It has been my experience with teens that the words Goodwill, secondhand shop, yard sale, and thrift store are words that can cause a full blown anxiety-woe-is-me attack in their fragile Fashion World. I have the magic words to make them excited and thrilled about such shopping trips! Just tell them that you are taking them to shop for vintage, retro, or couture additions for their fashion forward wardrobe. Makes you look awesome and saves money too!
My cousins and I love thrift shopping ever since. However, when I have friends who think that this activity is way too low for them, I tell them the amazing times I had in thrift shops which include finding new, branded clothes (H&M, Bershka, etc.) They become curious when I tell them these stories. Some people are too highbrowed. They are silly for disliking thrift shopping.
I think most kids look up to their parents so as long as you are able to make it look cool and effortless there's a good chance they will see it as such. If parents want their kids to get into certain activities all they really have to do is to lead by example and show them the potential of such an activity. I think teaching them about thrift shops is a great thing to pass on because it necessitates a lot of patience and creativity.
If the crowd your kid is hanging out with are the brand conscious ones or they themselves are brand conscious, then for sure they will not be excited at the idea of shopping at thrift stores. You should make them realize that there are a lot of potential treasures in there that's waiting to be found. Some brand name clothes can be found there too.
I'm still a teen, and I really like thrift store clothing. I feel like there is so much to do with the clothing because you can revamp it if it is too big or too small. Like as mentioned above, there are often name brand clothing articles at thrift stores and there are thrift stores designed especially for teens to make it more appealing to them.
I like your tactics. I guess teenagers associate thrift shops with old-fashioned stores filled with smelly clothes and things that nobody else wants anymore. And, sometimes, it's actually true. But on the other hand you also get highly ambitious opportunity shops where they ask for ridiculous prices. I have occasionally come across the exact same items new and they were cheaper than in the second hand shop. So, I guess it's all about finding the right places with the right prices, and not to forget the right "vintage couture" aspect.
When I was a teen I really liked the idea of thrift shore shopping. The thing that stopped me from doing it more than a couple of times was that the better shops were right next to a school where I knew a lot of people, so I was paranoid they’d see me and assume things about me. Silly teenage me! If I’d thought to use the “vintage couture” angle back then, I could have saved so much money. I’m not currently in need of more clothing, but the next time I need something new I’ll check the thrift stores first.
If they're fashion conscious, maybe tell them that they could find expensive brand name clothing for dirt cheap. Either way, the importance of thrift stores is you get more bang for your buck ($20 can get you a whole outfit), and you typically are supporting a community or charity at the same time.
It's funny, because my kids used to be the same way. I was like, "They will only see you in here if they are in here too, so what's the problem?" I always couched it as a way to find clothes that were different from what everyone was wearing. I mean, you don't want to be seen wearing the same shirt as someone else is, do you? I talked up making their own great styles using things nobody else would have. It worked pretty well. Love the OP. Well written and well done.
