Thrifting: How Latinos are Powering This New Fashion Trend

thrift store

Throughout the decades, fashion trends like bell-bottomed jeans, leg warmers, and overalls have become a significant part of a certain moment's culture. Princess Diana, Rihanna, Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, and many others have been icons society has looked to when it comes to fashion.

Although many have done so through high-couture and luxury brands, a new trend has distanced itself from them: thrifting is now in.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Macklemore – whose song "Thrift Shop" is among his most famous –, and SZA are among the many few who have been spotted wearing secondhand outfits and have inspired others to do so. And here's when the Latino community comes in.

"Thrifting can be due to multiple factors that have contributed to the change. Celebrities are photographed wearing vintage pieces and influencing people to search for styles similar to those pieces. Another reason can be that thrifting truly allows us to tap into our very own creative nature, when you thrift, each item you find is unique, allowing you to be creative in creating an outfit that will make you feel your best. Each piece you find is usually special in one way or another to the individual," said Thrift Vintage Fashion co-founder, Evelyn Frankel, speaking to the Latin Times.

"I also believe that social media has played a role in the popularity of thrifting. I have seen many influencers doing 'thrift hauls', or 'come thrifting with me' and helping reduce the stigma thrifting has previously had in American culture and Latin culture," Frankel added.

Hispanic culture has had a factor of receiving or giving hand-me-downs and second-hand clothing for different reasons, financial struggles among them.

"In Mexico as there are lots of people who have few resources so it's common for you to get hand me downs from cousins, brothers, and sisters. I feel like thrifting is also just an extension of that, it's all second hand clothes, materials, items that you're continuing to reuse and I think especially within the Latino community. we are very good at reusing before it was even called sustainable. So I think it's an extension of what we already do," Latina Eco-Creator, Xitlaly Ocampo, said to the Latin Times.

"I was introduced to thrifting and secondhand stores at a very young age because my mother was a single mother so in order to make ends meet she would take my brother and I thrifting all the time. So the idea itself is something that I've grown up with. I've never seen it as anything less than buying new clothes," Ocampo added. She says she has been able to implement her Latino culture into thrifting by shopping for bright colors to make her feel connected to her Mexican roots.

Furthermore, not only has thrifting become a cultural norm for influencers like Ocampo, but it also has a sustainability aspect. "Thrifting does help because you're giving it a second chance and therefore prolonging its life," added the influencer.

According to ThredUp's report "If every consumer this year bought just one secondhand garment instead of a new one, it would lower CO2 emissions by more than 2 billion pounds, equal to taking 76 million cars off the road for a day, and save some 23 billion gallons of water and 4 billion kilowatt-hours of energy."

Frankel said that "buying secondhand clothing is honestly the best way to lower our personal carbon footprint, and though I don't believe that is the main motivation behind all our shoppers it sure is an incredible benefit when anyone shops secondhand. I will say people love how sustainable it is for their wallets. I think that affordability, creativity, and the experience of thrifting will continue to push the trend of thrifting ahead."