THE THRIFT STORE CONVERT
Photo by Greg Stahl
Here is me seven months ago when I seriously began to shop at thrift stores. My first trip was with Jessica Holmes, a good friend already, and two new friends, Nicole Orabona and Kelly Lynae Robinson. At first I was overwhelmed by all the “crap.” How to begin? Everything to me looked like rejects and nothing like what I could buy in the stores. I settled on these 70s blue gaucho pants and a boxy sweater. Little did I know how awesome they would turn out.
Since thrift store shopping, I 90% of the time never wear the exact same outfit. I used to dress by default and wear the same outfits and rotate every two weeks. My fashion sense relied a lot on what other people in culture dictated as fashion and what was available at local stores. With thrift store shopping, I have to let go of looking for a specific look and start experimenting.
70s gaucho pants: no tag, thrift store
Dress posing as a shirt: no tag, thrift store,
hand-me-down from Kelly (see as dress)
Buckle warm brown leather heels: Gianni Bini, Dillard’s 3+ years ago
This new way of dressing and experimentation has opened up the floodgates of my creativity. Instead of seeing things as they are “supposed” to be done or are “meant” to be used, I instead look for new possibilities to repurpose or do things. A dress, which you can see worn 6 months ago, is now a shirt and a leather woven belt is now a cuff-like bracelet.
Brown woven leather belt posing as a leather cuff: thrift store
Vintage brown leather camera bag: thrift store
 Photographer: Marcus Pierce
Getting away from wearing the same old, same old expected fashion everyday, thrift store shopping has benefited me more than just my way of dressing. It has made me aware of how same old, same old keeps me from analyzing my choices. Each choice I make is an opportunity for growth. If I am more conscience of my decisions, I can benchmark where I have been and where I am going. Thrift store shopping is a floodgate to creativity, flexibility, and awareness because “the default” is not an option.
