items. The store hosts monthly markets coined Bazar À La Carte involving local vendors, food and
“Thrift Club came to life because we noticed a lack of a community for UF students who were passionate about promoting sustainability through secondhand shopping, borrowing, swapping and upcycling.” Aside from advocating for ethically conscious consumer choices, Thrift Club embeds an intersectional lens in its programming. Abby Forsyth, the club treasurer, posits that “environmental justice has often been ignored in past environmental movements,” thus making one of the organization’s goals to “help change the narrative to include all perspectives and begin to understand the relationships between environmental issues and social justice issues.” This blending of issues creates a rich space ripe for learning and growing as individuals and as a community through thrifting. Originally a series of pop-up shops, The HOW BAZAR Co. now consists of a storefront in the area and is a worker-owned organization with five coowners. Founder Jose Peruyero, Business Operations
Specialist Holly McCoy, Handyperson Ryan Akeridge, Creative Director Khary Khalfani and Marketing & Community Outreach Director Laila Fakhoury make up this dynamic team, which developed through a model of sustainability and empowerment of local businesses and creatives. The shop also lends itself to being a community resource in that a goal is to share the worker-owned business model with the community and world “where all of the co-owners have equal ownership of the business and making decisions for the business… because we think that it's very effective and ethical,” Fakhoury said. Working against the detrimental environmental impacts of the fashion industry, The HOW BAZAR Co. remodels and reworks clothing that is considered undesirable in an effort to upcycle them for resale, thus closing the cycle to landfill. “For us, we still see the beauty in all of those things, and especially through the fact that reusing and repurposing and recycling is something that makes things even more beautiful because of sustainability and the ethics behind repurposing,” Fakhoury said. The monthly market also works to uplift community artists and vendors. It is held on the side of the storefront and is meant to “create an ecosystem of shoppers and sellers who can support each other in a very nurturing space.” Whether someone chooses to shop secondhand because it’s trendy or because of a goal to live more sustainably, it is a powerful force providing new opportunities for communities, the fashion industry and individuals alike. The interconnected fabric of secondhand shopping, whether online or locally in person, weaves a story of ethical consciousness, a changing industry and the wonderful nature of adding a new chapter to something — transforming it from old to new once again.
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