Financial Feminist - 210. How to Stop Overconsumption and Thrift Like a Pro with Macy Eleni

Episode Date: January 27, 2025

If you’re tired of fast-fashion fads that empty your wallet and fill our landfills, or you’re looking for a more sustainable way to express your personal style –– this episode is for you. Today we’re diving into the world of thrifting and conscious consumerism with Macy Eleni –– the Internet’s resident thrift queen on a mission to reinvent the fashion entertainment space using secondhand clothing as a vessel for storytelling. We explore how to break free from the cycle of overconsumption, find incredible secondhand gems, and protect both your wallet and the environment. You’ll come away with practical tips for spotting high-quality pieces, a new mindset on how to extend the life of your favorite finds, and plenty of real-talk about the intersection of privilege, ethics, and style. Tune in! Macy’s Links:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macyeleni TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@macyeleni?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Youtube: https://youtube.com/@blazedandglazed?si=KYJtSrkNU8ZwAysp Book: Second Chances: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Second-Chances/Macy-Eleni/9781668031360 Read transcripts, learn more about our guests and sponsors, and get more resources at https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/210-how-to-stop-overconsumption-and-thrift-like-a-pro-with-macy-eleni/ Not sure where to start on your financial journey? Take our FREE money personality quiz! https://herfirst100k.com/quiz Looking for accountability, live coaching, and deeper financial education? Check out our exclusive community: Join the $100K Club Special thanks to our sponsors: Squarespace Go to www.squarespace.com/FFPOD to save 10% off your first website or domain purchase. Rocket Money Stop wasting money on things you don’t use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/FFPOD. Quince Get cozy in Quince's high-quality wardrobe essentials. Go to Quince.com/FFPOD for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Netsuite Download the CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning at NetSuite.com/FFPOD. Gusto Run your first payroll with Gusto and get three months free at gusto.com/ffpod. Indeed Hiring? Indeed is all you need. Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at www.indeed.com/ffpod. Public Fund your account in five minutes or less at public.com/ffpod and get up to $10,000 when you transfer your old portfolio. (see disclosures: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/210-how-to-stop-overconsumption-and-thrift-like-a-pro-with-macy-eleni/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're looking to become an expert thrifter in 2025 and how to make your clothes last longer while protecting the environment, let's get into it. Hi, Financial Feminists. Welcome to the show. My name is Tori. I am a New York Times bestselling author. I host this show, which is the number one money podcast for women in the world. And we've helped 5 million women save money, pay off debt, start investing and start businesses. This is my favorite thing to do in the world is give you actionable resources to better your money. We know that you subscribing to this show allows you to implement this information into your life. Sharing it with friends allows you to talk about it.

We really appreciate you subscribing and sharing this episode so that you can connect with your friends and get this information right into your brain. And if you are brand brand new to the show, one of the best things you can do is take our free money personality quiz. It gives you a free personalized money plan for wherever you're at in your financial life. You can go to herfirsthundredk.com personality quiz. It gives you a free personalized money plan for wherever you're at in your financial life. You can go to herfirsthundredk.com slash quiz.

It is also linked down below in the show notes. Today's guest is a fun one. Macy Elainey is an LA-based digital personality, mental health advocate, and the internet's resident thrift queen on a mission to reinvent the fashion entertainment space using secondhand clothing as a vessel for storytelling. Macy boasts hundreds of millions of views

and nearly 900,000 dedicated followers with appearances on On Air with Ryan Seacrest and the CBS National Evening News. She has also been featured in Nylon Magazine, Vogue Business, the LA Times, and more, creating space for a more sustainable, ethical, and inclusive type of fashion-based content. Her debut book, Second Chances,

is out wherever you get your books. It's the first of its kind. It's an ultimate guide to thrifting, secondhand style, and expressing your most authentic self. As you can imagine, we are getting into all things thrifting and conscious consuming. I don't know about you. No, I do know, because this is how social media works.

Feeds, conversations with friends. It's been full of the under consumption movement because it's been a response to the hyper consumption movement. And I think in the face of extreme over consumption, it is a great reminder that there are more sustainable and ethical ways to still shop and to still buy clothes and items you love without contributing to these exploitative practices and also to climate change.

So in this episode, we get into how to thrift. This was my biggest question, especially as someone in a not-skinny body. Where Macy finds her biggest finds and how she navigates the thrift store experience. How to make your clothes last longer, including how to find materials that are actually going to last more than a couple wash cycles. We also tackle the frustration that I have, which is this lack of size diversity and how to make sure that we are finding clothes that actually fit us when thrifting, because it's slightly more challenging.

And by slightly, I mean a lot more challenging. We also chat about how to thrift ethically and to support your local community. And this conversation of like, if you're thrifting, are you taking resources away from the people who truly need it? So this is just a really beautiful nuanced conversation. This is the kind of conversation of why I started the show period because we get to sit down and actually dig in, give you really actionable advice, but also have a really interesting conversation about this in a way like environmentally, socially, etc. So really excited for you to hear this conversation. Let's get into it. But first, a word from our sponsors. This episode of Financial Feminist is sponsored

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You'll be solving customer challenges faster with agents, winning with purpose, and showing the world what AI was meant to be. Let's create the agent first future together. Head to salesforce.com slash careers to learn more. The Von Dutch purse behind you. All I think now is Charlie XCX. She's done a great job.

She's just yeah. And I found this like right, like maybe a month after the song, the remix came out to it and I found this at a Savers Thrift Store for literally nothing, brand new, like Dead Stock from back in the day. And I made a TikTok like to the sound, of course, like I had to. As you should. Is it the best album of the year? That's how I'm going to ask you.

I'm going to ask you the hardest question. Yeah. I mean, I'm a brat through and through, but I've been like a Charli XCX since like Boom Clap. Like that's like I've been riding with her. Me too. So I'm just happy everyone's catching up to the vibe. Uh huh. What is the song? Oh my God.

Lavender Lamborghini. Do you know this one I'm talking about on the West Side? What is it? Oh, fuck. I know and I can think of Vroom Vroomroom vroom vroom. Thank you. It's a perfect song. I know I know. Like in dead over all of the Gen Z girls like coming to Charlie XCX now and it's like, yeah, she's a millennial. And very cool. Very cool. We're very cool. Actually. We've talked already on this show about what a bloodbath, the best album at the Grammys is going to be. And it's just going to be all women. Like it's Beyonce and Chaperone and Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.

