i hate the mall

This weekend, I went to the mall for the first time in months. My mom needed to return some stuff and we happened to be in the area anyway, so I tagged along. I swore off fast fashion at the beginning of the summer, and since then I’ve been exclusively buying second-hand clothes via Goodwill, Champaign Closet Recycle, Depop, Etsy, and some others. And, honestly, the whole experience disgusted me. I haven’t been around vast quantities of new clothes in so long that I forgot that special look, feel, and smell they have- and I really, truly hated it.

I credit several TedTalks and a couple YouTubers with ecologically radicalizing me. Modern consumerist culture has taught us that we’re entitled to cheap stuff whenever we want it, but the fact is that our current habits are simply not sustainable. Buying fast fashion is signing off on slavery and oppression. Even if you don’t consciously intend to, that’s the undeniable impact of participating in the industry. Basically, I quit when it became too difficult to prioritize my own short-term gratification over the lives of millions. Billions, once you consider the kinds of environmental blowback future generations will have to contend with as a result of our rampant consumerism. Meanwhile, thrifting -- while not a solution to the issue -- means less clothing in landfills, less clothing produced, and less direct support for the evil brands destroying our planet.

Aside from the environmental and human rights concerns, I’ve noticed a lot of other benefits to thrifting. I save money, for one thing- not just because the prices are lower, but because I’m a lot more conscious of my purchases. When I shopped fast fashion, I’d often wander around in a store, pick out a shirt for $10, wear it once, and throw it in the back of my closet to rot. Today, I’m a lot more careful. With thrifting, it takes a bit more effort to find nice things, so I have to consider what I actually want before I go in. Instead of just blindly shopping, I more often identify holes in my wardrobe/aesthetic and look for pieces accordingly. It’s not I kind of want a new shirt let’s see what Forever 21 has it’s I want a cool vintage graphic t-shirt to layer with, let’s check Depop. I’m not saying I never make impulse purchases or get buyer’s remorse, but it’s become a lot rarer, since I now have a specific vision and purpose for everything I buy. It’s also encouraged me to do more sewing/DIY/upcycling, which is a lot of fun.

Thrifting also brings more unique pieces. Fast fashion often follows rapidly-changing trends and leaves you buying things that feel dated just a few months later. Over the years I’ve grown to dislike the style of most fast fashion stores more and more- they’re just not my thing. In comparison, my thrifted pieces are interesting, one of a kind.

It also feels good to use my money on things I care about. I feel infinitely better knowing my $15 are going towards helping some girl pay her rent, rather than oppressing workers, destroying the environment, and funding a new megayacht for the CEO of American Eagle. I also really like being able to directly communicate with the sellers of my clothing, which Depop and Etsy are great for. I didn’t realize how cold the typical retail experience is until I texted the girl selling the jeans I wanted asking how stretchy they were and she replied with 6 emojis. You just don’t get that kind of person-to-person connection at Forever 21, where you just know everyone who works there really, really wants to go home.

Still, thrifting isn’t perfect. A lot of sustainability activists criticize online shopping, since goods arrive via long truckrides wrapped in cardboard and bubble wrap. And a lot of the big chain stores are not great. Goodwill pays its workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage while its CEOs take home $700,000+ per year, and I’ve been boycotting Salvation Army since I learned of their rampant homophobia and transphobia. Really, the most sustainable thing you can do to get new clothes is buy from either local/pop-up thrift stores (like the Krannert props and costume sale) or via clothing swaps with friends. Although, to be honest, we all just need to have smaller wardrobes. But buying second-hand is better than the mall by pretty much any metric.

I know I’m a hypocrite. I drive when I could bike, eat individually-wrapped snacks, and sucked at being vegetarian. But, as the saying goes, you can’t do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do. I'd like to transition to a zero-waste lifestyle, but it's a slow process (the major thing I've done recently is order a reusable straw to bring to restaurants, yay for baby steps!) Right now, avoiding fast fashion is the biggest thing I can do, so I try it do it well.