The past

When I was a kid, my mom would bring me hand-me-downs from friends and family. At the time, I saw it as uncool – nobody else I knew wanted to wear something used.

Over the years, I’ve realized how sustainable my mom had been. Not only did she reuse clothing, but she also found all sorts of ways to repurpose items. I grew up with items like plastic bags, containers, straws being reused in some way or another, whether it was for arts and crafts or just for another functional purpose.

My mom has even coerced me into cleaning my closet to donate the clothing items to family, friends, organizations, shelters, and the like. While it was hard to get me to clean my room, she managed to appeal to my good will, and I learned how to live more sustainably at an early stage in my life – whether I realized it or not.

The present

Nowadays, my social media seems to be inundated by sustainability thoughts and articles, zero-waste posts, and tips and tricks, which all together inspired me to tentatively step out of my comfort zone and go thrifting. I discovered that clothes from thrift stores were clean and stylish, contrary to my expectations, so it became a kind of a game for me – a treasure hunt for items I liked that were actually my size.

Slowly, I started learning more about sustainable fashion. Although what pushed me out of my comfort zone at first was how cheap thrift store clothing was, I soon realized that I was giving these clothing items a second life, instead of leaving them to be thrown away. Instead of creating waste and supporting the fast fashion industry, I had found a way to help the planet and my wallet.

After venturing into Value Village a few times, I searched for other thrift stores, some of which donate proceeds to charities supporting women, children, and mental health advocacy. This made thrifting a way for me to give back to the community with my purchases.

The future

With the closure of Forever 21 in Canada, it’s clear that more people are realizing the harmful effects of fast fashion. More and more of my friends are transitioning away from supporting the fast fashion industry in favour of more sustainable alternatives (such as buying clothing from local, ethical shops). 

I will share some of my favourite thrift stores below so you (and your wallet) can also benefit from partaking in a more sustainable way to shop! If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable fashion, I encourage you to check out https://www.attiremedia.com/ or do some research.

Recommendations

1.   The Wildlife Thrift Store – 1295 Granville St, Vancouver

This was the first thrift store I fell in love with. There’s always a HUGE selection of unique treasures.

Not only were there clothing items (shirts, shoes, jackets), The Wildlife Thrift Store also had a selection of appliances, furniture, and various other decor items. It was beautiful and I could tell that each item had a story behind it. I also didn’t feel guilty about spending so much money here because I knew that all proceeds went to a great cause.

2.  Still Fabulous Thrift Store – 4355 Main St, Vancouver

This place is GORGEOUS. I remember walking past it the first time I tried going here because it looked way too bougie to be a thrift store.

At around $7 a shirt, it is a little pricier than usual thrift stores, but the clothing items are great quality. There is always a sale (pink tags 50% off!) every time I go in. There is also a brand name section with everything under $20.

Not only do they donate all proceeds, they’re also volunteer-run – and the volunteers are extremely sweet.

3.  YWCA Thrift – 4399 Main St, Vancouver

This place is just a few stores down from Still Fabulous! At first, I almost didn’t go in however, I saw that there was a $2 rack and that all proceeds go towards supporting single mothers and their kids. 

The place had some cool selections (from furniture to shoes), but it wasn’t as “high-end” as Still Fabulous. That didn’t stop me from buying some cool finds, though. I found a nice pea coat for only $26, and it looked really nice. 

Part of what I love about thrifting in this area is that down the street, there Y’s books (cute used bookstore), Carsons Books and Records (used and rare books), Black Bond Books (new, cheap books), MeeT on Main, The Acorn, and Chickpea (all amazing vegan restaurants). There are some really cute vintage and art stores (think mini-library-under-the-stairs type of art) across from The Acorn too.

4.  Value Village

If you don’t feel like going all the way to Vancouver, Value Village is a great place to find some local treasures. Once, I found a black Zara skirt for only $4! I’ve also found Banana Republic sweaters for less than $15. When you join the Super Savers Club, you get email reminders about when the monthly store-wide 50% off sale is!

Do you have any thrift shop recommendations? I’ve heard that Kerrisdale has some great stores. I’ve also heard of Shameless Resale (near The Acorn restaurant on Main St) and The Soap Dispensary (although this is more of a sustainable store than a thrift store). Let me know your thoughts!

Your local impulsive (but eco-friendly!) thrift shopper,
Jennifer