This morning, co-authors Reise Moore and Allison Engel answered questions from Washington Post readers about thrifting. The topic was thrifting furniture and housewares, but a few questions about clothing came in, too. Here's a photo of us researching the topic at a truly great thrift store, The Huntington Collection in Pasadena, CA. (It's a nonprofit [...]
Author: allisonthrifts
After a Year Off — 3 Incredible Finds!
A Vintage James Galanos Dress We have not stepped into a thrift store since March 2020, due to the pandemic. Now, two weeks after we were fully vaccinated, we had two very surprising experiences in thrift stores this week. First was at Goodwill, where we went to drop off some household goods. Sorry, we were [...]
Thrift Stores and Religion Have a History
Ever since the Salvation Army’s “salvage brigade” was launched in 1897, with scavengers of used clothes receiving lodging and food, religion has played a leading role in the re-use industry. Historian Jennifer Le Zotte has detailed this connection in her 2017 book, From Goodwill to Grunge: A History of Secondhand Styles and Alternative Economies. Another [...]
Free Clothes Swap!
What could be better than free clothes? Free clothes plus an opportunity to clean out your own closet, that's what. The first-ever clothes swap sponsored by the Palm Springs Cultural Center took place on Leap Day, Feb. 29, as a pop-up event adjacent to the regular Saturday morning certified farmer's market. The swap was the [...]
ThriftStyle 