My first memory of fashion comes from a childhood tradition I had with my mother. Every Sunday, myself, my mother, my neighbor, and her daughter would venture out into our suburbs very early in the morning. We hit up tag sales, Savers, Goodwill, and multiple consignment stores. Until about the age of 16, my Sunday worship was thrifting.
Among these stops, we would find furniture, kitchenware (my mother’s favorite), vintage jewelry, and of course, clothing. My favorite pieces I ever found thrifting were a black and white striped turtleneck, a pair of corduroy pants, a glass pendant necklace, and a velvet blazer.
While my fashion taste has certainly changed since childhood and awkward teenage years, it’s still evolving. One thing I do still love, however, is thrifting. Of course, there are many more ways to thrift now that I live in a city and technology has advanced. These days, I get most of my closet from Poshmark and e-bay. Honorable mentions go to Buffalo Exchange, the Cambridge Antique Market, and my favorite thrift store back home, which I still visit occasionally.
What started as a Sunday tradition has become a lifestyle for me. Fashion is the way I express myself to the world, and thrifted clothes have played a huge part in that. My current favorite thrift finds are a pair of Chanel sunglasses, a vintage Ann Taylor crocodile skin belt, and a black leather pair of Nine West booties.
These Sundays thrifting with my mother showed me that fashion truly is a religious experience.
maya ernest 