Too often, people are captive to the allure of name-brand clothing. When wearing branded labels, it gives validation that our clothes are brand new and we are its sole possessors. The question is: can good, real clothes only be found at big supermalls?
You should know there is a charming, affordable alternative.
Thrift stores are clothes, shoes, or bags that are bought secondhand. As Filipinos, we’d call them ukay-ukay or UK in short. Ukay-ukay is derived from the word “halungkay” meaning “to dig”. These thrift stores can be seen anywhere, maybe near your neighborhood or in a place that is a secondhand haven. Going inside the thrift stores, you’ll be seeing tons of hanged clothes, caps, bags, and displayed shoes. Not only are they hanged, there are also piled boxes to literally dig an item you would like to have. In a sea of clothes, if you have the patience for it, you would actually see good gold.
Not all clothes have the same style unlike when shopping in malls, where you’d go directly to a store you have in mind because it offers a style identity already. In thrift stores, there’s variety. You’d go across blouses, sleeveless, skirts, pants – you name it, with different styles, fabric, and design. With this variety, you’d get to discover that you may build your own style. This also molds your creativity in putting different kinds of clothes in one solid outfit. A lot would tweak the clothes to make it more stylish for them.
Despite seeing the items slightly damaged, overall these items are in good condition. Some may fear about their health conditions regarding with the clothes. But of course, disinfecting can have many ways: some would boil it for a few minutes or put it straight to the laundry. After all, these should be taken care of especially for a piece of clothing that we really want to have.
Many are surprised at how thrift shoppers are able to pull off an outfit that is not usually seen in public or in celebrities. When bought from malls, there may be a chance they have similar styles. But in thrift stores, people may not have a single clue on where they got the item. People are astonished by how thrift shoppers have this patience and luck to find a good piece from hundreds of clothes displayed.
Thanks to thrift stores, people can see how they’d lift up their fashion vibe practically and fashionably. Any amount of money can go a long way in thrift stores. Along with being practical, you’d be able to have your own fashion identity that no one can ever steal from you. You are allowed the platform to become an icon.