Luxury does not equate to breaking the bank for brand-spanking-new pieces. As broke college students, we hunt for sustainable, ethical pieces that allow us to explore our personal style and fashionable creativity. The solution to this desire for affordable fashion? Second-hand shopping.
From local thrift store deals to online, clothing platforms like Depop to small curated vintage shops, second-hand is accessible if you know how to look.
Libby Henderson, owner of Mad Liberation Vintage, a curated vintage shop focused on sustainability and expression, has created a space combining second-hand shopping and environmental consciousness. When asked about how she came to be a vintage shop owner, Henderson called on her own experience as a second-hand shopper.
“A huge dream, an excellent eye, and ultimately a lot of drive, determination, and betting on myself. It really started with finding interesting clothing for myself. I grew up thrifting, and after school, I’d go find pieces that stood out to me… I eventually started to collect them in my bedroom. I started doing pop-ups around the city in 2021 after allowing the collection to naturally grow over time until I felt it was in a place to share with others,” Henderson said.
While Henderson started her second-hand shopping experience at the thrift store, others discovered their love for luxury not only in the sustainability space but also in the art of creating luxury itself.
“My dad works in fashion, so I grew up surrounded by it,” said sophomore Imad Siddiqui. “When I was younger, I’d go with him to New York City to visit showrooms and see designer fabrics before they were made into full collections. Watching that process from fabric to runway made me fall in love with fashion as storytelling.”
Though we are all on different fashion paths, Henderson and Siddiqui’s perspectives prove the same thing: luxury is not limited to high price tags and plastic wrap, but recognizing the beauty in the pieces that already exist.
Although we have found sources to express our luxury and second-hand tastes on a sustainable budget, the stigma around luxury still prevails for people who don’t know the tools for collecting quality pieces.
“Whether we like it or not, certain brands carry a kind of social meaning, and people make assumptions based on them. Personally, I wear designer pieces because they make me feel confident, not because of the name,” Siddiqui said. “That said, I do think designer fashion lets me express myself in more specific ways; it’s like wearing a piece of someone else’s vision that also aligns with your own.”
While some find their fashion passion in craftsmanship and personal expression, others find their spark of self-expression in the growing second-hand world. Thrifting and sourcing your clothes aren’t only budget-friendly choices now, but a lifestyle in sustainability.
“The increase in the younger generation is very apparent in the shop right now. It’s very exciting. Watching kids come in with their parents is something that warms my heart. It makes me feel excited and hopeful for the future, our expression as a collective, and our planet,” Henderson said.
