Fast fashion is out and it’s time to switch to thrifting

As she prepared for the grand opening of a new 3fifteen location, the Chief Social Enterprise Officer of the Rescue Mission Alliance, Luana Lovenguth, created a visual reminder of the damage a brand-new pair of jeans causes to the environment.

In display cases on the wall, Lovenguth featured a piece of a pair of denim jeans that was being recycled, along with a small water bottle. She explained how it takes approximately 15,000 of those small water bottles to make a new pair of jeans. With this alarming use of water, Lovenguth advocates for switching to more sustainable options when it comes to shopping. 

“You can buy a pair that’s brand new and continue to produce more and more,” she said. “Or you can come and shop in one of our stores and find one that’s still usable.”

Photo by Madelyn Taylor

This display shows how it takes approximately 15,000 small water bottles to make a pair of new jeans.

3fifteen is a Syracuse-based thrift store that recently opened up its third location at 3525 James St. in Syracuse, New York. These stores each have a team that goes through donations and chooses items that are geared towards the store. Inside a 3fifteen, you can find clothes at discounted prices, books, toys, home decorations and much more. 

Lovenguth said that 3fifteen locations take donations year-round, and in any condition. She said that their prices continue to remain low and affordable, despite the recent tariffs that are causing clothing prices to rise. 

As fast fashion websites such as Shein and Temu rise in popularity, producing mass amounts of poorly made articles of clothing, people tend to buy products that are worn once and thrown away. 

“You can use that $7 to find something that’s great quality that you’re going to be able to wash and wear again,” Lovenguth said. 

For people who are interested in thrifting, Lovenguth suggested leaving online shopping behind, although it may seem fun and convenient. She said that thrifting gives customers the opportunity to have unique clothes that other people might not be wearing. 

Other items, such as furniture and antiques, are sold and donated at discounted prices. Diana Hysack, director of retail marketing at the Rescue Mission Alliance, found that buying these secondhand items had a larger message behind them.

“I think about the stories and the life that all of these items went through,” she said. “It’s just being passed on to the next person.” 

Syracuse fashion designer Chloe Schnell has created a fashion brand called SCHNELLMODE that goes against the fast fashion trend. She said she is going against cheap labor, low-quality materials and the waste produced by factories.

When it comes to thrifting, Schnell said that you can train yourself to dig and have an eye for what you want when thrifting. While out thrifting, she was able to find a pair of 1970s Levi jeans for $5 when they typically are resold for hundreds of dollars. 

“If you’re interested and passionate about truly not supporting fast fashion, then you recognize that there are ways to get around capitalism, even being involved in your own clothing purchase,” Schnell said. 

Photo by Madelyn Taylor

Along with offering secondhand clothes, thrift stores also offer jewelry and accessories.

Schnell stressed the importance of utilizing old church stores and vintage sales as a place to find clothes as well. She said that taking up sewing is another great place to start when making the switch to sustainable clothing. This way, you can make whatever you want and develop new skills. 

As thrifting proves to be more environmentally friendly and affordable, Lovenguth emphasized the importance of community when it comes to the 3fifteen stores. 

“Every piece of clothing, every book and every single item in this store was donated by a community member,” she said. “Without them, we couldn’t exist.”