For the 2023-2024 school year, the Associated Student Body has approved 29 new clubs. The Accolade‘s cub reporters from the beginning journalism class will report on each new group in alphabetical order. For the previous ones that have already been posted, be sure to go to the Feature section.
Sophomore Olivia Nguyen recalls spending only $20 on a red leather Gap jacket, which would normally cost $70-$100, in November 2021.
“I was so surprised when I found out the jacket’s retail price because I got it for such a cheap price,” Nguyen said. “I also really liked the jacket, so I was super happy and excited to style outfits with it.”
She suggested starting a thrifting club to her friend, sophomore Nia Cambal, who also loves to thrift.
The two then collaborated on a draft of a club application they submitted to the Associated Student Body on Friday, Sept. 15, and eventually received approval to start holding meetings Friday, Nov. 3.
“Our goal for the club is to bring like-minded people together through holding successful thrifting events on campus and possibly go on field trips as a club to meetings that discuss sustainability,” Nguyen said.
During meetings, students bring in old clothes to swap with others, and for future events, the co-presidents said they are planning to go to nearby thrifting stores such as Goodwill.
“The club will be a great way to expose people to shopping sustainably and opt for shopping secondhand over consuming fast fashion,” Nguyen said.
Sustainable purchasing is a better option than fast fashion because high-quality clothes can be bought for cheaper prices without the use of unjust labor from poorer countries for meager wages.
Prioritizing quantity over quality, the fast fashion industry employs workers in poverty from developing countries and uses child labor to produce clothing.
These laborers work up to 16 hours a day and seven days a week, while being exposed to cancer-causing chemicals, but make low wages of around $1.58 per hour. Furthermore, only 2% of the workers are paid a livable salary.
However, through thrifting, people are able to purchase materials already available for a cheaper cost without supporting unethical labor trafficking.
Cambal said thrifting has benefits besides allowing club members to buy clothes for an inexpensive cost.
“I feel happy when I go thrifting because it’s therapeutic and fun to do — it makes me feel better about my fashion decisions,” she said.
The club started with 30 members, mostly consisting of friends, and grew to 117 people in the course of a month.
“When I came to this school, I felt like I belonged, but not quite,” said freshman Karson Suh, who learned about the club through Instagram posts and started attending club meetings on Friday, Nov. 17. “After this club came out, I felt like the last piece of the puzzle was found.”
Since joining, Suh said he has saved up nine clothing pieces he no longer needs to swap during future club meetings.
The co-presidents say they plan to organize after school events off-campus at elementary schools to educate younger students about “upcycling,” which involves reusing products to create another of higher value.
“I hope that the Thrifting Club continues to grow and brings all types of people together through their interest in thrifting and fashion,” Nguyen said.
Thrifting Club meets every Friday during lunch in Room 74. The club posts information about its meetings on its Instagram @shhsthriftingclub. For more information, contact Nguyen at [email protected] or Cambal at [email protected].