And Sabrina and all the girls. Yes, it's just going to be nuts. Nearly my boyfriend's whole entire playlist this summer has been all the pop girlies. And he's like, that's just going to be nuts. Literally, my boyfriend's whole entire playlist this summer has been all the pop girlies. He's like, that's all I listen to. Oh, yeah. I got in my partner's car and he is blasting. Good luck, babe. And I'm like, yes, boy, let's go.

You know who this is because he's not on TikTok. I was like, you know who this is? And he's like, yeah. I was like, he's not either. He has no social media platforms at all. He gets it all through me and like through the universe. Literally. He's like, oh. I was like, great. He's not either. He has no social media platforms at all. He gets it all through me and like through the universe. Yes, literally. He's like, oh, I'm on Facebook or like Instagram Reels. And I'm like, yeah, I saw that three weeks ago, but I love that you're seeing it now.

They're always on a delay. Always. I'm just so excited to have you. This is going to be a really fun conversation. We're talking about thrifting today. We're talking about de-influencing. You learned about thrifting from your mom when you were a teen living in Ohio.

And actually, fun side note, it was just in Cincinnati. It was lovely. That was my first time there. Where in Ohio are you from? Oh, for the Forbes thing? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw some of my friends at that.

I'm from Dayton, which is only like 40 minutes away from Cincinnati. I thought it was really cute. Since he was very unexpected, I was like, oh, she's kind of cute. She's got the bridge. They actually have really, really good thrifting. I was just there recently because I did like a little pre book tour stop at my hometown Plato's closet

I used to sell at. I took a little drive to Cincinnati. And the antique mall game there was out of this world. Craziness. So would recommend to anyone. I am not shocked by that. All right. I'll have to go back and bring like an empty suitcase. What really sold you about thrifting and especially once you decided to talk about it professionally? I mean, what really sold me on thrifting was just that it was like how I got my clothes,

like the clothes that I wanted growing up. Yeah, I really started like falling in love with fashion when I was like 15, 16 years old. I was just like obsessed with every like piece of physical fashion media that I could get my hands on. I plastered my bedroom walls in like the basement of my mom's house in every page of nylon and Teen Vogue. And I loved that it was a place that I could go and like kind of escape my like less than sparkly reality

of like my home life and just go and kind of be one with the clothes and buy things that I could afford and recreate these outfits that I wanted to recreate so badly. And it just gave me this escape. It gave me this place to really build myself up at a time when I felt like a lot of things were stripping me of joy, whether that was at home

or at school, it was my safe space. And I had no clue that I was kind of manifesting everything that I do now back then, especially like I even look back to putting those pages of those magazines all over my walls. Like I was literally vision boarding before I even knew what a vision board was, because those are the same magazines that now I've

like been in for thrifting. And it's really crazy to look back on those old things, because I literally would record my thrift trips back in 2010 on a flip cam for my first ever YouTube channel, Fashion Outsider 09, before it was like, we knew if it was OK to put our real names on the internet type of vibes. And it was just my safe space. And I had no idea that it would turn into what it has now,

because obviously at that time thrifting was not cool. The girls at my school did not think it was cool. And it was just looked at in a school did not think it was cool. And it was, yeah, just like looked at in a completely different way than it is now. And when I started sharing about it, I mean, my TikTok is what kind of like took off in 2020. And that's when I really started like making a ton of videos about thrifting and estate sales, because I saw such like a lack for that in like the fashion community. I've always watched fashion YouTube and like anything I could get my hands on and my eyes on fashion wise. And I always felt like there was this drought of like

people talking about used clothing, which has always been, you know, my path in fashion. Like fashion's never really existed for me without recreating it through used clothing. And I didn't feel like there was any content for the girlies like that, that related to the same things as me. So it felt like something I had to put out because it's kind of my only lane and avenue I've ever known in fashion. What you just mentioned I wanna talk about because I feel like, I guess mean girls

is the thing I'm thinking about. You would never see Regina George in secondhand clothing, right? No, that was the time of the mall girls. Right. Can we talk about that transition? Because I do feel like thrifting is now the cool thing to do, or it's fun to find a piece that no one else has, or that feels unique, or that is sustainable.

But back in the day, ew gross. Yeah. Even honestly, I had girls, I just did like my first book signing in New York two days ago, and I had girls coming up being like, my mom like still thinks it's so gross and thinks that like, you know, thrifting equals that you don't have enough money equals being poor.

And I think for a lot of people that like, I feel like our society has just done that in general. It's very like, you know, if it's new and fresh and young, like it's good. And if it's old and used, like it's bad. And I feel like people have this really like classist idea that goes back like so far and you know, has probably been from their parents and their parents, like on who buys used things. And yeah, for a lot of my followers, I've had people reach out being like, I want

to thrift so bad, but like my parents like think that that equals, you know, we're not doing well enough financially or like these things that these ideas that have been put in our head. So it's been really crazy to see the shift, which I think has honestly come from all of the access we have to how our clothing is made, like all the access we have. You know, when I was like growing up, the blinders were very on because I feel like how our clothing was being made and what it was doing to the environment, like that was kept under very like tight lock and key because we didn't have TikTok and YouTube to the extent we have now on Instagram and all these podcasts and people really like

lifting all the blinders and like showing people what is really going on. Even when I was still like shopping at Forever 21 for really cheap things in high school, I feel like we all just thought these things were being pushed out of the back of the mall in mass quantities and we just had no idea where it was coming from. And it was this very out of sight, out of mind mentality, which obviously a lot of people still use, but I think it's getting a lot harder to claim ignorance on where all of our clothing comes from. Well, and I literally wrote thrifting equals poor, which is what you said right out. clothing comes from. Well, and I literally wrote thrifting equals poor,

which is what you said right out. Like the belief, I think about this a lot as someone who talks about money of like, there are certain things that are cool if rich people do it and like bad or like gross if poor people do it. Yeah. And I feel like thrifting could be labeled as one of those things.

