POV: Katie, Lover of Fashion

A virtual interview with the queen of thrifting and all things fashion. We talk about how clothes became a part of her personality, how our generation can help the problem of the fashion industry, and more!

Photo of Katie in a thrifted outfit.

Katie is a 20-year-old college student studying Creative Production and Screenwriting at Chapman University in Southern California. Ever since she was little, creativity has always been part of her life.

From putting on fashion shows for her family at the age of four, to playing with her ever-evolving and un-defined style, Katie has been known by those around her for her unique and creative expression with clothing.

In our conversation, Katie explained how clothes have become a part of her personality and second-hand shopping has allowed her to be more environmentally-friendly.

In what ways are you interested in fashion, and why?

Right off the bat, Katie mentioned the ways in which clothes make her feel confident. She recognizes that, for herself, "the vibes are better when the style is better".

"Clothes represent personality and showcase individuality,"

Katie genuinely enjoys getting ready everyday with a full outfit and full face of makeup. She has noticed that she easily can make conversation with strangers when she is out based on her interest in their clothing or their interest in hers.

"Fashion is a good way to connect and meet people and bond over the same things," Katie shares, "[fashion] is inherently a part of my personality at this point".

"Fashion is something you can bond over and just showcase who you are,"

A series of outfits Katie has thrifted.

Where do you buy clothes from most often? Where do you prefer to shop?

Katie has recently moved to Southern California and is trying to find places similar to the places she shopped at back home, in Northern California, where she preferred to shop at the Goodwill Outlet Bins and local thrift shops. She likes small businesses that support good causes, such as shops supporting hospice care and the SPCA.

Not only does shopping at these stores allow Katie to support local businesses and organizations, she is also able to find unique pieces of clothing at discounted prices that she may have not found at other "mainstream" shops that young people like her typically shop at.

Although Katie loves and prefers to shop at thrift stores and flea markets, she finds that it can sometimes be difficult to find clean and simple tops and shoes that are able to be worn everyday. With not always getting lucky with second-hand shopping finds, Katie has turned to online retailers such as DollsKill and NastyGal to fulfill what her closet is missing and needs.

Katie turns to online retailers selling new clothing and shoes only after she has exhausted all second-hand options such as thrift stores and online curated sellers like Facebook Marketplace and Mercari.

If more people follow this shopping pattern as Katie, we can see more clothes staying out of landfills and less new clothes being produced that ultimately would lead to more waste and greenhouse gas emissions from the production process.

Do you remember when you started buying clothes second-hand, and why have you decided to continue doing so?

As early as ten years old, Katie recalls being introduced to second-hand shopping by her mother as they would frequent thrift shops, garage sales, and consignment stores for clothes and overall anything else they could find.

Now that Katie buys her own clothes, she continues to thrift because it is a fun activity and she knows there is a lot of waste in the world, so she prefers to get, essentially, anything second-hand.

Photo of Katie in a thrift store.

"I like the energy of second-hand stores and I just can find the best stuff and it's so cool to find something ... for like five dollars, it's such a steal! It's something I'm passionate about and good at and I enjoy it!"

Katie compares thrifting and shopping malls explaining how thrift stores provide various types of clothing and unique pieces that malls just don't offer. "I like variety so seeing that everything is different [at thrift stores] is super intriguing and satisfying to me," she adds.

Have you bought clothes from fashion companies that are advocates for sustainability and a cleaner industry, such as Reformation, Patagonia, Everlane, or Levi's?

Buying second-hand will ultimately always be better for the environment as there is less new waste coming into the world. As much as the companies mentioned strive for a cleaner industry, waste is inevitable in even the smallest of quantities.

"I've thrifted pieces from those companies but I've never splurged on something new from them," Katie shares. She explains that the price tag for these companies are just too high for her to get anything when she doesn't really have a need to since she's able to thrift essentially everything she needs.

"If there was a specific reason [to shop there], I would, but I just haven't had a reason to,"

In recent years, it has become more prevalent that the fashion industry, especially the fast fashion industry, causes a lot of damage on the environment.

Do you think there is a way our generation can help eliminate or minimize the damage?

Katie mentioned multiple times throughout our conversation the problems regarding waste in the fashion industry. She finds that the more awareness that has come out about these problems have moved a lot of people to shop second-hand via thrift and consignment stores.

"In the past couple of years, we're taking the steps [to move away from fast fashion]," she notes. She explains that although some people are very pushy about not buying brand new clothes, she finds it more important that we spread positive awareness of second-hand shopping compared to new clothes.

"Even if you aren't buying from thrift stores, there's still ways to support and do your part to keep some sort of circle going,"

The expression "circular fashion" refers to the life cycle of clothing. Similar to the human life cycle, it's important to consider and properly maintain clothes' life-cycle from sourcing, to production, use, and end-of-life in a way that does the least damage to the environment.

Katie suggests that if people are not comfortable shopping at thrift stores, they can at least properly donate their clothes when they are done with them instead of just tossing them into the trash. Additionally, she recommends that people who need an incentive to shop second-hand to take their old clothes to consignment shops where they can get cash or store credit for new second-hand clothes.