The Guide: The Fashion Issue

ILLUSTRATION BY: TIM GOH/THE HOYA

Thinking Thrifty: How Secondhand Stores Contribute to Student Style By shopping for less expensive, previously loved articles of clothing, Georgetown students support local communities and protect the environment.

Adriana Guzman, Mason Leath, Mason Stempel and Sofia Wills Hoya Staff Writers

For Ana Cajina, manager of local consignment shop Frugalista in Columbia Heights, the COVID-19 pandemic brought an influx of a new customer demographic: college students.

“I saw a shift in the pandemic. After two years, I can see now that young adults — 18, 20, 21 yearolds, college students — are more open to buying from a secondhand store,” Cajina said in an interview with The Hoya. “In 2015, I didn’t see that. I guess because it has grown online.”

Cajina attributes this rise in interest in secondhand shopping from younger generations to online thrift stores like Poshmark, which many young people turned to when in-person shopping

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was unsafe because of COVID-19.

This trend in consignment shopping continued even after the height of the pandemic had passed, and followed when people began to shop in physical stores again, according to Cajina.

“I would say that being in the business and with my parents having been in the business since 1999, I have never seen our customers at this younger age until two or three years ago,” Cajina said.

Shopping for previously used items has become Gen-Z’s new favorite pastime, shifting the connotation of secondhand clothes from something deemed uncouth, a classist generalization, to the height of “cultured,” Cajina said.

“They’re seeing that it is okay to buy secondhand. I can see that it is changing in their minds, like, ‘Yeah, I can buy this. It belonged to some-

body, but I can reuse it myself because it’s still good,’” Cajina told The Hoya.

Georgetown’s thrift store scene is a thriving environment. Thrift stores provide a way for shoppers to take an environmentally-conscious stance, with the inherently recycled nature of secondhand clothes diverting much of the pollution clothing production creates and saving thousands of pounds of materials from ending up in dumps around the world.

COURTESY CAROLYN BECKER

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some Georgetown students discovered a love for online bargain hunting.

After the return of in-person learning, many of these students translated their internet thrifting to small stores in the Georgetown neighborhood.

Secondhand Style

Gen-Z is responsible for almost doubling the value of the second-hand clothing market with their new interest in purchasing previously-used items and even selling items they no longer wear instead of throwing them out.

Thrift stores find their roots in helping to serve

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low income community members, providing clothes and household items, often from donations, for lower prices than other stores.

Though now thrifting seems to some as just a trendy hobby, thrifting is a necessity for low income communities, according to Becks Truong (COL ’24).

“It depends on income, students’ availability to access clothes, and also sizing because I know some of those shops aren’t always inclusive,” Truong said. “The accessibility of stores plays a huge factor in what people can wear and what people can buy.”

Thrift shopping also presents an opportunity to create new relationships and strengthen bonds across communities, according to Isabella King (COL ’24).

King, who helped plan Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority’s thrift pop-up store in Red Square on Georgetown’s campus Feb. 27, told The Hoya she was able to meet new people while also raising money for Active Minds, a nonprofit organization and Georgetown club that promotes mental health awareness.

“It was a really good experience and I had fun talking to the people who were shopping there and telling them ‘Oh, you should look at the shirt’ or helping them with their clothes,” King said.

With fashion trends, like low-waisted jeans and butterfly clips, from decades ago circling back into popularity, being able to find hidden gems wedged in between faded high school sweatshirts and bedazzled Christmas sweaters at your local Goodwill has become a mark of a true fashion pro.

Sifting through piles of clothing, separating the “I’m taking this” from the “definitely not,” is a time-consuming yet rewarding process, according to Rita Alan (COL ’24), co-leader of an environmental policy team at Georgetown Renewable Energy and Environmental Network (GREEN).

“Not everything’s going to be something that fits your style or works for you, but there definitely are things that are super cute,” Alan told The Hoya. “I would also say just keep an open mind and sort of be able to see the beauty in things that have already been worn.”

