Thrift Store Style with Eva of @EvaGoesThrifting

by Carley Lake | Last Updated:   May 29, 2020

Eva of Eva Goes Thrifting (@evagoesthrifting) isn’t afraid to embrace her thrift store style and share her breakup with fast fashion. A breakup can be messy and scary, and it can be hard to know what to do next. Luckily, Eva found love in charity and thrift store style and the beauty of wearing someone’s old clothes. She uses her Instagram feed to share her thrift store style and to help break down charity shop stigma.

Learn more about Eva and check out her favorite thrift store style below.

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Who are you? 🙂

I’m Eva. I am from York in the North of England and started my Instagram in February 2019 to help me track my progress when it came to breaking up with fast fashion. I’ve been shopping secondhand and thrift store outfits for a while but I combined this with new clothes. It was only when I started my Instagram I officially began to boycott fast fashion and share my thrift store style. 

How do you describe your thrift store style?   

This is so difficult because I think my style varies from day to day! However, I think my main style is a rocker grungy vintage look. I love vintage clothes but I like punk-ing up my outfits by adding Dr. Martens, chain necklaces, and studded belts. 

What’s a piece in your closet you wear to make more of a statement?

I wear my studded belt that I got from an Age UK Charity Shop. I literally wear it with nearly everything. 

What brands and stores do you love for your thrift store style?

In the UK we don’t have massive charity shops and they can usually be quite small. Charity shops tend to vary in quality all around the UK but my favorites are PDSA Charity Shops. I find my favorite pieces here and it’s great because the shops help sick and injured pets get the veterinary help they really need.

What are your tips for moving away (“breaking up”) from fast fashion? How did you do it? Is it still hard for you to avoid it? 

I found it quite difficult at the beginning, especially when I would be in town with my mum or friends who would like to shop in high street retailers. My tips to make this process easier would be:

1) Educate yourself. It’s easier to avoid fast fashion when you know the social and environmental impacts it has.

2) If bloggers/influencers that you follow on Instagram are making you want to buy new by posting adverts for new clothes then sometimes it’s best to unfollow them. It sounds harsh but this has helped me so much.

3) Unsubscribe from emails from fast fashion brands, unfollow them on Instagram, and delete their apps on your phone. 

What makes shopping at a charity shop important to you?

There are so many great reasons why I love charity shops. I love that the money you spend there is going to charity, you’re not buying new, you’re saving clothes from landfills, you can save money by shopping there, and you can experiment with new looks without costing the earth or breaking the bank.

How do you think you (and others!) can do more to reduce fashion consumption and embrace a thrift store style?

I think it’s important that we love the clothes we already own. Doing a wardrobe index can help you acknowledge clothes that might be hiding at the back of your wardrobe that you have forgotten about. The clothes you already own are the most sustainable. 

Thanks, Eva!