Left: Macklemore’s cover art for “Thrift Shop.” Middle: Julia Roberts in vintage Valentino at the 2001 Oscars. Right: An early Goodwill location, circa 1920s.
So when did buying other people’s used clothing become socially acceptable, and even a little cool? Not too long ago, thrift store shopping was by most, reserved for the down-and-out, but now, with the rise in popularity of vintage clothing, it’s suddenly cool — cue an explosion of vintage shops on Etsy.com, select Goodwill location “Glitter Sales,” and stylists like Patricia Field and Rachel Zoe styling their celebrity clients in vintage. Seattle-based rapper Macklemore even came out with a catchy, no-shame anthem all about thrift shopping — watch the highly entertaining video after the jump.
Many modern thrift store charity organizations formed in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Goodwill Industries, which was formed in 1902, began by taking donations of used items and training in-need adults to repair those items for resale. In the 30s and 40s, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and the like started opening brick and mortar thrift shops. Savers (or Value Village) opened in 1954. Thrifting as we know it today probably didn’t gain much momentum until the grungy, counter-culture 90s. And just like any episode of “Portlandia” suggests, the 90s are back, and with that, comes vintage and thrift.
Macklemore’s new song and video “Thrift Shop” is proud of its outlandish fur coat bargains and Batman footie pajamas, proclaiming: “this is f***ing awesome!” For anyone who has thrifted, its an ode to the search, the stank, and the glory of uncovering that one amazing (and cheap) item and making it your own.
While scoring 99 cent deals in “Thrift Shop” is a little different from expensive designer vintage, the spirit of letting clothing live on past its time still rings true. In 2001, Julia Roberts’ iconic black and white Oscars dress was 1992 Valentino vintage. Nowadays, wearing vintage is almost commonplace on the red carpet (think Natalie Portman, Sienna Miller, and too many others to count).
Whether its collecting a piece of history, saving money, or going green, shopping vintage, and especially thrifting, doesn’t have the stigma it used to. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So tell us, do you thrift? And what was the best thing you found?
Author & Graphic: Alexis Sargent Photos: ANDPOP. Vogue. Library of Virginia.
