If you've been reading my "outfits under $35" articles, you know that I have been focusing on buying clothes secondhand and from small businesses versus from big box stores.
If you haven't been reading those articles, I suppose I forgive you.
The long and short of it is Target doesn't need my money. Small businesses do. And we're a nation of "fast fashion" - we buy a shirt, wear it once or twice, then get rid of it.
I am guilty of that, too. Once upon a time - ten years and 30 pounds ago - I shopped at Forever21 and H&M. Classic fast fashion: items that are produced quickly and cheaply. Not meant to last. I would wear them a couple of times, and they'd either fall apart or I would regret my poor decision and put it in the Goodwill pile.
Back in my fresh-out-of-college days, I was a world-champion Goodwill shopper. I had all the time in the world and none of the money in the world. I would spend hours painstakingly sorting through racks and racks of other people's cast-offs in the massive St. Paul Goodwill.
But then I started to make a little more money and got a little shorter on time. I left my Goodwill habit behind.
The next step from Goodwill was the clearance racks at Target and Maurices. Minnesota companies!
I still was a champion of secondhand, though. One of my all-time favourite places to shop was a place called The Country Peddler in Brookings. They had consignment clothing, and I would take in my old things and shop for new things - and I almost always had credit to spend.
It took me a little longer to come around to boutiques. In my struggling days, they were waaaaaaay out of my price range. It took me a long time to shed that mindset. It took the realization that it was less about the price tag and more about the face behind the store. Someone's dream. I wasn't helping Jeff Bezos buy another island - I was helping someone pay their bills.
So now I'm a die-hard small business supporter. Food, clothing, whatever I can. Small business or bust.
I do still love some good secondhand clothing, though. For that, I have shifted to online thrifting. It's truly the best. I use Poshmark, thredUP, and (to a lesser extend) ebay. These sites are treasure troves of affordable clothing. Purchasing from these sites gives money directly to the people selling items and helps one more item avoid the landfill.
And that's where I am today. I have cut almost all big box stores out of my non-essential shopping. I do still have a weakness for Target and Maurices - but like I said, they're Minnesota companies, so it could be worse. That being said, if you see me on any given day, I can almost guarantee I'm wearing something thrifted, something from a small business, or both.
An example: my top is from a small business, and my jeans are thrifted.
