Eline Westervaarder: 'Thrift stores aren’t expensive, we’ve just gotten too accustomed to cheap stuff'

At Eline's home, you'll barely find anything brand new. Clothes, books, decor items – everything her family needs is, whenever possible, second hand. “In our house, we have a golden rule: ‘Make secondhand your first choice.’ There’s honestly nothing you can’t find second hand. As a marketing expert for nine thrift shops in Zwolle and the area, and on my Instagramaccount, I try to show people what a treasure trove a thrift store really is, and that it’s not at all dirty, old, or dusty. In fact, those trendy items you see in stores right now? They’re often available at your local thrift shop too.”

Eline often finds absolute gems herself. "For my job, I visit thrift stores all the time, and during my breaks, I love popping in for a quick stroll through the aisles. Over and over again, I’m amazed by the treasures you can find. Gorgeous leather boots for a tenner, crystal glasses, vintage wool coats – I’ve taken them all home at one point or another. As a ‘thriftfluencer’, I love showing people all the cool stuff that’s out there, but hey, I’m not trying to turn my home into a secondhand warehouse either. So, I make sure to regularly drop off an item we no longer need at the thrift store myself. That way, the circle stays nice and tight." Pro tip for your next thrift store run: always bring something you’re not using or that’s been gathering dust in your home for quite some time now.

Social media isn’t just a place to find thrifting inspiration – it’s also a major reason why thrift shops are overflowing, according to Eline. "Social media and influencers have sped up fashion cycles like crazy. Trends have always been cyclical – they’d come back after 20 to 30 years – but now, thanks to social media, trends pop up and vanish almost as quickly as they appear. Sometimes within just a few months or even weeks.

Do poverty core, brat summer, barbie core, or mob wife aesthetic ring a bell? They’re all trends that came and went before you even had time to refresh your feed. And those items that were purchased in the blink of an eye? They end up in thrift stores faster than you can say ‘vintage.’ Regular folks can’t possibly keep up with all those trend shifts. But the good news is, that one cool color or style from last year? It’s probably hanging on a rack at the thrift store. And usually for a fraction of the price."

Still, Eline often hears people say that thrift stores have “gotten so expensive.” Well, that’s just nonsense, she says. "Thrift stores aren’t expensive, we’ve just become too accustomed to ridiculously cheap stuff. We’ve lost touch with what things are really worth. Fast fashion might offer clothes at rock-bottom prices, but someone else is always paying the price for that – whether it's exploited workers or the planet.

Add to that the fact that fast fashion clothes often fall apart after three wears, and suddenly that ‘great deal’ doesn’t look so great compared to your sustainable, vintage Levi’s from the thrift store. Plus, only 35% of the things we receive at the thrift store can be sold directly. The other 65% has to be recycled in a more sustainable way than just tossing it.’

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And guess what? Sorting all that stuff is all hands on deck. "The organization I work for isn’t profit-driven, so the money goes straight back into the recycling process. That way we’re building a truly sustainable, circular economy." But wait, there's more: the social aspect is tightly linked to that circular economy. "In the thrift shops where I work, more than 500 different people are part of the action, and only 10% of them are paid employees. The rest of the crew are here to find meaningful activities, learn Dutch, do internships, or work on their development or reintegration paths.

Almost everything they do is hands-on work, and outside the social sector, it’s pretty hard to find people willing to take that on. On the flip side, the social sector struggles to find places where (manual) work is offered at various levels. So, it's a win-win situation really."

And for Eline, this last point is the most important takeaway she wants to share. "A secondhand shirt from a thrift store might cost the same as a sale item from a fast fashion chain – but here’s the thing: thrifting isn’t just about saving money, it’s about using shopping, something you love to do, to make the world a little better. I hope more people realize that thrift shops are super sexy and that secondhand is just as fresh and clean as new stuff. Sure, it takes a little more time and energy than clicking that ‘buy now’ button – and yes, having that time and energy is a privilege – but hey, you’re saving the world while you do it!"

Curious about Eline’s top tips for thrift store newbies? You can find them right here.