Fashion is subjective. What one may find trendy and cool, another may find bland and uninteresting. Thrift stores offer an interesting opportunity; an article of clothing one may grow tired of, they can donate, and another person will find a diamond in the rough.

Thrift stores like Goodwill are quickly growing in popularity among people in their teens and twenties. What make the stores attractive are not only the inexpensive clothes, but the ability to acquire a piece of clothing that is one-of-a- kind.

Teenagers no longer want to conform; looking similar to every other person in a room isn’t ideal. Adolescents are in search of a distinctive “look” that expresses their personal style and thrift shops are ideal for this endeavor.

“I like to change the clothes I get from Goodwill a little bit. I usually add buttons to collared shirts to make them go up higher, or screenprint windbreakers with logos I design,” junior Tanner Viteri said.

Viteri expresses the opinion of many teens: taking classic styles and adding a twist to make it their own.

Condemning others for wearing lavish items like fifty- dollar tee shirts, rapper Macklemore’s infectious song “Thrift Shop” has garnered much praise from magazines such as Rolling Stone. The tune is an anthem for teenagers across the country and came out at the perfect time to chronicle the thrift shopping craze.

“Goodwill is good for summer clothes. I love getting cheap Hawaiian print shirts and wearing them to the lake,” junior Brendan Schwartz said.

Schwartz and many others find good quality summer clothes at thrift stores, with many teen girls making shorts out of many inexpensive jeans to mimic the popular slouchy style of pants.

As if one needed another reason to shop at thrift stores, many are also charitable organizations. Goodwill donates thousands of dollars as well as clothes to homeless shelters each year.

Defining one’s style is a turning point in adolescence and a vital part of finding one’s personality. Thrift stores such as Goodwill have a myriad of clothes with their own story, and let customers write their own.