As someone who has managed a permanent consignment store since the 1990s, Cajina echoed these sentiments.

“I love to interact with people. People are coming, they talk to you. And because we are small, we know you. You’re not just one customer that you’re coming in, like at Target, which is a big corporation. So when I see your face once, and I see it the next time, I’m like, ‘He came back, he liked what he got from here.’”

Through consignment shopping, people can combine the act of bonding and community building with a sort of treasure hunt, sifting through discarded scraps of fabric to find a onceloved article of clothing and give it new life, all while uplifting small businesses.

ing requiring liters of water to produce, and with 85% of textiles ending up in dumps each year, the negative environmental impact of manufacturing a new shirt or pair of pants is exacerbated by fast-paced production that tries to keep up with the latest fashion trends.

By squeezing out as many uses from one item of clothing as possible, thrifting alleviates some of this environmental burden, according to Carolyn Becker, senior manager of community engagement at the Goodwill of Greater Washington. Fast fashion produces 10% of all carbon emissions, so buying secondhand clothing is an environmentally conscious choice.

“From a sustainability standpoint, of course when it comes to thrifting with the power of secondhand, it’s an environmentally friendly and environmentally smart thing to do, using the things that you love and that you’ve gently used in donating them so that we can keep millions and just millions and millions of pounds of items out of area landfills,” Becker said in an interview with The Hoya.

Getting into the mindset of reusing requires giving certain pieces of clothing a chance, even if they do not seem to be a perfect match style-wise at the first glance, according to Alan, who helped create Uncommon Threads, GREEN’s thrift rack.

Alan and her co-leader, Paul Aversa (SFS ’25), helped develop a small-scale thrift store comprised of donated clothing from students, located in The Corp’s Uncommon Grounds, hoping to provide a low-cost and sustainable option for those on campus.

Some challenges the mini-store has faced are awareness and certain shopping practices pushed by fast-paced fashion.

“You have to be open-minded because with fast fashion, we look at things and we’re immediately like, ‘Oh — it’s a yes or no,’” Alan said. “We see things as super trendy because of all of these like micro-trends that have been created by TikTok and how fast word spreads online.”

Young people, especially among Gen-Z, seem to be driving a trend in thrifting largely due to the understood environmental benefits associated with the practice, according to Sharon Figueroa, an employee at Urban Thrift in nearby Kensington, Md. “Thrifting is becoming very popular, and I try to stress it all the time because it’s so good for the environment. And these kids are going to be living with the environment a whole lot longer than I am,” Figueroa said in an interview with The Hoya.

Georgetown students seem aware of the harmful impact that fast fashion can have on the environment and are thrifting more as a result, according to King.

“A lot of people in our generation are moving toward being more environmentally friendly when it comes to clothing choices,” King said.

“Reusing, recycling these clothes is becoming Green Is In a very big thing now, along with thrift stores The price paid for fashion extends far beyond becoming very revitalized and very popular the confines of a wallet. With each piece of cloth- among our generation.”

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COURTESY ISABELLA KING

Students like Rita Alan (COL ’24) use thrifting to make a difference on campus and in the larger community. Alan’s initiative with GREEN helps protect the environment from further detrimental effects.

On the selling side, thrift stores and consignors also agree on the importance of buying secondhand clothes as a means of recycling, according to Sehvar Bor, the owner of Pretty Chic, a secondhand and consignment store located on Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown.

“I encourage promoting secondhand because it’s also recycling. You’re helping the environment,” Bor said in an interview with The Hoya. “You’re getting good use of the same shoe or same clothing.”

A Hand-Me-Down Family

Thrift stores also often look to enrich their local communities. By serving the citizens of the greater D.C. area though offering certain discounted days or providing educational opportunities like high school diploma programs, thrift stores are giving back to the District.

For Cajina, running a secondhand shop is about more than just selling clothes. It’s also about forming a community in D.C. and supporting women business owners, like Cajina and her mother.

