Colorful, affordable and sometimes crowded, thrift stores are becoming the new hot spot for teenagers and young adults to purchase clothing.

Known to many, thrifting is the act of buying pre-owned clothing at a low or discounted price. These options can range from $5 windbreakers to $20 dresses. For many college students, thrifting is an accessible way to save money and shop sustainably.

Freshman Kinesiology major Amber Peterson shared why she prefers thrifting as opposed to shopping elsewhere.

She said, “I prefer thrifting because it’s much more environmentally friendly to shop secondhand because those clothes would’ve ended up in the landfill if they weren’t donated. It’s also so much cheaper than buying new clothes, and a lot of the time you’ll end up finding clothes from popular brands for a really low price.”

Peterson said she enjoys thrifting anywhere but the main place she goes to is Goodwill.

“I shop anywhere I can find a Goodwill. The Goodwill in Hammond usually has nice stuff, and I like the Goodwill in Boutte,” Peterson said.

According to Peterson, she enjoys trying out new styles, but primarily dresses in neutral colors.

She explained, “I like neutral colors like black, brown, olive green or grey. Almost all of my tops are crop tops, so I’ll usually just pair that with some jeans or shorts and a jacket on top. Lately, I’ve been getting more into mini skirts, but I’m still testing that out.”

Sophomore Nursing major Dede Nason said she enjoys thrifting because of the affordable prices.

She said, “I prefer thrifting because, first of all, it’s way cheaper than regular retail clothing. I feel better buying used than brand new for the majority of the time because it is more eco friendly and unique!”

Like Peterson, Nason also shops at Goodwill. She described her style to be pretty basic with an athletic touch.

“My go-to daily outfit is Nike shorts and a big t-shirt. I have gotten a ton of biker shorts from thrifts and get almost all my t-shirts from thrifting as well,” Nason said.

Shopping for more 90s style outfits – like mom jeans – is another great aspect of thrift shopping, according to Nason.

“I love to search for mom jeans at Goodwill or some regular jeans to destress myself,” she said.

Sophomore psychology major Jewel Vincent prefers thrifting because of the memories that have been made from the previous owners.

She said, “I feel that they have already made memories, and I get to experience those and make my own in them. I get to craft new items, too and I feel it helps me express myself better rather than shop at a store where everyone has the same thing and style. I want to be an individual, and thrifting helps me do that.”

Vincent’s style varies but mainly follows street style fashion trends with a bit of grunge influence.

She noted, “It ranges depending on what I’m feeling sometimes. It can be grunge, streetwear-ish or very vintage, but it mostly looks like it came from the 70s.”