Imagine going shopping at a place like Goodwill, You’ve found a few good items and are now looking at the glassware. As you scan the aisle, you spot a butter dish with a member of the Simpson family on it. You walk towards it and slowly open the lid. Inside, you find butter still in the dish. 

This absurd scenario happened to sophomore Ava Staples when she was “thrifting,” or thrift shopping. This sustainable alternative to buying clothes and other items new has taken high school students across the globe by storm, including here in Washington.

“I wanted the older style that can’t be found in newer things,” said Staples, “I never realized that thrift stores would carry something like that.”

Thrift shopping is when someone goes to a secondhand store and purchases clothing or other items. 

This seemingly mundane task has been turned into a fun hangout idea and is widely regarded as a blast.

“An old friend and I hung out, and we decided to go thrifting. We only went to one store, but I spent 200 dollars. I had so much fun,” said sophomore Gracie Lyons. 

Just a few years ago, thrift shopping was seen as something reserved for those who could not afford new clothing.“I went with my mom before, but I do think TikTok has really (inspired) me into going more,” said senior Emma McCary. Many regular thrift shoppers have a routine.

 “I go to the skirts then I go to the women’s pants, and then I go to the men’s pants and [so on],” said McCary. 

Some thrift shoppers go with their parents, and some go with friends. 

“My friend and I found like 17 shirts that said ‘I never dreamed I’d grow up to be a super sexy chicken lady, but here I am killing it,’ they were all different colors and fonts,” said McCary. “My whole friend group got one.” 

While thrifting can lead to absolutely hilarious finds, such as Staples’ butter dish and McCary’s chicken lady shirts, it can also lead to some more usable finds. 

“I found this necklace that had a paper attached to it with a story about this woman’s great-grandmother,” said Lyons. “Her husband got it for her on their wedding day.”

Staples found something of similar nature. 

“I found a really old sweater that had a pocket with a note in it.” The note, unfortunately, was in cursive, so Staples could not read it.

McCary is using her love of thrifting for homecoming, her dress is thrifted.

“It has this like loose neckline. It’s so cute.”

Thrifting can be used for your regular wardrobe, entertainment, a fun hangout or date idea and formal wear. Thrift shopping is for everyone, so give it a try, you never know what you’ll find.

“People should go thrift shopping because it’s a lot more sustainable,” says McCary. “Plus it means a lot more when you find something at the thrift store.