In the last couple of years, thrifting has become more mainstream. This isn’t to say that thrifting is an entirely new concept because it definitely isn’t. In fact, for years, thrifting and buying secondhand clothing was a major way many people could afford clothes altogether. With this came a multitude of stigmas as they weren’t buying new pieces and could only buy what was available to them.

But in recent years, it seems like there has been a major narrative shift around thrifting. Many factors play into this, one of them being how fashion is cyclical and whatever goes around comes back around. Every couple of years, it seems that a fashion trend from previous generations and decades will make a resurgence into the mainstream, so it isn’t a surprise to see how thrifting has become so common, especially with the rising interest in anything from the late ‘90s to early 2000s.

It seems that most colleges and universities have taken note of how interested their young student body is with thrifting, as many are now starting to have events completely dedicated to thrifting and sellers showcasing their inventory to the students that attend.

Rowan University is no exception, as on April 16, 2026, the university hosted the second edition of “Do You Thrift A Lot?” which is a showcase of many vendors showcasing their inventory across the campus and allowing students to purchase from them. The event had a plethora of tables and items that people were selling, that ranged from vintage clothing to customized accessories. 

One seller named Rita Henriquez, who is the owner of the shop Vagabunda and sells everything secondhand and Y2K style, shared that a lot of what she sells is inspired by her being a personal stylist for television shows and from the television shows she watched when she was younger.

“I used to be a personal stylist when I was younger. So I think the love for shopping for other people grew from that previous job… I used to work for Netflix, and I used to style a lot of ‘Stranger Things’ and [so on]. Someone that I admired since I was really young, that got me into styling, was Rachel from ‘Friends’ because she was a stylist,” said Henriquez.

Henriquez wasn’t the only seller that used media as an inspiration to not only get into fashion but sell it to other people. 

Adiel Coleman, who sells a variety of bags, shoes, belts, jeans, etc., had a similar story about his trajectory into selling clothes, as he was inspired by the likes of Michael Jackson. But Coleman’s main goal is if he can’t wear something he finds cool, he will always try to find a way to make sure someone else can.

“I realized that I had a passion for style [about] four years ago. I mean I am a Michael Jackson fan… I would say that the way my rule of thumb when it comes to clothes is, if I can’t wear it, I’m going to buy it so someone else can. If I think something’s cool, I’ll buy it so that someone else can wear it,” said Coleman.

At the event, there were students who voiced their opinions about how pleased they were with the university having an event such as this, as well as their opinions on thrifting in general.

One of these students was Janelle Dorsay, 19, neuroscience major, who shared that she was grateful for Rowan having this event on the campus, as well as sharing her thoughts on how sustainable thrifting can be.

“I think this is a really great event. I always come out to these types of things because I’m a really big supporter of secondhand shopping, because a lot of clothes can go to waste if it’s just not given a new home… You never know what you’re going to buy, which is also [exciting]. You can always give old clothing a new life, you know, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” said Dorsay.

Overall, Rowan’s thrifting event allowed for students and vendors alike to come together for their shared love of personal style while keeping the integrity of shopping secondhand.

While thrifting as a practice has gone more mainstream and there have been criticisms towards it, such as overconsumption, there are still people out there who want to stay true to themselves and share it with others.