“I’m gonna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket,” Macklemore once said. Well, Macklemore, this week on Kar-fashions, I gathered some friends from The Spectator to visit various thrift stores in Eau Claire in search of an outfit under $20.

As much as I like to look at trends and would like to experiment with affordable, trendy clothing pieces online and from fast-fashion stores like Forever 21, Asos and Boohoo, they get out-of-style fairly quickly and are items I don’t wear often. Like Liz Sunshine mentioned in a Vogue article,  we shouldn’t make impulse clothing purchases to satisfy our trendy needs. Instead, we should aim for practicality when we go shopping.

Even though it is easy to discover unique vintage pieces and explore new styles when thrifting, make sure they are not one-wear items and keep functionality in mind. Kimberly Theisen, our fundraising director seen in the video, tried a denim shirt on but decided not to buy it after considering its use and wear.

I’ll ask myself next time I online shop, “Do I really need those gingham pants?” The answer is, sadly, probably not. But, still, consider thrift stores because they are more environmental and budget-friendly.  

Cheng can be reached at [email protected].