It's like either. No, it totally is. Yeah, I'm rich and so I can have, you know, I have the time and the luxury to find those pieces and to curate my closet. And I'm so cool because I have this limited edition, whatever, or because I've put together this outfit versus poor people. This is this is the life. Like you don't have the option of going to the mall and buying something new. No, it's almost looked at like, I see this all the time in fashion, too. It's like when

it's like rich, high fashion people doing it. it's like archival, vintage. Yeah. Amazing. Oh my god. Curation. How did you get that? How did you curate that? And then it's like, oh, but if you're doing it at like the Goodwill bins or like the Salvation Army, just because you need your clothing, like it's looked at in a different way. And it's like, where do you think all of that other stuff came from? Like those people got them from their source and put them into these high end spaces and presented them then to these people this way. Because yeah, certain people need secondhand clothing presented to them in certain ways

to like understand the value of it. I mean, every time I get one of those messages, it makes me so sad. I mean, I had a girl at my signing literally buy another copy of the book for her mom. And she's like, I am going to show her this and make her read every page to understand like what this actually is and how cool it is and

how important it is for so many, like so many different reasons. Well, and let's talk about those reasons because why do we feel like it's more in vogue now? Why do we feel like it's more socially acceptable? It's definitely, you know, from folks like you and the access to like, you know, information about this, I imagine it's definitely part of the sustainability factor here. So like, what are the reasons that, you know, thrifting has become cool? Yeah, like you said, I think it does go back a lot to the blinders being lifted. And when I started making TikToks, I felt like in 2020, it was reaching all of these younger people that actually were giving a shit about our planet and like it literally being on fire in the fashion industry

being one of the biggest contributors to that, just pumping out shit at an astronomical level. And then when you bring in like at that same time in 2020, like the TikTok influencer boom that like was like, buy my Amazon shit and like link, link, link, link, link. Because I have someone who's like, you know, I've been watching YouTube since like it started and I've seen kind of like this influencer rise and like what that is. And it definitely like

TikTok like brought in this new boom of like how many views and numbers could come in on a video versus like a YouTube video. So it kind of did give these fashion influencers just so much more access to people and their buying powers. And it's blown up so many fast fashion brands into like another dimension. And so I feel like, you know, people like me, like trying to kind of combat that and make fashion content. It's almost similar to what those people do. Like I'm still doing a fashion haul. I'm still showing you the trends, the new trends, but I'm showing you a way to do it

in a more sustainable way that's accessible to you because like sustainable brands are great and it's great that brands are taking very tiny baby steps to be more sustainable, but at the same time, they're still making new clothes. They're also really expensive and they're also oftentimes not size inclusive. So these like small sustainable brands, like as much as it is great to support them,

there's really just still so much out there. Like, and so I try to, I mean, I mean, cause talking about sustainability and stuff like that, it can be so daunting, overwhelming and intimidating. And I'm not someone who really learns that way or ever has connected with information that way. I connect to it through a person, like a lot of us do. We connect to people before anything else. So I feel like me kind of making the almost similar content to what

influencers do that make fast fashion hauls and are always like showing new stuff but showing you that you can do that 20-4-7 like completely with you with used clothing. I hope I do feel like that's contributed a lot to people you know try getting a different idea of what thrifting looks like. Oh, and like one of my favorite examples too is when we see A-list actors rewear their dresses at award shows or like, I think, who was it recently that literally wore the exact same outfit just two different ways? Oh, it was one of the Bridgerton women. She like, she was photographed in the morning for a press junket, and then went on Colbert, I think, and had the exact same outfit,

but just styled it slightly differently. And I think that that is one, one, really just great that people are doing that in general, but two, that the media is covering it in a way that's great. And not in a way that's hot or not from the 2000s of, oh, she ream more. And that's what what used to be.

You'd read about it and it would be like, like almost like a side eye. Like, can she not afford a new dress? Like what's going on here? You know, and now I mean, sustainability and like thrifting and used clothing is talked about in a completely different way in the media. And I think that's also like due in part to like younger, newer voices coming up in the editorial space and having like different opinions and different insights on clothing. And like that it is cool to rewear things. Oh

my god, I became I was already obsessed with Virgishan, obsessed with her. And then that like took me to another level. Yeah, totally. I want to talk about your three E's of fashion and how that developed throughout your story, switching from fast fashion to like sustainable options. The three E's are like pretty much like my personal pillars of sustainability and I kind of wanted to use it as in my book as a way to like walk people through, yeah, these three key pillars to sustainability for me,

but also like it really encompasses my journey to not shopping fast fashion at all, because you know, I was thrifting when I was growing up, but I also was like, I worked at Forever 21 in high school. And like I was at that point, it was all about the first economics. Like for me, it was just like, I can get the things I want cheap. I was a teenager. I was like in a very like me, me, me mentality.

Like a lot of teens are where like I was thinking about, you know, myself all the time and what I could get for cute and what I could get for cheap. And I would just like come home from Salvation Army with like literal trash bags of clothes and be like, I got all of this for $10. And it was just like amazing. And it was a great way to like play with style and like find myself through style. And it, but it really was the first time it started to show me like. That the thrift store could really blur the divide between like what people

can afford and what they can't. I think the fashion industry in general has always wanted to kind of like have this exclusive divide on like who can afford what and who can't touch that. And so when the thrift store can like provide you with like, I mean, I will never forget my little sister finding me product kitten heels for $4 for my birthday when we were younger and losing her mind, they were zebra. I still have them.

I've had them cobbled multiple times cause I will never get rid of them. But those sitting there at Salvation Army and like giving someone that couldn't afford that the chance to own them and to wear them and to enjoy them, I feel like that's just amazing and that's everything. And it also, shopping at local thrift stores and stuff,

it's just pouring money back into your community when it's a local mom and pop shop. And then we kind of go from economics into the environment. And for me, that was where in college, I started to really start to understand like the global climate crisis. And, you know, I always say like thrifting for me did not start like, I didn't care about the environment.

As like bad as that sounds, like it's so true. Like it was so just about getting cute clothes. And when I realized that the fashion industry was such a polluter, like I had held it on this pedestal for my entire life living in Ohio. I was like, oh my God, this industry is untouchable. It's fabulous. It's fantastic. Everything they're doing is amazing. And then when you start to realize like actually everything they're doing is kind of bad. And then when you start to realize on the ethics level, like my third E, that's what really did it

for me. Like I said, I connect to people the first before anything and when I kind of started to wake up to the conditions like a lot of women especially women of color and like all of these places around the world and here in America like not making a living wage working in terrible conditions to what like make us new random cheap shit like it's so crazy to me and especially like in the fashion industry it's so cool to be like, I'm so for women, I support women. And I hear that 24 seven, when we're talking about any reproductive rights, anything. And I'm like, yes, we support women, but why not those women? You wouldn't want these working conditions. We're always all talking about advocating for ourselves and advocating for what

we should have and what we should be making, what our sisters, our moms should be making. And we wouldn't want this for them. So why are we so disconnected from this stuff happening to the people that make the clothes we claim to love so much? That's me, I guess, really talking to people in fashion. And I feel like even when I was writing the book, I was in the 3Es chapter really thinking about a lot of fashion influencers I know personally, since I'm really in that space, and how much it does really pull at my heart and bother me to see everyone just being like,

yeah, I support you guys, my audience, women, women, women, women. That's amazing, but that needs to extend past the women just in our direct circle, women that look like us, women that are like us. I feel like that the blinders are just still on, in a sense, women that look like us, women that are like us. And I feel like that the blinders are just still on in a sense in that way for people. And yeah, when I was writing that chapter, that was like one of my favorite chapters to write in the whole book because I was just like, I feel like I haven't really been given the opportunity to talk about this in this way. And so the book was like really my place to do that because I feel like it's just so important.

I mean, that part of it really just, I was just like, I can never look at new clothing kind of the same way again. Hiring is really hard. Finding the right people at the right time, making sure that they're the right fit for your organization. It's a small business order that is one of my biggest challenges. And if you need someone fast, like yesterday,

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And I'd love to break those down even further. Let's talk about the economics first. Pretty obvious, but like you save money when you don't go out and spend money buying brand new things. And I think this is where I would love to talk about de-influencing because we are barraged every day before even social media existed, right? Advertisements and TV commercials and billboards. Like we were pressured all the time, you know,

even Teen Vogue, all of these places to buy more things. And now, I mean, the stats are crazy the last time I read them, that it's like, we're fed hundreds of ads a day as like an average person. There's a constant feeling that you need to be buying something. You can buy this thing to fix your life. You can purchase this thing on TikTok shop

and all of your wildest dreams will come true. So it's just so expensive in general with inflation and everything else. But I feel like there is a pressure constantly to have new things, to buy more. Talk to me about that. Yeah, I mean, like you said, it's kind of been going on forever.

And like, I remember being a teen, like just like bombarded by all of those ads and feeling like I needed those new things. Going into the mall and feeling like I needed those new things. For me, because I couldn't afford those new things in the first place, I would go into the mall and I would like literally like take photos on my digital camera of like mannequins and like things

that I loved and I would take those to the thrift with me, which is now what I really encourage people to do because we have so many different mediums now to just like you said be bombarded with ads of like you need this to look good, you need this to be cool and all this stuff. And I like am always encouraging people to just take a second before pressing by now, take screenshots of the stuff that you love and build out like a thrift manifestation board of what you can go find in the secondhand world because you can actually find all of those things. I still get hit by it. Like I will see something from a new collection from a designer or a brand and be like, Oh my God, I love that. I want to play with that trend.

But when you pause for a minute and don't press buy now, you give yourself the time to think on it first of all and be like, do I actually need this? Because maybe I actually already have something in my wardrobe that I can make this trend out of, or maybe I need to go check my cabinet to see if I actually maybe have an old kettle that probably does the same thing as this new thing

I'm being bombarded with that I need to buy. And then it also gives you the chance to then maybe like go to the second hand world and find something that touches on that trend that touches on that thing that you love that maybe has the same silhouette or color or evokes the same vibe. But it's actually something that will fit into your personal wardrobe better because a lot of the times people will like buy, buy, buy, buy, buy these things and then they'll get it and they're like, oh, I really wanted this trend. I wanted to play with it, but it actually goes with nothing in my personal wardrobe and actually like

doesn't speak to my personal style at all. And then they donate it and it goes back to the thrift store. And then it goes to the landfill because no one wants it because it's crap quality. So it kind of, you know, is like then this cycle of just like, Oh, then I need to buy another thing. And so I feel like the thrift store just really like provides you that space to like take the inspiration from all all these things and all these beautiful Shoots you're seeing and things you're loving and go find something that is one cheaper and two

You'll probably keep longer because like I remember even I'm like looking at these polka dots behind me Like the polka dot trend has been like blowing up again And I haven't seen them like as crazy as they are now since 2011 and for me I was like I was like, oh my god I'm kind of getting into polka dots for the first time in like 10 years again And I was like I need to go to the thrift and find these things that really work for me, I was like, I was like, oh my God, I'm kind of getting into polka dots for the first time in like 10 years again. And I was like, I need to go to the thrift and find these things that really work for me instead of buying new.

Because all of a sudden I was just seeing polka dots everywhere again. So I think taking a breather and then hitting the thrift, it's going to save you in a lot of ways. I have a confession for you. And maybe you can take me to thrift therapy. I've realized and I know other people are feeling this way too, because I see posts about it. As you're talking, I'm realizing I'm guilty of buying something and not just fashion, but just buying something new so that it's more aesthetic or that it's

cuter. Yeah. When the thing that I already have works fine. I think about this and I'm happy I bought it. It was a good purchase, but a couple years ago I bought the beautiful aesthetic suitcase when my old black Samson suitcases worked just fine, but they weren't cute. The suitcase one is big because I know I can relate because my mom is someone who like we've had all our suitcases for a hundred years. And like when I moved to LA from

Costco Suitcases for literally ever and she's still like now like when I was back home in Ohio and need an extra case She's like we're going to Salvation Army We're gonna get one like please and like even in my mind because like I lived so much in this like influencer world and bubble and all I see is everyone with like their new cow packs and a ways and like all these brands that Everyone like works with and because they look so chic when you're traveling. But I feel like it's like kind of getting over like an ego part of your brain, which I've also had to do as well of like, oh, like people are going to like look at me a certain

way and it's like no one's even looking at you. Like, right, right. But no one's ever even thinking about like your suitcase or what you're doing. But like I get it because I have felt that way a lot too, especially when I was younger and I was like, I just want something like new and cool that everybody else has. And I think it's really about like switching a part of our brain that's like thinking about the aesthetics of how we look and like kind of letting go of a bit of our ego of like needing to look a certain way. Because that even goes back further to like, what does that

mean? You know what I mean? Like, what what do I think people think about me for using an old suitcase? They think I am poor. Like, I don't know, like these things that are just like so silly. And then no one's even thinking anyway, because they're just thinking about themselves. I'm just realizing how much I've done it recently in my life, especially as I make more money now of like, oh, this thing is still functional. Yeah, this thing is still functional and it works, but it's not cute. So I'm not going to use it. And like, it's kind of gross. Yeah, this thing is still functional and it works, but it's not cute. So I'm not gonna use it.

And like, it's kind of gross. Like I don't need more stuff. I can just use the thing until it doesn't work anymore. Until it falls apart. But I think that's a lot of like what I was, yeah, like raised on was, and was my mom just being like, use it until it breaks. Then we go like, grab something else and it's fine.

And especially with suitcases, like they last so long. Right. Like they last long. I love it. I can say the brand because everybody knows what it is. I love my away suitcase. I don't think it was a bad purchase. I think it's great. I'm just realizing I bought it. No, and if you use the shit out of it. Oh, I use it literally almost every week.

It's just the realization that I bought it because. Like why? Yeah, I just wanted like, I wanted a cute little pink suitcase. And I also wanted like, it also was a different kind of suitcase. It wasn't a soft shell. I wanted like the hard shell suitcase,

but I'm just realizing that it's just very, I'm very now susceptible, I think too, because probably, and we talk a lot about like money trauma on this show, because my parents were the, I'm using this until I run it Into the ground and so now I'm like well. I have enough money I don't have to do that, so maybe I'll go buy this other thing Yeah, interesting like mixed vibes with that too

Especially as I've kind of like gotten to a different place financially than I was before I've literally had people ask me like are you gonna throw forever like why would you do and I'm like yeah Because like I always will forever have my mom's voice in the back of my head, even when I like I'm thrifting, like fun designer pieces that I find, like if I find something and it's $500 and like that's still a good deal because it's like a $3,000 bag. I'm like, oh, my God, my mom's in the back of my head being like, you can find that for $50.

Please put it down. Put it down. But the money trauma can be like very real of feeling like, I need to buy these things because I can buy them now. Right. Yeah. I love it when I just end up reading myself for filth and my own advice. Okay. But honestly, you're still not alone.

I feel like that's so, so many people. And again, it's not aesthetic. And aesthetic didn't really exist. I mean, it did exist, but not in the same way until Instagram or TikTok, where it's like you had to perform your entire life. And so, oh, if you're getting on a plane, you got to perform that now, too. And you got to look the part. Yeah. And I even realized like the thing about the suitcase is like,

just because I've been traveling more than half a year in my life. Like, but I'm also vlogging it for my YouTube channel, my TikTok. And I'll compare sometimes in my mind, I'll like catch myself comparing myself to these people that have all of these fancy new things. And I even was like, oh, I'm going to try a hard shell suitcase. And then I was like, oh, wait, they weigh more and I can't take as much clothes with me. Back to my old soft one.

Yeah. I want to talk about the environment because I feel like that's a huge, obviously, focus of your work. And you just mentioned, but something we found in our research is that even when people altruistically donate clothing, I think a lot of us, hopefully everybody listening, like I still have, the John Mulaney quote is so true, like I have boxes in the back of my car that still need to go to Goodwill, but I have always donated clothing.

A lot of it doesn't even make it to secondhand stores or racks. Like 70% of it, about 70% ends up in other countries and then is dumped and burned, which has a huge climate impact. Obviously, it is like us in a more developed country just literally dumping our waste into somewhere else. So what steps can we take to make secondhand clothing and shopping truly beneficial on a global scale without contributing to more suffering. I think when it comes to donating, especially, it's about like kind of

having different avenues of donating, which I feel like we've all been like very much so taught, like, okay, like you have your clothes, like you drop them off at the Goodwill, like you drop them off the local thrift. For me, like I really like to break my donations down into like different places. So I obviously do like to like bring thoughtful donations that are in good condition to my local thrift store that I shop in because I'm like, you know, I'm taking some resources and I like to replenish those resources because I feel like that's kind of how we keep our community and like our circular vibes moving and grooving. And I feel like it's good karma to the thrift gods as well. But I will say that I think people

forget about the option of like shelter donation. And especially since the pandemic, like so many more people are unhoused, especially where I live in Los Angeles, like the housing crisis is insane. And there are so many people without homes, without clothing, without, and like, that's just like an insanely terrible place to be. And especially when you're like at that point in your life where you are in such a vulnerable position, you want to be able to provide people with clothing that's cool and stylish and not just whatever.

So I feel like finding places in your area that need clothing donations now, because I promise you, literally wherever you're listening from, everywhere does. There are so many shelters you can take clothing to that then will be used right away. Like they are always neat in need. And so like it's great to take the donations to the thrift store. But like you said, like, so much ends up in landfills so much ends up in other countries polluting it. So

many less people are thrifting even with the boom right now where everyone's like, Oh, my God, everyone's thing all the good stuff's gone. All this stuff is gone. Like all the prices are going up. It's like, there's actually not enough people thrifting at all like at all There's not enough people like thinking of used as an option for when they need a new dress or when they need something So like there's so much shit out there Especially because then we're buying at this massive rate and like we were talking about earlier Most of the stuff everyone's buying so quickly is truly crap quality

Like it's literally just terrible and so like it's just gonna decompose in a really shitty way and like send methane gas into wherever it is. So being really thoughtful about where you take your donations is an amazing way to know that like the clothing is going to people that really need it. People that like are going to put it on and wear it to a job interview or wear it like in their life and they really rely on people's donations.

And it's just like, obviously it takes a job interview or wear it like in their life and they really rely on people's donations. And it's just like, obviously it takes a little bit more time to like make a call and like see where those shelters are, like do a little bit of research, but it is like so incredibly worth it on like so many levels. It helps in so many different ways. And I just think it's so, so important. Yeah. Well, and let's talk more about your last point, which is just like worker conditions. And yeah, I mean, we all know and have probably either sometimes knowingly shopped at companies because we feel like that's an only option or shopped at companies we had no idea are using child labor

or very significantly reduced labor. Obviously thrifting is a great answer to this, but how do we actionably stop supporting these kinds of companies and how do we inform ourselves to know how to stop supporting these companies? Like I said earlier, I think like the blinders have really come up on a lot of these brands. And you know, a lot of people have the idea that like, it's like just like a she and are like, I don't know, just these like really like fast fashion, the online companies, but it's also like Azara and an H&M and like all these brands that and high

fashion brands. Like it's all of the brands, honestly. I remember Gap's big thing. Whoa, gosh, probably 10 years ago now. And I think they've divested from it, but who knows, right? Yeah. Cause you don't really know. We don't, we really only know unless there's a documentary or, you know, Gap comes out and says, we don't do this anymore. And I guess you have to trust them. And you can't really trust any of them because I'm sorry, like all the information most of us

are getting is like on social and they're all just going to like make their icons green during Earth Month and like greenwash. I mean, I get reached out to by so many brands. I got reached out to by H&M recently and I was just like, no, like, sorry. I would love to take that money, but I can't. No. And that's like such a thing for me, like with these brands that will reach out and be like, but we really are like making steps in sustainability. But I'm like, but you're still making insane quantities of clothing, even if you're like trying to reduce your carbon footprint or like they just they have so many buzzwords.

