Hollister hoodie, Abercrombie jeans, Nike shoes—my wardrobe could not have been any more tired. I needed a makeover ASAP, so out of desperation I began stealing my mom’s Cosby sweaters and my dad’s lumberjack flannels, clothes that were older than I. The “cool” OBEY shirts that the boys wore to school paled in comparison to my parents’ graphic tees. “Suganya shirts,” my friends called them in honor of my mother’s laid-back sense of fashion. Unbeknownst to most is that I was rehashing the outfits that my parents wore and still do.
Was I thrifting? If you considered ransacking the master bedroom for interesting things to wear. Unfortunately, I had never legitimately thrifted in my life. It’s 2014, and pseudo-thrifting out of my parent’s closet was becoming tired, too. To catch up fully to this increasingly popular trend, I had to consult one of the best thrifting guru’s at EHS: junior Asher Denkyriah.
I asked her the simple question: “How does one thrift, Asher?”
“You just kinda keep an eye out for what speaks to you,” Denkyriah responded, “But I have an interesting proposition.”
I was hooked.
“If we do it really well, we should be able to find you an outfit, entirely thrifted.”
Challenge accepted.
We met after church on a Sunday. She wore a maroon crew neck tucked snugly in a light-wash, high-waisted jean skirt. Her braids were tied back, and her black leggings lead down to a pair of blacker booties. “Oh this outfit? I just threw it together before I left.” The honest disclaimer of a thrifting queen.
Our only destination was the Goodwill in Edwardsville. As we paroozed the aisles of vintage shirts, pants and shoes, Denkyriah handed me garment after garment of interesting clothes to wear. We eventually narrowed down the options: light wash jeans, a green and grey flannel shirt and some interesting black pointed shoes.
“You have a black belt?” she asked, “because it would complete the look.”
Our mission was basically accomplished. Sans that black belt, i found an entire outfit at the local Goodwill! The catch: $33.45.
