April 10, 2017
What makes you different, makes you beautiful
As my preteen favorite boy band once said “What makes you different, makes you beautiful.” There are over 7 billion people on Earth today, and not one person is the same. You are truly one of a kind. Everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes, their own tastes, and their own styles. We each have our own memories and difference that shape how we live our lives. Fashion and social media are two outlets to express your own unique self.
Fast fashion is everywhere. Once something comes into “style”, it is in every window at every store. One style will be fashionable one day and replaced by something else as quickly as it came into style. This kind of fashion trend makes it difficult for an individual to be able to express their unique styles because every store is carrying the same thing. This is where thrifting comes into play. You are not limited to what advertisers and corporate buyers in the fashion industry tell you is in style. There are contemporary clothes, but there are also classic vintage styles. Every thrift store find has its own unique story just like the wearer, whether it is a blazer worn to work, a t-shirt from a concert, a pair of jeans that has traveled the country. Every item can be repurchased to have another story, your story.
We live in an age where technology and social media are everywhere. Social media sites attract millions of users a day. We use social media to connect, pass time, entertain ourselves, and even to express ourselves. Every social media account is a page all about the user. It is a little snapshot into the user’s personality, their likes, values, memories, and attitudes. Users get to tell their followers exactly what they are feeling at any second of the day. It gives us an outlet to be able to share ourselves with the rest of the world.
Bringing these two together allows you to showcase your unique styles to others. You show that $200 dress you found for only $10 in a way that is completely your own. Social media makes it possible to show unique style created from thrifting and share it those around you or even those on the other side of the globe. It allows you to be yourself. You can connect with other thrifters to see their style and give you inspiration for your next look.
Arc’s Value Village has its own personal shopping service . She uses her social media sites to express thrift fashion in a way unlike any other. She showcases guest shoppers shes calls #VillagerforaDay to show their own thrifting finds. She also features donations that Arc’s Value Village receives which allows shoppers a glance into what they could find. Follow her on Instagram and twitter @thriftstylist and on Facebook as Thrift Stylist exclusively at Arc’s Value Village. Also follow Arc’s Value Village on instagram @Villageonthego!
Thank you to our Intern & Guest Blogger Liz Carver. Photos used with permission from @ThriftStylist.