“I like to see the faces of the customers when I remember something about them because, like I said, you’re not just one more customer,” Cajina said. “You’re not just somebody that comes in and pays the money. No, you are helping keep us in business. This is a womenowned business, and we appreciate that you’re taking your time and taking your money and decided to spend it here. It means a lot.”

The Goodwill of Greater Washington, located on South Dakota Avenue, also offers programs to help members of the D.C. community receive job training and other professional development services.

“Goodwill actually offers a variety of free job training programs and career coaching services to those in need in the community.

And some of those job training programs and career training programs include energy and construction, hospitality in the past,” Becker said. “Goodwill funds our mission through our stores as well as contract services and other ventures like our online store.”

Some thrift stores like the Goodwill of Greater Washington are committed to providing support to their communities through professional development and high school diploma education programs, according to Becker.

“Year after year, we provide job placement assistance services or career programs, career coaching to hundreds of members of the D.C. community,” Becker said. “Hundreds of District residents are obtaining and earning their high school diplomas and we know the power of a high school diploma in any industry and just the feelings of pride that you have when you earn that document in the future that lies ahead is truly incredible,” Becker said.

For Alan, thrifting offers the opportunity to give back to the Georgetown community as well. However, even though thrifting has seen a recent rise in popularity, Alan says some students still do not see the value in buying used clothes.

“We need to work on the visibility and not just spreading the word about this possible thrift store, but actually spreading the word on how it works and who it benefits because all the proceeds go to Mutual Aid.”

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Larry Bird Shirt, Ari Filler (SFS ’23) This shirt was given out to Boston Celtics fans at the Boston Garden in 1993 to celebrate Larry Bird, a basketball legend, who had retired from the Celtics the year before. I, of course, wasn’t there to get one, but my uncle was; he was a massive Celtics fan until he passed away a few years ago (for all I know, he still is a Celtics fan). I found this shirt when I was rummaging around in his closet not long after he died, and since I’m a big Celtics fan, too, I naturally had to steal it from him. I don’t wear it much — it’s way too big for me, and it’s faded and dirty and stretched and has a tiny bit of what I presume to be his dried blood right above the word “Bird.” But its presence implies my uncle’s presence, so there’s no way I can ever let this raggedy old thing go.

“Up” Shirt, James Pocchia (COL ’25) This t-shirt is, for me, one of the meaningful pieces of clothing I own. The image and writing on the shirt reference the 2009 Pixar film “Up,” which I first watched in the movie theater with my mother when I was six years old.

Even as a child, this movie captivated me; I never realized before that day how many emotions a single film could elicit from me. To this day, “Up” remains one of my and my mother’s favorite movies of all time, and I credit it as the film that sparked my passion for cinema, as well as my interest in environmental activism. And when I look at this shirt, I am reminded of why I love movies, how movies have influenced my life and, perhaps most importantly, that the true source of the joy I derive from movies is the amazing mother who took me to see “Up” in 2009. Thank you, Mom.

Skate Shirt, Jasper Hunsinger (SFS ’25) There isn’t a crazy backstory behind this shirt, but I like the design and the text. In terms of skate brand apparel, it’s exactly the kind of item I like. The phrase “the youth is the truth” perfectly encapsulates the essence of skate culture, which is why I’m such a fan of this shirt.

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Valley Concert Sweatshirt, Clayton Kincade (SFS ’25) I hate concert merchandise. Usually, the selection of goods — with prices ranging from $20 to the price of a kidney — scream ‘never wear this in public,’ complete with the useless tour date t-shirts in indecipherable font and hoodies with an ugly, overblown screen-printed photo of the artist. However, when attending the tour for my favorite band, Valley, I was not expecting to stumble upon the sweatshirt of my dreams.

