Goodbye Big Name Brands, Hello Parents’ Closet

Sam Hull, Staff Reporter
January 24, 2018

Unique, personal styles have been a prominent part of high school for as long as freedom of dress has existed in the school system. Every person has an individual style, but what fashion trends are “in” right now?

If you take a look around La Salle you will likely notice more than a few girls sporting mom jeans with a vintage, classic rock band t-shirt or an old flannel on top. Girls aren’t the only ones with this rejuvenated sense of style. Many guys have taken to a more 90’s skater-boy style, rocking baggy pants with old shirts.

More and more students at La Salle are taking this cheap and environmentally friendly approach to style. Thrift stores are the new hubs of teen fashion, and the age of having the newest and best clothes from the biggest name brands is over. Thrift store style is on the rise.

Here are a variety of examples of this “thrift store style”, as it’s seen here at La Salle.

 

Sophomore Mollie Kuffner is wearing jean overalls that she got from the Salvation Army. Her ensemble would not be complete without her vibrant, striped, long sleeve shirt that she got from Deseret Industries, a nearby thrift store on 82nd Ave.

 

Junior Ian Pearson is wearing a long sleeve Beavis and Butthead shirt that he thrifted from Goodwill on 82nd. His incredible, tight jean shorts also came from Goodwill, a good find at $7.99 with a yellow tag on a yellow day.

 

Madi Nichols, another junior, goes for a more vintage thrift store style. When asked where she got her clothes she said, “I go to House of Vintage or the Red Light on Hawthorne.” She also described her outfit as, “of the 80’s.”

 

Sophomore Liam Rinehart is looking sharp in his green Carhartt shirt and slim, black pants that he got from the bins at Goodwill’s Sellwood location. Liam’s bandanna is a blast from the past, a fashionable accessory that is underrated in today’s fashion.

 

Junior Claire Asato is wearing a clean black shirt on top of a light grey turtleneck, with mom jeans to pull it all together. Claire’s outfit is a perfect example of some of the easy to find, trendy articles of clothing that you can find at any thrift store.

 

Junior Tony Bulbes got his tasteful black overalls at the Salvation Army on 82nd. Tony buys almost all of his clothes exclusively from thrift stores, and his style should be an inspiration to anyone who is trying to mix it up or express themselves through their fashion.

 

Senior Arianna Fitssimons owns the thrift store style. Her large tunic-length shirt is eye catching at first glance, but the true cornerstone of her outfit is her combat boots.

 

Junior Emma Sheets said, “I buy most of my clothes at thrift stores like Salvation Army or Deseret.” Emma also said that she uses her style to express herself, something she does very well with her clean match between her solar orange Converse and her dad’s old flannel.

 

Overall, the thrift store style is on the rise at La Salle. The time of new and bright neon colored clothes is on its way out and the style of vintage, preworn clothes is on its way in.

This is a good thing. There are plenty of benefits from this shift in style. Not only are the clothes cheap and easy to find at any thrift store; they also help the environment.

The textile industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world. Clothes that are made or blended with polyester take years to break down. Clothes that we used to wear, and are still in perfectly usable condition, end up in giant landfills all around the world and destroy the Earth’s environment. It’s worth it to go green and buy your clothes from thrift stores.

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Looking to get into the thrift store game? Check out the Falconer’s previous article on five of the best thrift stores in Portland.