Dressed to the nineties
With the rising popularity of thrift shopping has come the resurgence of many old fashion trends, so in many ways, fashion has become a gateway into the past
The interior of the Buffalo Exchange on State St. in downtown Bellingham. Buffalo Exchange sells many vintage items that contribute to bringing old style trends back around. // Photo by Katie McNabb
The clinking and clanging of hangers as they’re pulled back and forth along clothing racks and the shuffling of people through endless aisles of worn clothes may be overwhelming to some, but to others, the challenge of secondhand shopping is a thrill.
Vintage shopping seems to be growing in popularity by the day.
There are many reasons people choose to shop secondhand, such as that it’s a cheaper option for those who are looking to spend less money on their clothes. However, secondhand shopping has also become a trend for those who are looking to have a more unique closet, enjoy the challenge of finding clothes they like or want to reduce their impact on the environment.
Lisa McNeill, a professor and consumer psychology researcher at the University of Otago, said the diverse number of reasons people choose to shop second-hand is what makes fashion unique.
“What I can say is that there has been a rapid increase in the number of people who now consider secondhand for sustainability reasons than there were 10 years ago ⎯ which is fantastic,” McNeill said in an email.
The production of clothing is known to pollute waterways and soil, as well as be exploitative of those working in the clothing factories.
Kait Schultz and Ethan Granat, the Zero Waste Coordinators for the AS Recycling Center, have worked to put on clothing swaps on Western’s campus for this very reason. During these clothing swaps, students can bring in any clothes they’d like to get rid of for other students to look through and bring home.
“It kind of just looks like you’re in a little market,” Schultz said. “You can walk in-between the tables and look at clothes, and we generally have some fun songs playing.”
The most recent clothing swap put on by Zero Waste Western was done in partnership with the Students for Zero Waste club on April 25 and included clothing repairs, as well as the swap.
“I think Bellingham, in particular, has a very conscious culture of wanting to buy secondhand,” Granat said. “For some people, it’s for environmental reasons; for some people, it’s to be unique and have their own sense of fashion that maybe you can’t find in brands that are in the malls.”
Evidence also shows that people choose to buy vintage clothing purely for nostalgic reasons.
The Buffalo Exchange on State St. in downtown Bellingham. Buffalo Exchange is one of Bellingham’s most popular second-hand stores. // Photo by Katie McNabb
Assistant professor at the American University in Mandaba, Dr. Nadine Khair, holds her Ph.D. in international marketing and consumer behavior. Khair studies the connection between fashion and nostalgia, particularly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Khair, the pandemic caused many people to long for the days before COVID and for many, dressing in vintage clothing is a way of expressing the desire to live in simpler or happier times.
“Individuals had the chance to reminisce over the past with family and friends, which led them to consume certain fashion pieces they felt connected to, to relive the past,” Khair said.
No matter the reason, though, one thing can be said about vintage shopping: it brings old trends back around.
Though people may not go to a secondhand store with the intention of buying used clothes to fit into a style trend from the past, that tends to be what happens. Simply due to the nature of secondhand stores being full of older clothes, the more people shop at them, the more vintage clothes will be worn.
This is perpetuated by social media influence.
Studies show influencers have stronger leverage over consumer behavior and decisions than celebrities do, and it’s becoming increasingly popular for these influencers to post videos of themselves on Instagram or TikTok talking about the negative impacts of the fashion industry or showing off the clothes they bought at a vintage store.
Celia Vernon, a fourth-year at Western Washington University studying sociology, said social media influences how she dresses.
“Things come back into style and I’m like, ‘Oh, everybody else is wearing that. That’s kind of cute, how can I do my own personal spin on it?’” Vernon said.
Vernon is a self-described “fashionista” and even runs her own clothing line, called Hearts by Celia, which consists primarily of reversible intimates and swimwear that are all handmade. However, Vernon likes to dress in the Y2K style and in what she describes as “the edgy side of girly.”
“Y2K” refers to the popular style from the early 2000s and late-1990s. This trend includes things such as chokers, knitwear, crop tops, hair clips, low-rise jeans and many other pieces you may have seen pop stars wearing on the cover of M Magazine in 2005.
“I feel like I don’t try to subscribe myself to one trend, but I like the style of low-rise jeans, so I wear low-rise jeans because that makes me happy,” Vernon said. “I love the Juicy style tracksuits. I love a little bit of sparkle. I love a low-rise, which I know is very controversial. I like the glitz and glam stuff.”
Vernon said she buys most of her clothes secondhand.
“The only things I regularly buy firsthand are shoes,” Vernon said. “I think it’s so fun, just the thrill of the hunt. There’s so many clothing items out there that have only been loved a little bit, and they should continue having a life, and somebody should keep enjoying them.”
Labels is Vernon’s favorite secondhand store in Bellingham, but there are no shortage of options.
Celia Vernon poses in a cropped jacket and low-rise jeans on Western Washington University’s campus on April 19. Vernon’s top and pants are both second-hand. // Photo by Katie McNabb
Bellingham residents can get their secondhand shopping fix at stores like Value Village, Goodwill, Worn Again Thrift and Buffalo Exchange.
Grace Proffitt, the store manager at Buffalo Exchange, a consignment store in downtown Bellingham, said a lot of the items that are popular with customers are vintage.
Consignment stores, such as Buffalo Exchange or Labels, differ from thrift stores such as Goodwill and Value Village because they are for-profit. These stores typically filter through clothes that are brought into them by anyone in the community before choosing which ones they want to buy, then selling them out on the floor. Thrift stores, however, are non-profits, and they’re earnings usually go to charitable causes.
“We get a lot of vintage, like cowboy boots, or we get a lot of vintage leather items, which people really love because I think when you have items like that, you [say], ‘oh my gosh, this leather jacket is from the ’70s and the boots are from the ’60s, and they’re still in great shape,’” Proffitt said.
She said this is a great testament to how quality items can last a long time if they’re properly cared for.
“It’s fun because you can see how fashion is cyclical and everything comes back around, which is really cool,” Proffitt said.
Simply by stepping into a thrift store on a weekend afternoon, you can see that Proffitt is not the only one who enjoys vintage shopping. These stores are often packed with people hunting through the racks for something they like and packing their carts full of clothes that would’ve likely cost them five times as much at a regular retail store.
Secondhand shopping is clearly alive and well, and that was especially clear during Buffalo Exchange’s Earth Day sale on April 22, when select items were sold for just one dollar. All the proceeds went to The Elephant Sanctuary.
The Buffalo Exchange on State Street in Bellingham was overflowing with people during the sale. Passersby were witness to racks on racks laid out outside the store with dozens of people combing through them, desperately trying to hold stacks of clothes in their arms.
“We sold over 1,000 items,” Proffitt said. “It’s kind of a whirlwind the day of, but when it’s over, it’s just really fun.”
Walking along Western’s campus or the streets of Bellingham can often feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine as there is no shortage of flare jeans or crop tops. If you ask them where they got their clothes, there’s a good chance they’ll name a secondhand store.
“I find that if I compliment a friend on what they’re wearing, they’re always really happy to share that it’s thrifted,” Schultz said. “It’s kind of like a badge of honor to have found a cool item.”