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Thrift Shops Provide Stylish Clothes for Small Towns

Courtesy of Allison Engel

With plenty of fast fashion outlets and cheap clothing available, Americans are purchasing, and discarding, clothing items at a rate never seen before. Allison Engel, co-author of second-hand shopping guide, "Thrift Style," says used clothign stores often provide cheaper, high-qualilty clothing options, while decreasing textile waste.

“There are plenty of other items that are well-made, well-crafted from other decades, for example. Those are the things that still have a lot of life in them,” Engel says. “It really doesn't make sense to buy something from H&M that won't last much longer.”

On this hour of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe looks at the financial, environmental, and fashion benefits of thrift shopping and second-hand buying. Nebbe and Engel are joined by Brandi Rockwell, owner of Panora-based thrift shop Old Soul Millennial, whov shares tips on thrift shopping in rural Iowa where retail options are often fewer and further inbetween.

Later in the hour, a discussion with Jaya Iyer, founder of Svaha Apparel. She runs an online store that offers STEM-themed clothing for women and gender-neutral styles for kids.

 

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EnvironmentArts & Life
Charity Nebbe is the host of IPR's Talk of Iowa
Katelyn Harrop is a producer for IPR's River to River and Talk of Iowa