I’ve noticed the sad trend of brand and label bragging in some of the online thrifting groups I’m in and was curious to know how the thrifty divas in my Gone Thrifting group felt about it so I went ahead and made it the topic of my next thrifty query:
Are brands & labels important when thrifting?
My thoughts + the honest responses from the thrifty divas in the Gone Thrifting group are below:
Me: I am always on the hunt for fab fabrics, groovy patterns and quality vintage gear. Most of my finds will be refashioned in some way so size is rarely an issue. I am not at all a tag checker and have zero interest in brand or designer labels, especially since discovering just how many high-end labels & expensive designers actually use the exact same factories and unethical manufacturing policies as fast fashion.
In an effort to teach my kiddo that brand names & sizes don’t matter I actually remove the tags and labels from our clothing – In my opinion garments should be worn to reflect your own personal, feel-great style, not because the fashion industry and media have dictated what “ideal” names & sizes should appear on your clothing.
Rachel: I’m all about design, quality of materials, and condition. There are ‘brands’ I love to find because they tend to hit all three according to my taste, but they aren’t necessarily high-end, designer things. For example, I’m always thrilled when I find something by Eileen Fisher that fits, because her aesthetic and construction are lovely in my book.
Taylor: I look at tags, not for myself, but to try and resell for profit.
Allyson: I like rescuing handmade items but I’m also a sucker for cool vintage tags, especially ones from my area of the world.
Anne: Finding great vintage finds with designer tags/labels is a little special because I can then ‘brag’ about the once expensive item that I found for a fraction of the original price. I find that it has encouraged many of my friends & work colleagues to give thrifting a try.
Anastacia: I usually look for brands because it’s an indication of the type of fabric used for the garment but vintage labels also use good fabrics so I do a touch test too.
Emma: It’s really cool if I find expensive brands for cheap prices but I’m always just looking for what “calls” to me as well. Usually homemade, spiffy vintage, awesome prints & good quality however I was excited when I found two pairs of brand name jeans that fit me perfectly on sale at the charity shop for only 10 cents each!
Corky: I look for brand tags so I know if it’s vintage, fast fashion and for the quality of fabric. I won’t buy anything that has a logo on the front as I won’t advertise for free! However, if there’s a cool graphic without identification then I’ll buy it. I have found more than a few treasures because the store did not know the value!
Belinda: I look for particular items that reflect my style. I have been lucky enough to find some amazing high-end items like a beautiful Macintosh jacket. My mom taught me to shop for quality, regardless of label, which completely applies to thrifting.
Mary Ann: I love vintage tags because the quality of workmanship is so much better than the cheap clothing of today however if a tag come across that has a designer name, and the price is right, I’m getting that also. I like to keep my “assets” in the bank and not on my back.
Janice: I dislike wearing clothes that are a walking advertisement for a brand. I look for quality but also have been known to fall for a lower quality item with a good look or fabric pattern. I am trying to avoid fast fashion which is not usually difficult as my personal style leans towards classic and retro.
Check out my ongoing Thrift Query Series right over here & then head on over and take part in an upcoming thrifty query with the Gone Thrifting group!
If you’d like to refashion your entire wardrobe for pennies yourself check out my E-courses right over here:
and start your sustainable lifestyle journey with my groovy CoaR tutorial E-book collections right here:
