By: Brooklynne Costa | Staff Writer
Many college students tend to enjoy thrifting due to its affordability. We obtain new clothing from the closets of other individuals, not only helping ourselves but also reducing the amount of material waste in the world. Is thrifting a fun hobby? Yes. Does thrifting do good for the community and the ecosystem? Also yes!
In Newport, there are several thrift stores, most of which are small. As someone who is used to living in a more densely populated city, the lack of a Savers nearby has been shocking. Even so, the thrift stores nearby are all locally owned, small businesses! Many operate out of local churches, with the money going back into the church to help with maintenance, while others are simple local dwellers looking to make some money while doing good for the world.
If you’re looking to get into thrifting, one upcoming activity you could join is the Newport Thrift Crawl, which is to be hosted on November 1st of this year. This event highlights the local Newport thrift stores in an attempt to draw in more customers while also placing a reward on the line. This event will consist of eight thrift stores in total, located all throughout Newport. The purpose of the Thrift Crawl is to visit each thrift store. Once you visit each thrift store, you will be entered into a giveaway, allowing you the chance to win a gift.
What exactly is on the line for a prize? Well, according to the Matriarch, one of the many local thrift stores in the area, the winner will receive gift cards and merch pieces from all of the shops! Now, doesn’t that sound wonderful? Not only is this a good way to get off campus and explore the Newport community, but you are also entered to potentially win merchandise and gift cards, which could be super helpful.
Additionally, the start of a new month is the perfect excuse to go thrifting. For students not local to the area, some might have come unprepared, lacking proper winter gear. Visiting the various thrift stores throughout the city allows students the chance to stock up on needed winter supplies, such as winter coats, sweatshirts, long sleeve clothing, and boots. If you already have all of those things, thrifting is still a super fun excursion. Maybe you could find a cute antique porcelain statue for your room, or maybe you will come across an adorable cardigan sweater from a store that no longer exists. You never know what you’ll encounter while thrifting, which is what makes it all the more magical!
For this Thrift Crawl, eight specific stores will be involved. These stores are the Matriarch, Folk Vintage Co, The Nest, Lazuli, Daydream Vintage, Wish, Closet Revival, and Saint Paul’s Thrift Shop. Two of these stores, the Matriarch and Lazuli, will be hosting special pop-up’s. At the Matriarch, thrifters will be able to check out the Early Bird Vintage pop-up, while a Stripes pop-up will be present at Lazuli.
Even if you are not a big fan of thrifting, this opportunity is still a great way to explore the city and find hidden gem stores. Each store involved in this Thrift Crawl has a specific mission behind their work, such as the Matriarch being a store founded by women meant to empower people of all genders while giving back to the local community through nonprofit contributions. Another wonderful example of the work which these stores are trying to do is The Nest, which is a store working to fight the cycle of overconsumption through empowering people to make conscious fashion choices.
If you’re a fan of thrifting, or if you’re simply looking for things to do around Newport, the Newport Thrift Crawl is a wonderful opportunity. You may walk in somewhere with no intention of purchasing anything, but walk-out with a whole new wardrobe for an affordable price! So, in my humble opinion, keep your schedules and calendar clear for Saturday, November 1st, when the Newport Thrift Crawl will be occurring.
Images provided by matriarch.ri and asw.illustration on Instagram
