The Life and Evolution of a Thrift Queen
Sustainability is Chic
My genetic makeup is 33.3% basic bitch, 33.3% real down to Mars girl, with my head in the stars, and 33% barefoot nature lover. My “big 3” astrology signs are Taurus Sun, Libra Rising, and Leo Moon. If you’re unfamiliar with astrology, these are the top three fashion-forward signs out of the total 12 signs in the zodiac. Taurus and Libra are both ruled by Venus, which rules over art, love, and beauty. Ritzy and people-pleasing Libra really cares about what other people think of her, and this sign has an expensive taste for name brands and high fashion. Taurus also loves to indulge in the finer things in life but takes a more down-to-earth approach. Taurus wants to hoard her money, so this sign knows how to create a unique style at a discount and prefers vintage treasures over current trends. Leo is flamboyant and wants to stand out and get attention for her looks. What better way to do that than to show off an eye-catching outfit? As you can see, it was written in the stars for me to love fashion.
My love for clothes goes as far back as my earliest childhood memories. I threw a temper tantrum whenever my mom tried to dress me up in something for family photos that I didn’t think was “cute.” In the first grade, I remember spending the afternoon on my bedroom floor circling items in a clothing magazine and daydreaming about what it would be like to have those clothes in my closet. At that time, in the mid-90s, I longed for Limited Too flare jeans, a pair of faux leather pants, and strappy platform sandals.
Even before Instagram, one of my favorite pastimes has always been dressing up with my friends and doing photoshoots or using my little sisters as real-life dolls and dressing them up for photos. I’m 32 now and indulge in posting my outfits online.
As a kid, we always had everything we needed and lived a very comfortable life, but we lived within our means. My dad worked really hard with his hands every day, as a carpenter, to provide for us, and my mom worked her butt off as a stay-at-home mom, raising us kids. We lived on one income. In one of my core memories from middle school, I was curious about socioeconomic classes and questioned my dad about which income class we were included in. He explained to me that we belonged to the lower-middle class. Back then, he supported a family of 6 on $30,000 a year. I didn’t get all the new, brand-name clothes that my Libra rising craved. Even though I’m the oldest of my siblings, I still managed to get a lot of hand-me-downs from cousins and friends. We also frequented the thrift store.
I used to shop at thrift stores out of necessity but today I shop sustainably by choice. When this mommy gets a break from the kids, my favorite thing to do is roll out on a bright Sunday morning, homemade coffee in hand, $10 shades on, windows down, and drive myself to church … a.k.a. the thrift store, while Aurora sparkles melodically through my car speakers.
There was a time in between living at home with my parents and having my own kids when I took a break from thrifting. During this phase in my life, I worked as a paralegal in a corporate law office, and made decent money. I didn’t have anyone to take care of besides myself so I got to be selfish with my hard-earned profits, for once in my life. I still had this inner voice instilled in me from my parents, telling me to be responsible with my money and live within my means, which I did. However, it was nice to be able to spoil my inner child and buy her brand-new clothes from Free People and Urban Outfitters and luxury makeup from Sephora. It was a lot of fun, and I don’t regret it. I bought a lot of time capsule pieces (clothes that are good quality and will never go out of style). One of my favorite purchases from that era is a pair of black denim bell-bottoms from Free People that I still own and wear to this day.
These days, I’ve almost completely dedicated myself to shopping second-hand. I could buy new clothes if I wanted to, but it feels kind of icky when I know I can rescue a beautiful 1980s vintage dress from the Salvation Army and breathe new life into it at a Christmas party in 2024. I live for the thrill I get when I find that needle in the haystack and come home with a pair of Levi denim shorts for $7.50. If I have something specific that I’m shopping for and don’t want to take the gamble of whether or not I’ll be able to find it in the store, I can also find some incredible pieces on eBay or Poshmark.
I love thrifting because I can find fun, unique looks, and I’ll never show up to an event wearing the same dress as another basic bitch. Obviously, shopping this way saves me a ton of money while working a $0-paying job as a stay-at-home mom. Most importantly, I try to commit myself to shopping second-hand because of the impact of fast fashion on the environment. Earthday.org reports that:
“Fashion is one of the most polluting of all industries. Clothing is manufactured with highly toxic dyes and heavy metals that are flushed into clean water streams, rivers, and aquifers where they sicken people and animals, harm ecosystems, and cause biodiversity loss.”
Fashion is a huge part of my identity, and gives me a creative outlet to express myself. This Leo moon lives for an outfit compliment. I also care deeply about the environment and my ecological footprint. I try to focus on buying clothes that are good quality, staple pieces that will stand the test of time, staying in style throughout the years. When I decide to retire pieces from my wardrobe, I like to donate to the local women’s shelter, sell to a consignment store, or resell them on Facebook Marketplace or Poshmark. Shopping sustainably, second-hand, allows me to have my cake and eat it too. I hope I can inspire you to go hunting for your own treasures at a thrift store near you.
Thank you for your support! If you would like to check out my art, Intention candles, or book an astrological birth chart reading from me, please visit my Etsy store and follow me on Instagram Spacebunsmommy.
Sandra Knauf’s memoir about a lot of things wild and woolly, including raising chickens and hosting tea parties in the garden. A great spring gift for any mother or nature-lover in your family. Available on Amazon.
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What a fun article, Naomi. I love it! Thank you for promoting all that is NOT fast fashion and doing it with such beautiful STYLE!
Very thrifty. Always enjoy your writing. It is a double benefit to find a treasure and save a bit from the landfill.