For fashion enthusiasts, being fashionable does not have to be expensive.
Second-hand fashion items from thrift stores, with prices not even half that of the items we can get from shopping malls, can make up a distinctive style that will ensure one stands out from the crowd.
"When you go to a mall with only Rp 200,000 (US$15) in your pocket, you will go home empty handed," said Amelia Vindy, a 23 year-old journalist and fashion enthusiast.
"However, with the same amount of money, you can go home happy and content with a sack full of pretty things from thrift stores," she exclaimed.
Vindy, Amelia's nickname, fell in love with thrift store clothes shopping in middle school. "At the time I wanted a pair of white trousers that were on trend but I didn't have enough money to buy them at the mall. I heard from my friends that stores in Pasar Senen sold good quality second-hand items and we went there to find the pants we really wanted," the resident of Bambu Apus, East Jakarta, said.
Pasar Senen in Central Jakarta hosts hundreds of tenants selling second-hand or residual imported fashion items. Vindy said pieces could be picked up for prices ranging from Rp 10,000 to Rp 150,000 depending on the quality of the fabric.
Although Vindy began thrift hunting to follow the current trends, now she buys thrift items to stand out from the crowd.
"The good thing about buying thrift fashion is that every item is one of a kind. You'll never run into someone who's wearing th same dress as you," she said, adding that often times, the items she purchased from thrift stores suddenly became the trend a few months later.
Vindy said noe thrift hunters could easily obtain unique items from online thrift stores, which sold curated second-hand pieces from thrift markets. She said the items sold online were typically more expensive than the ones bought from conventional thrift stores.
However, Vindy said these online stores saved her a lot of time.
One of the pioneers Vindy recommended was Let's Get Sparkle owned by Tuti Mahayani.
Aya, Tuti's nick name, said she had started her store only in May last year and that now she was steadily selling second-hand fashion items to almost 9,000 followers.
"My mom is a dressmaker, so I learned to love experimenting with clothes from her," she said. "I love to mix and match my clothes from her," she said. "I love to mix and match my clothes in crazy ways, which led my friends to ask me for fashion suggestions. I started my business because I wanted to share my taste with more people, especially to encourage them to be confident about their looks," she said.
Aya was reluctant to reveal her monthly revenue, but she said she allocated Rp 2 to 3 million per month to buy items from her trusted importers.
"I also dry clean the clothes because I want to make sure the buyers receive the items in mint condition, clean and fragrant," she said.
Another thrift hunter, Chalafabia Haris, 19, a resident of Kalibata, South Jakarta, shared his must-do cleaning procedures after a haul.
"You have to soak the clothes in boiling water for a night.
Afterwards, you have to wash them by hand. I believe washing by hand is a more throrough cleaning process," he said, adding that he once suffered extreme itchiness after wearing an unwashed T-shirt he bought from a thrift store.
His favorite thrift market in Jakarta is Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta. "Simply, because Pasar Senen is too hot and messy, while Pasar Baru is air-conditioned," he said, laughing.
Fabi, Chalafabia's nickname, said he had just moved to Sydney to study business but that he continued his love for thrift shopping by frequenting various foundations that sold second-hand clothes for charity. "My favorite spots in Sydney are the Salvation Army and Vinnies," he said.
Febi said his mother protested his love for second-hand clothes.
"She said it's as if I don't have enougn money," he laughed, adding that now most of the clothes in his wardrobe were comprised of thrift items.
However, Fabi said he believed buying thrift items was a sustainable way of purchasing fashion pieces.
"I believe buying thrift means prolonging an item's wear duration. It helps to reduce garbage. I also always use my own shopping bag to prevent receiving new plastic bags from sellers," he said. "We can enjoy fashion and contribute to reducing trash at the same time." (gis)
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