And are you paying the people who are making your clothes a living wage? Exactly. And they don't want to talk about that ever, because most of the times the answer is no. And they don't want you to think about those women. They don't want you to think about that any of these, because it is mostly women making these clothing and they don't want you to think about them as human beings. They don't want you to think about them at all. They don't want you to know they exist,

but they do exist and they are making this clothing and they do matter and they are important. That completely just shifted everything for me. It made me see every brand because I was one of those people that, like I said, I was shopping fast fashion when I was younger just because it was so cheap. And I get it. Like it is an accessible way. This is a no means me saying like fast fashion for no one. Like it is not low income people shopping fast fashion that is Contributing to this massive problem. It's like I'm sorry, but like influencers of massive platforms Getting online and being like here's my link to a million plus people go sell it out

And then they're not even thinking about the connection any of that or maybe they are I don't know honestly I don't know. I don't feel like everyone's that ignorant I feel like people know what's up, people know what they're doing. But again, like out of sight, out of mind, I don't see these women, they don't exist. I think it's just, if I'm giving the like empathetic, assuming positive intent thing,

I think it's just like, there's already so much suffering in the world. And it's just like... Yeah, and that's just like another thing. Yeah, if you sit down and really think about it, you're like, I'm never wearing clothing again, I'll just run around naked. Like, cause it's just, it's just like another thing. Yeah, if you sit down and really think about it, you're like, I'm never wearing clothing again. I'll just run around naked. Like, because it's just awful.

And like, I'm trying to remember, I think it was in a class at some point. We watched a documentary about working conditions and how little they get paid. And the- Was it the true cost? Maybe, that sounds right. But just also like the safety concerns, because they're like pressing

clothes, you know, they're putting like logos on things with really hot irons and they're stitching, you know, fabric and like they're getting injured all of the time to give a chemical in these clothing and like the thing like they're literally ingesting all of that and then we're wearing it, which is another thing like people don't even know what you're like wearing when you're buying all this stuff on Amazon and like TikTok shop. You trust that and you're like putting it on. Like people think me thrifting a bathing suit

and washing it is gross, but like you don't know what you're putting on yourself when you're getting it from TikTok shop. Like people can do anything to your clothing to make it as cheap as possible. And they know that's what people are looking for is as cheap as possible. And yeah, I think you're right. Like people are just so bombarded with everything's terrible.

Everyone's doing terrible things and so many people are suffering. But with clothing, like we are the ones buying. So like it is, it is in our hands. Like it, you know, it shouldn't be completely up to the consumer to like fix everything and like make all of this better. But when you really do start to like think about it as these women making your clothing and that, you know, they do matter and if you support women, you should probably like support them to their voices. I just feel like are so silenced like in all of these conversations and it really breaks my heart. And all of this stuff has been going on for so long that all

of this stuff exists and like so I think being able to go out into the secondhand universe and find it I think it has started to shift some people's I mean I have seen the messages I get from people who have completely converted from that way of shopping to thrifting so that's why I wanted to present it in those way of the three E's because I'm like one of these pillars will hopefully do it for someone for every person. Yeah. Well, and you know, we love a good deal. I love a good deal. But I now I know enough about this where if a t-shirt is $4, I'm asking myself, why is this? There's no way this t-shirt

is $4. And so I feel like there is the balance of I want a good deal, I don't want to pay a lot sometimes for things, you know, and also I think the option of buying secondhand thrifting, being more intentional about wearing things out, I think is great. One thing that you mentioned that Kristin, my podcast producer, literally put in that we have to talk about, which I think is so important, you're mentioning the Prada find, which killer by the way, but that you were recoupling the shoes so that you didn't have to throw them

out. I think tailoring is a lost art. I think adjusting our clothes to fit us. I remember I had a pair of boots in college that I love so much that yes, I took them to get resold when I wore them out. Explain that more to me and how someone listening can start thinking more strategically about reusing and re loving the clothes and making them adjusting them to fit their life. Yeah, because like, I feel like I fall in love with these pieces and like I never want to let them go and like those shoes meant so much to me that being able to like get them put back together. I think we've all just been very,

very conditioned to like, if it breaks, we buy it again. Like if it breaks, we buy it new. And then when it, yeah, we buy it new. And there's all of these people out there. Like cobblers are literally magicians. I can fix your shoes, make the, make the, you know, the boot wider if it needs to be and adjust them to your body and your like life as it's evolving. I think that's incredible. And like Taylor's, I thrifted my prom dress when I was younger, and the Taylor was able to take it from being this long dress that definitely didn't look like wasn't the cool hip thing I was looking for into this dress.

That was so awesome and fabulous for me, and it was super cheap, and it was amazing. And I think you're right, it's such a lost art of even knowing that these people exist. I feel like younger people just don't even know these people exist. And that's why it was like such a thing I had to include in my book, because if it breaks, like we can just fix it.

There's people that exist to do that. And not everything you buy in the thrift universe or in the second-hand universe is going to be the perfect fit always. And there are like ways and people that can adjust that. And I think just like having that information and knowing that information and being able to just like call up, you know, different shoe repairs in your area

and tailors and dry cleaners and just talk to them about what they do and what you need. Like I have a box that sits up there on my shelf and any time I try to do this new thing, my sister and I came up with, instead of like, even for me, like buying a new thing equals like me, you know, finding something fun on eBay that I want or something. It's always used, but like new to me when I like have an accomplishment or hit a milestone. So we just started this new thing earlier this year where we put like shoes that break or bags that break or things that need fixed in a box. And when I like hit those milestones, like we take that to the cobbler or we take that to the tailor or we take that to get fixed. So I can actually wear it again instead of even getting a new to me thing, even though the things I'm getting are

thrifted. Like I still have these things. So I do need like, I still need to sometimes think about that. And that box reminds me to do that. And it still feels like a treat and something fun. Yeah, I got a custom tailored suits. I'll shamelessly plug. It's an incredible woman, a color entrepreneur. Her company is called Dahlia. And because men have been getting custom suits for decades, she does this for women. I picked everything. I picked the buttons.

