The Fashion industry is something that evolves and grows every day, and with that, new trends as well as old trends resurface throughout the generations consistently. Vintage pieces have become more and more prevalent as thrifting and second hand clothing continues to stay a staple within clothing and accessories shopping. Junior, Zane Holmes, knows the world of recycled fashion all too well, as his online shop on Depop, a global community marketplace, thrives. 

“I sell second hand clothes for people to buy and I would say it’s popping,” Holmes said. 

With close to 1000 followers and over 2000 sold items, Holmes has successfully created and curated a sustainable way to shop online from anywhere around the world. 

”I source second-hand clothing, picking out only the clothes that are trendy and ‘hot,’” Holmes said. “Posting clothes regularly builds my consistency and encourages customers to come back to shop my clothes.” 

It’s no secret that fast fashion and the amount of clothing in landfills has rapidly increased over the past few years, and the easiest and most accessible way to prevent contribution to this mass production movement, is continuing to visit online shops including Depop, Poshmark, and Mercari and supporting local thrift stores in the area such as Pavement, Buffalo Exchange and Flamingos. “When you buy second hand, you’re preventing that massive waste of energy and resources on the production of new clothes,” Holmes said. “These types of clothing are often made in sweatshops where workers are employed for long hours in unsafe, underpaid and toxic conditions.”

“Depop is an app in which communities all around the world can come together to buy, sell, and connect to make fashion more inclusive, diverse, less wasteful and highly sustainable,” Holmes said. “I would for sure recommend thrifting to anyone; it is an easy way to make a difference in your own carbon footprint and starts to take the small steps to lower the world’s.”

 On campus, we can see many different personal styles, ranging from preppy, cottage-core, and y2k to grunge, which can successfully be achieved in an ethical manner with just a little bit of extra searching.  “I would say 90’s skater grunge has influenced my personal fashion the most,” Holmes said. “My style has definitely shifted over the years as I have grown more confident.” 

  “Finding the right pieces for you is a process of trial and error. The more you know about your likes and dislikes and what suits or doesn’t suit your body and features, the better your experience of thrift shopping will be,” Holmes said. “You’ll make better purchasing decisions and you’ll feel more comfortable and confident in your clothing.”