Beauty on a Budget: Why Thrifting is Worth it

We all know that as a college student, we do not always have the discretionary funds to splurge on things such as fashion, food or fun.

In efforts to change that narrative, we recently hosted our Northeastern Seeds University Scholars and utilized a thrifting activity to show our scholars that exploring “Beauty on a Budget” is completely possible! 

Through the course of your college experience, managing personal life and self-care, all while maintaining your academics can become somewhat of a balancing act. That is why this past Fall semester, we welcomed our students aboard the first ever Good Vibe$ Bus Tour! Touring around the city in Boston, MA – this event was specifically curated to focus on our students’ wellness and community building while providing them the tools they need to thrive in college. 

Students were welcomed from a range of Universities including Babson College, Northeastern University, Boston University and UMASS Boston. Once our students were all aboard our Good Vibe$ Bus – it's only right that action item #1 was to set the vibe! We settled into the bus with a mixture of artists such as Cleo Sol, Tems, Lauryn Hill and more. As we journeyed to our surprise destination, the scholars were able to bond through an affirmation activity and share quotes, words of encouragement or even songs that uplift them when they are feeling down.

Words, Quotes and Songs of Affirmation written by our Seeds University Scholars

Finishing just in time, we finally arrived at our destination, a Boston gem – the Garment District! What better way to unwind from the stressors of school than through retail therapy? The Garment District is a thrift shop located in Cambridge, MA utilizing a unique “By-the-Pound” business model, where you pay $1/pound for thrifted finds. Providing our scholars with a starting point of $10 each, they set off to find sustainable fashion that complimented their unique styles and of course, the emerging cold weather. 

Thrifting may have its drawbacks or hesitation, but here are three reasons we recommend indulging in Beauty on a Budget:

1. Quality over Quantity – People donate their clothes to thrift shops for numerous reasons, you can actually find good quality clothes. So it is not rare to actually find good quality clothes that may even still have the tags on them or vintage pieces whose quality have lasted through the decades. Sometimes it can be more of a steal to invest in staple quality pieces over numerous options that may not last the season in your wardrobe.

2. Sustainability – Have you ever wondered where your clothes end up once you throw them out?  Thrifting decreases the demand for fast fashion – where the clothes have lower quality and are contaminating the environment across the world

3. Expression – We can all agree that college is also a place self-exploration and self-discovery. Fashion and self-expression are a significant part of that journey. Thrifting can expose you to new styles, colors or prints that you would have never considered on your own.

   
   

   Next time you happen to pass one of your local thrift stores, don't be afraid to stop by and check our their hidden gems!