Image: Vintage denim is set out on display for patrons to browse through at Washed Out, a vintage store located in Corpus Christi.
Story and Photos by Giovanna Triguis | Translation by Victoria Escobedo
A new trend is in, and it is shopping second hand. According to an online resale platform, ThredUp’s resale report, the global secondhand market is set to nearly double in 2024 from just 2020. With over 40 vintage and thrift stores in Corpus Christi, residents are surrounded by several options when it comes to shopping second hand.
Julia Dixon, owner of vintage store Washed Out, initially fell in love with thrifting when she was younger. Now, as the owner of a second hand shop, she hopes to share her passion with others.
“I personally fell in love with it because it feels like you can find your own unique style within it. I remember going to the mall in highschool and seeing twenty of the same tops and same bottoms and feeling like I didn’t want to look like everybody else,” Julia Dixon said. “So I feel like there’s been a big resurgence in vintage because people want to express themselves and have their own individuality within it.”
In addition, Dixon feels that the increase in popularity may be due to a majority of the fashion industry’s change in objectives.
“Another reason why I mainly stick to vintage is because I feel like they just don’t make things the same as they used to,” Dixon said. “There’s a reason why these clothes have been around for 20, 30, 40 years, because I feel like there was a lot more intention put into making those garments versus today where it’s more about making money.”
Factors like social media, cost, individuality, and environmentalism all seem to play major roles in the increased popularity in thrifting. However, some feel that shopping second hand still has its difficulties.
“If you’re not paying enough attention when thrifting, then some clothing items could have some holes or rips in it,” Kaya Zamora, a first year graphic design major, said. “Though I personally still like shopping second hand because I save more money and I get to give new life to clothing instead of it just being thrown out.”
Although some could find it challenging, in a survey done in 2021 by Statista, Generation Z and Millennials worldwide were the two generations most likely to purchase second hand clothing compared to Generation X and Boomers.
“I think the main thing people are attracted to is the nostalgia factor, like ‘Oh, my parents wore this’ or ‘Oh, I saw this in a movie,’ so just kind of attaching that feeling to vintage clothing,” Dixon said. “I also think it’s really huge in today’s world that everyone wants to find their unique sense of self, so I feel like that’s why vintage is becoming huge again.”
Washed Out is located on 3765 S Alameda St #1103, Corpus Christi, TX 78411.