I picked the color. I picked the fit. I picked where the stitching was. I've worn the shit out of this thing. And it also, nothing has ever looked better because it was tailored to my body. It was tailored to me. I know we've been so convinced that

like clothing like there's something wrong with us if clothing doesn't fit us perfectly. Oh yes! Literally no like and that's what has I mean driven so many of us to like so many eating disorders and body dysmorphia and all these crazy things that we have fallen into because the fashion industry and the clothing industry is like oh like there's something wrong with you if our stuff doesn't fit you. When it's like no no no no, no, no, that's not the case. And you can, you can actually shape shift these garments and getting something. Nothing feels better than when something is truly like, Oh, it fits your body. And it fits you rather than you trying to fit into it. Yeah. I am never about trying to fit back into like old clothes. Like I always tell my followers, I'm like,

if we like grow out of something, our body changes changes, we pass it along to the next and you can thrift something else. It is not about you trying to fit back into something or into something. We don't need to be doing that. That's a whole other thing. If you're serious about investing, you need to know about public. What sets public apart is how they give you the tools to make informed investment decisions. They built their AI tool called Alpha, and it doesn't just tell you if a certain investment is performing well, it tells you why the performance is happening. So you can really understand what's driving your performance and your portfolio. The best thing about public though, and the reason I'm really talking about them, is their

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once they run their first payroll. Go to gusto.com slash ffpod to sign up. Try three months free at gusto.com slash ffpod. That's gusto.com slash ffpod. What's up Spotify? This is Javi. I remember this one time we're on tour. We didn't have any guitar picks and we didn't have time to go to the store So we placed an order on prime and it got there the next day ready for the show. Whatever you're into it's on prime Okay, so that was one of my questions because I am curvy I Have had my body change a lot in the past couple years. And when I do go and try to thrift, I can buy like a jacket, but pants are really challenging.

For me, you can tell me, definitely tell me if I'm not looking in the right spots, but like I often can't find pants in my size, or I'm nervous because especially if I'm like outdoor at like a flea market or something, I can't go try those pants on. I can try a jacket on. I can't, you know, try the pants on. And I feel like there are a lot of things, especially stuff that was made, you know, a couple decades ago that is for smaller bodies. So talk to me about thrifting as

someone who's curvy or someone who's's fat. How do you do that? And also, where should you look for pieces that are gonna be great and fit your body? Yeah, I mean, it's no secret that fashion has always prioritized thin bodies. And then inevitably those things trickle down into the secondhand world. There's going to be less pieces

for people that are not in a skinny body. Stiff and thin. Yeah, and it's just true. And people get really riled up online, Like there's going to be less pieces for people that are not in a skinny body and then yeah And it's just true and like people get really riled up online because I've talked about this in YouTube videos with one of my friends Carrie Dayton who also makes thrifting videos But for more like midsize plus size viewers and we made a couple videos together a couple years ago Like before I wrote my book where we were like going into LA thrift stores And we were like, let's see what she can find and I can find because when we started thrifting together, like it really started showing me like, oh my God, like maybe the reason I've loved fashion so much is because

I've always even at the thrift store, I've been able to find stuff in my size. And she, like you said, would always like, oh, I can find a jacket or like an accessory or something like that. People get really touchy about privilege in general size privilege. And I was trying to like call people out on that and we're like, no, we're just trying to open this conversation because people don't think about it if it's not about them and if it's like not about their body. And that's why my book, I literally interviewed like multiple creators that make content like mine, but for midsize bodies, plus size bodies, because it's different and it's like not my lived experience. But I feel

like a really good place to start is the virtual thrift world because it does give you a place where you can like put in your sizing on things, really look around for what you want and find I think a bigger array of options, but ones that are like tailored, you can literally like put your size into all of these different secondhand selling sites.

And then I feel like that gives you a really good idea. And what I've heard from friends is they'll do that. And then it will give them a really good idea of the brands to then look for at the thrift store. So they'll like, you know, try to find their size and try to find these great pieces in the secondhand virtual world, take screenshots and notes of like those brands and then go kind of like specifically after those brands

in the secondhand world. And even though it is a smaller pool, like I have definitely seen, at least here in LA, I'm not sure everywhere else, but I've seen thrift stores starting to pop up with more like having an entire like plus size section or like literally just like rows and rows and rows that are devoted to plus size. So that stuff is there and you can actually just like look through it and know that your like your size is probably going to be there. I always want to recognize it is harder, it is more difficult

and it is definitely a privilege to be able to find your size and like just be able to throw on everything in the thrift store. And that's something that I didn't realize as much when I was younger. And I like had a friend that was a different size than me. We'd go thrifting together all the time in high school and she'd find like nothing. I'd find so much at that time, like, you know, was dealing with my own eating disorder in my own mind. And I like naively thought like, Oh, she just like didn't find anything cute. She wanted. And like, I had no idea, like what she was going through in that moment.

And I feel like now like these other friends that I've now met as an adult and thrifted with, and we've really been able to like open these conversations. And I feel like that's a huge part of it. It too, was just like talking about it, but tangible tip wise, like the online thrift world is an amazing place to find a much bigger array than what's just in your local thrift store. Well, yeah, and let's, you mentioned online thrifting, obviously, you know, thrift stores in person,

where else are you shopping? Like, where else are you going? Oh my God, where am I not going? I am in every place you can find anything. Like estate sales, yard sales, I've recently been in my antique mall bag. Like I literally can't stop going to antique malls. I've recently been in my antique mall bag. Like I literally can't stop going to antique malls. I'm so obsessed with them. I feel like people have a really

big idea of them being for like just like furniture and like knickknacks, but like actually the fashion is insane because no one goes for it. And it's so crazy to find these booths like in these antique malls, especially because like estate sales are really fabulous here in LA, but like I understand they're not as amazing everywhere else. But the antique malls in small towns, get your booty there right now because you will find the craziest stuff. But yard sales, I love yard sales. I love garage sales.

And yeah, literally anywhere, anywhere that I can dive into a bin and have a little peek into a drawer and pull out something crazy like I'm in the drawer, I'm in the bin. Well, and you're in LA. Oh gosh, probably a year or two ago, I went to the Rose City flea market. Oh, my God. Oh, they're crazy. I mean, we're so spoiled with secondhand shopping here.

