What began as simple shopping trips with her mom has grown into a genuine passion for thrifting. Junior Ailani Wilson now views secondhand shopping as more than just a way to find affordable clothes—but as a creative hobby that reflects her personality. Over the years, those weekend outings at the thrift have transformed her childhood memories into a true love for thrifting.
“Ever since I was little, my mom would take me thrifting because she always thought it was a better way to find clothes that were cheap, but also good quality,” Ailani said. “Most of the time, it is probably stuff that I am never going to wear, but once you find some, it feels like a reward.”
Cute clothes at a lower price is definitely a positive to having a hobby in thrifting. But when walking into a Goodwill or a Mell Trotter thrift store, there may be some unexpected clothing discoveries. Not only is finding cute clothes at a lower price something to look forward to, but for Ailani, thrift store clothing can be quite funny at times.
“I saw an Among Us shirt, [the shirt said] something like, ‘It wasn’t me who vented,’” Ailani said. “I also not only like thrifting [because I] find stuff I can wear, or stuff that could expand my closet, but I like finding stupid shirts that have sayings on them. They sometimes don’t make sense, but it just gives me a little chuckle.”
Ailani has found a love for searching through the stores’ racks, even though some thrift store finds may be better than others. Unlike the Among Us shirt, second-hand shops can contain high-quality, fashionable items, and Ailani is no stranger to these finds.
“I found 50-cent camo jeans,” Ailani said. “I have also found a Juicy Couture jacket and a vintage Nike bomber jacket. Those are probably my favorite finds, and [clothes] that are actually worth something.”
These rare finds are what keep Ailani going back to the thrifts. For many, old clothes can end up in a dumpster or even tucked away in a bin. But for Ailani, donating to thrift stores can be a great way to help solve this issue.
“I think most of the time, it is just people’s clothes that end up in a landfill,” Ailani said. “But I feel like when people donate their clothes, they don’t donate dirty clothes. And you are not just going to wear it as soon as you get it; you are going to [wash] it.”
In thrift stores, it’s common for people to wash clothing items before donating them. Ailani makes sure to follow this practice out of common courtesy. As an avid thrifter, her passion for secondhand shopping goes beyond finding unique clothes—it has also grown into a love for other desires.
“I don’t just buy clothes, I also look at music,” Ailani said. “I look at CDs or cassettes [and see if the thrift store] has any, because I also collect physical music. I have a record player, a cassette player, and a CD player.”
While thrifting may be a way to find new love for things such as music, it has also helped shape Ailani’s individuality. She has a special place in her heart for everything in thrift stores. Although it is currently hard for her to find time to go to the thrift store because of her heavy schoolwork, the clothing she has collected in years past has helped her curate her unique style.
“A lot of people have told me that I like being my own person, and I don’t like following trends,” Ailani said. “Thrifting allows me to explore my own personal style rather than going to stores like Abercrombie or Hollister, which mostly everyone in the school wears.”