Only embroidered in rainbow-styled letters, the sweatshirt contains a simple, poignant motto: I’ll be with you. The phrase is a lyric taken from Valley’s song “Last Birthday,” which describes staying committed to a friend or loved one no matter the circumstances. Especially in these past couple of years — when the world feels like a pressure cooker about to explode, and the light never seems to be at the end of the tunnel — I have found strength in my friends that make life worth living. I’ll be with you, even when I’m living 15 hours away from home; even if it is three in the morning; even if it takes all that I have to give.

This is my promise of the person I truly want to be, blemishes and all.

Blue Sweater, Ishaan Rai (SFS ’23) So, I know what you might be thinking: “It’s a nice sweater, sure, but isn’t it a little…basic?” And sure, I would agree with that. My blue H&M sweater is not the flashiest or the most exciting outerwear, but it serves its purpose well for me, and it has a degree of sentimental value that gives me comfort whenever I wear it. My former nanny Soy, who helped take care of me for much of my childhood, bought it for me as a Christmas gift last year, and so whenever I wear it I think of her, even as I’m a couple hundred miles away from my home in New York.

Thankfully, now that spring is here, I won’t be needing to wear many sweaters, but whenever I do, I’m thankful that I have it, and I’m thankful to Soy.

Crochet Sweater, Elena Ergener (COL ’24) I learned how to crochet in August of 2021, and over winter break I took on my most ambitious project yet: a sheep sweater. I’d just learned how to change colors in the middle of my crochet rows, and my immediate thought was that I needed to have something bright and fun for the dark winter days. What could be more fun than a little field of sheep? The sweater grew over every spare moment in my day, from waiting for Zoom class to start to right before I went to sleep each night. The night I finished the last stitch, all five of my wonderful roommates (who’d been patiently watching this process for weeks) emerged from their beds around midnight to cheer as I tried the finished product on. Never have I been so proud of anything I’ve made. I’m still crocheting obsessively, but in terms of sheer joy in making and wearing, nothing can beat the sheep sweater.

Denim Jacket, Liberty Phelan (COL ’23) For months, I’d been talking about how I wanted an embroidered denim jacket. And then one day, my sister’s roommate came home wearing this, and my sister was like ‘Oh my god, where did you get it? I need that.’

Because it has my name written on it! She bought it for my birthday and it is probably my favorite thing I own. I kind of hate the phrase ‘my aesthetic’ but this jacket is my aesthetic. I love bold patterns and colors and above all, anything floral. I wear a lot of dresses in normal life that other people might consign to a formal event or a costume party, and this jacket allows me to dress them down enough that they look — if you’re squinting — casual. One of the things I most look forward to about spring is getting to wear it. I met my boyfriend in wintertime, and I honestly felt he couldn’t fully understand me as a person until I could wear the jacket. The jacket is me.

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Leather Jacket, Emma Ginsberg (COL ’23) When I bought my faux leather jacket last fall, I was going through a bit of an identity crisis. It was one of several clothing purchases I made at the time that completely reshaped my wardrobe and my perception of myself. In a few months, I went from a Madewell sweater-and-jeans kind of girl to the type of person who wore a black leather jacket every day of the week. That winter, the leather jacket forced me out of my comfort zone: it gave me confidence in social situations that would ordinarily scare me and forced me to hold my head high when I walked down the street. Now, having returned to campus, I am once again a Madewell sweater-and-jeans kind of girl, but I will always have an edgier side of myself to turn to when I put on the leather jacket.

Blazer, Dane Tedder (COL ’24) Since this blazer was handed down to me two years ago, it has been the most significant piece of clothing in my wardrobe. It belonged to my great uncle, who wore it while he was on the debate team at college. He never got rid of it; even as he got married to my great aunt and they lived together for decades, it hung there quietly in his closet. In 2019, though, my great uncle had a severe stroke that sent him to the hospital. Over time his condition has worsened significantly, to the point that even today he has never been able to come home. One day in 2020, my great aunt decided to take the blazer out of the closet and bring it over to our house, letting me try it on and telling me that it should belong to me. Now every time I wear that blazer out at special events or even just see it hanging in my own closet, it gives me a reminder to appreciate my family, along with all the other irreplaceable people I get to be with everyday.

