“Your jeans are so cute! Where did you get them?”
What if you had to wear a respirator mask because of them? Choking on smog in the heat of summer, the sky painted a dull orange hue. According to a March 2019 report from United Nations Trade & Development, it takes 2,000 gallons of water to produce a single pair of jeans. That’s each pair that makes up the towering walls of denim in stores like Old Navy and American Eagle. The textile industry is a growing concern to our environment, one that requires consumers to grapple with everyday decisions that could be quickening our planet’s descent into environmental destruction. The drought that fueled devastating wildfires in California this year is a reminder of the price paid.
But there is hope. With consistent action, individual consumers can push the market toward more sustainable practices. One powerful way to embody this shift is by shopping secondhand. Rochester is home to a thriving thrift community, with boutique vintage shops offering curated collections to make the process more accessible than ever.
The boutique shopping experience is a quintessential American rite of passage — picture movie montages of characters trying on “quirky” outfits until finally landing on the one that perfectly reflects their personality. Shoppers are no longer standing in a dimly lit Goodwill; suddenly, they’re Tyra Banks in “Life-Size.” Brittany Murphy in “Clueless.” Hilary Duff in “A Cinderella Story.”
Ware to Wear, 777 Culver Rd., is a secondhand boutique that blends new and vintage clothing to modernize the thrifting experience. Owner and operator Nick Schroeder opened his first brick-and-mortar store after years of selling vintage online and vending at pop-ups like The Lucky Flea, and his stock reflects his time as a collector. Housed in a former hydroponics store, the industrial space is lined with rolling garment racks and floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with shoes and accessories. Curated secondhand shops like Schroeder’s offer the convenience of stylized, sustainable fashion at a higher price point than conventional thrift shops.
At Goodwill, one might spend an hour sifting through oil-stained rejects before striking gold with a killer knit tube top tucked away in the scarf section. But at Ware to Wear, shoppers can find their dream pair of corduroy bell bottoms before the next song on the playlist queues. Schroeder also emphasized the importance of quality fabrics.
“If you treat something well, whether it’s silk, wool or cotton, it’ll last forever,” he said. “If you buy quality to begin with, you won’t need to continue to buy.”
This highlights one of the most crucial facets of sustainability: keeping and reusing quality items to the end of their life cycle.
What’s the phrase? “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Sarah Pavia embodies this statement at her newly opened shop, Second Look Styling & Boutique, 709 South Ave., where shoppers can give something old a second chance and learn something new along the way. Mixing luxury items with casual wear, home goods and books, Pavia touches every corner of the secondhand market. Second Look is also a venue for weekly seminars on sustainable topics like upcycling denim, sewing and fast fashion.
“I feel a responsibility because I have a passion for this to not just sell clothing, but to help people understand why and the importance of it,” Pavia said.
Tucked inconspicuously along a busy area, KIAKS, 806 Monroe Ave., is another recent addition to Rochester’s vintage scene and offers a carefully curated mix of new and vintage goods. Sunlight pours through south-facing windows into every corner of the shop, catching the delicate hues of vintage crystal glasses in pale green and pink. Owner Jenson Ruggiero understands her customers and considers them in her process; by rotating local vendors, she exposes patrons to eclectic styles while also supporting fellow small business owners. Ruggiero also knows that sustainable change starts with uncomfortable conversations.
“It starts with us talking about the problem and spreading the word as best we can,” she said. “Not only spreading the word on social media but in our personal relationships too, with older folk and people who typically would never consider shopping secondhand and start talking to them.”
Shopping secondhand is a small but impactful step. It makes climate activism approachable and actionable in the face of daunting environmental degradation. And when we start conversations about sustainability in our communities, we can spark ripples of change that grow into waves of transformation bigger than we might ever expect.
Ten Gardner is a contributor to CITY.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