Light Blue Blouse, Adriana Guzman (COL ’24) This shirt only recently became mine. It used to be my mom’s. Any school event, whether it was parents day or a parent-teacher conference, this was the shirt she wore. This light blue blouse, boasting a pattern of flowers and sleeves that flare out at the end, quickly became something I hoped to one day wear. This past parents weekend, my mom gifted me the shirt. This transfer of clothing marked my official departure from being a child whose mom would show up to class wearing this blue blouse. I now wear it for special occasions or when I feel homesick.

White Skirt, Vivian Llanes (COL ’25) Clothes have always been a source of expression for me. I have always said that picking out a cute outfit makes you excited for the day. I remember this day vividly. This is the day I went to The Women’s March. This is the day I did the training for my CSJ Job. This is the day I met one of my best friends Ana. An outfit can be a monument if you make that. Every piece traveled across the world to get to me. My necklace, my sister bought me in Mexico, my top came from an Australian brand, my skirt from a thrift shop in Virginia, my cardigan and shoes are from my local mall in Arizona. This outfit traveled the world to get to me. Now I get to associate it with some of my favorite memories.

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Scarf, Haley Resnick (COL ’23) Although no longer in its once pristine condition, this scarf will forever possess immense meaning in my life. Upon a fourth-grade shopping trip with my mother, I saw this scarf and, for some reason, unbeknownst to me now, felt a sincere calling to it and knew it had to be mine. Soon after, the scarf quickly became my good luck charm. I wore it on every first day of school, at winter concerts and at debate competitions. As the scarf proceeded to tatter at the hems and lose its vibrant pink hue, it slowly left my neck and found its way to the bottom of my backpack, where before any significant event, like taking a test, I would reach down for the familiar, comforting feel of the thin fabric. This scarf has proven to be so significant that I even wrote about it in my application to Georgetown. Yet don’t be fooled. You will not find this scarf confined to a dorm room closet. It stays at my home, but the sentiment remains. Before any test, you can still find me looking at the photo of my scarf at the top of my favorites in my camera roll.

Sunglasses, Priscila Baez (GRD ’22) Those same sunglasses, the ones that have traveled and looked at different cultures around the world with me. The ones that have watched many sunsets in different beaches, mountains and monuments. Those sunglasses that are always the first item in my luggage and are always eager to take a trip, those same sunglasses that are ready to walk with me on a new adventure. Those are my favorite accessory!

Henna Sleeve, Sarina Tajuddin (NHS ’23) My mom had gone to visit some of our family out of state a couple of weeks before spring break. Then the pandemic hit. Due to travel restrictions, it ended up being almost four months before I got to see her again. We spent the summer together in Texas with my siblings. She’s really artistically talented, and one afternoon towards the end of my visit we had a little mehendi day. She made this beautiful henna sleeve, totally freehanded. As I went back to virtual school, it’s like I got to take a little piece of her back with me.

Blue Belt, Mason Leath (SFS ’24) My mom got me this belt for my 20th birthday — the day I returned home after being away for the longest period of my life. I had been living in Washington D.C. and working in North Carolina, and my arrival to the beautiful city of Charleston, S.C. was a personally long awaited homecoming.

20 is a long time to be alive, and I think pulling through the driveway I realized how much life I had lived since I moved out freshman year. In that moment, all the challenges, people and events of my time away from home wove themselves together into a tapestry of memories and lessons.

A few minutes later, I was opening presents when I received this belt patterned with palmetto trees. The palmetto tree is a much stouter version of its cousin the palm tree, and it is the symbol of Charleston’s surrounding regions, known as the lowcountry. I have always loved palmetto trees because even though they can be whittled extremely thin by the wind and sea, they still stand strong. This belt reminds me of the resilience of the people of the lowcountry, my home.

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