It's like actually amazing, but I still will always prefer my hometown in Ohio. The finds are unmatched, the vibes are unmatched, but you can find anything here. I could not believe that flea market. I bought a jacket and I still wear that jacket. If you guys are listening, you know, it's a camo jacket. I fucking love that jacket.

And like, but the furniture was incredible. And if I lived in LA, I would have bought like 12 things. That's where we've gone like to get so many of the pieces for our place. And then again, like that's kind of another place. I'll also go to flea markets a lot because I am always in thrift stores and estate sales and yard sales. And like, I know I can find everything for as cheap as possible. I'll go to like a more curated spot for just like inspiration.

And I'll just like, again, I'm always just like taking pictures everywhere I go of anything that I find inspiration in, especially furniture when we're at flea markets. And then I'll take it to Goodwill with me, take it to Hope of the Valley or Valley Value Center. It's a really good way to manifest. I mean, I'm a big manifester, like in general for like hopes and dreams and goals, but also clothing like you can truly manifest it. Like obviously it's the having it in your mind and then being able to really like see

it in the store. And maybe if you didn't have it on your phone, you wouldn't have been able to spot it. Otherwise, there's so many places like I feel like people really do just think of like thrifting and really expanding your mind. That's why I've been making so many antique mall videos lately, like I feel like people really do just think of like thrifting and but really expanding your mind So that's why I've been making so many antique mall videos lately because I'm like you girlies all need to get out into your Antique malls because antique malls exist everywhere even just the small smallest towns. Yep They have antique malls and like I think people would be really surprised what you can find in them I just had like one of the craziest craziest finds of my life at the antique mall in Cincinnati

I think it was called Flamingo, some Flamingo attic or Flamingo something. And it was like really cool, really small women owned. And I found these Miu Miu shoes from like 2001 runway and they go for almost $1,000 online. They are so coveted and like I see them often in LA for so much money. Again, I can never, I just knew I would find them somewhere. They were $100 and like I see them often in LA for so much money. Again, I can never, I just knew I would find them somewhere. They were a hundred dollars and like, I lost my mind. Like I lost my mind. And the woman that owned the store was so cute.

She was like, I know it's like the most expensive thing in here and I'm like, no, no, no, but like, I will have them like give them to me. You're like, I don't want to tell you that these should actually be $900 more. I'm like, but I promise you, I will wear them forever. She's like, no, I can tell people you're wearing, like you will love them forever.

And I truly will. Like it's still blowing my mind. And that happened just a month ago. Well, walk me through like a typical thrifting trip. You're doing a bit of that, but like, what are you looking for? How are you weeding out what isn't for you? How are you determining the quality of something?

I still remember the first time I went to like an antique mall with my mom looking for furniture and she could spot like, oh, because this drawer, this cabinet has the kind of flimsy wood in the back, it's not as well made. And then she could look at legs and be like, oh, that's a well made chair or whatever. Like, what are you looking for? Yeah, she that's that's good. No, yeah, like when I will go in like, so like my kind of like thrift attack when I walk in It's like right away. I'm going to the shoes in the bags

Just for like anyone wondering like that's like where I like to hit first because Those things are like bigger and they stand out more than the stuff on the rack So I feel like that's the place where like if there's something amazing if there's a really great brand If there's just something crazy stand out like that's going to get taken first because A lot more people will just hit those easy to see sections and then the racks after because it's much harder to go through every single piece and find the gem within there.

So I'm always starting with my bigger accessories and then working my way through from shoes and bags to coats because those also stand out a bit more and then dresses and then I'll weed myself into the shirts and the pants, which is just a never-ending line of terrible-ness until you get to something amazing. And with clothing, I'm always looking for stuff made in the USA, paper tags made in the USA,

and looking at where the clothing is made gives you a good idea of how good the quality can be. You can also really feel it with clothing. You can feel something in the thrift store. I'll literally, if I don't have time to look at every single piece, I'll just go through and I'll tell people literally just like touch stuff. If you like are digging the pattern or something, like touch it and feel it and see how it feels to you. Cause you can really tell the difference between like synthetic fabrics and like

really, really great fabrics like cashmere and wool and leather and denim and this stuff that is going to truly last a lifetime. And that's why I can spot the she in a mile away. Like I will see a piece and I'll be like, I see an inkling of something cute. And then I'll see it. I'm like, oh no, this is really paper quality. So like looking at your tags and like, especially if you see a brand that you really like in the thrift, taking a photo of that tag and getting to know

what goes into the clothing that you like and how it's made, like the actual fabrics that they're putting into it, it's like really good to start getting an idea of what works for you and what's really great. But you can feel, like even if you don't have the knowledge at all, like you can touch the clothing and like really get a good idea of if it's well-made or not.

When I have thrifted, one of the things I've done, especially as a curvy woman, is I bought men's clothing, especially for my jackets. Oh, that's my Frank Carey Dayton's biggest tip. Like she loves the men's section. And I mean, I do too, but like the denim and the blazer. I have a denim jacket that I actually wore on the cover of my book and I wear it all the time.

That is a men's jacket. The buttons are on the wrong side or the right side for men, but the wrong side for us. Like, and it's oversized, which is what I wanted. And my camo jacket too, it's like a military jacket from, I think, Denmark. And that was the one I found. And that was easy because I wanted an oversized look. I just bought a men's jacket. And honestly, in the thrift store, I really believe that because it isn't a traditional retail store where you're being bombarded with ads of like,

the boys are here and the girls are here and boys wear this and girls wear this. I feel like it's gender-wise like very fluid and it's just like shop where you feel pulled to shop. Like take that out of your mind that this is for boys and this is for girls. Like please throw that out of here. Does not matter at all. That's all just made up shit anyway.

And just shop where you feel pulled to shop. And like I've always loved the men's section. The t-shirts are better. The jeans are better. The blazers are incredible. Like if you're looking for that, like very, very Instagram popular oversized blazer moment, like the men's section of your thrift store for $4,

like go there instead of whatever brand is remaking them right now at the moment. Yeah, the men's section is like truly, truly a gem, especially for finding out things that might fit your body. If you're not just like a typical straight size. It's so good. One of my last questions for you as we round out. We talked about this, but for lower income families, this is their only option.

This is not like a fun thing to do necessarily. This is like, this is where they have to shop. There is no other option. So for folks who aren't low income and who are trying to thrift more, how do we make sure we're not cannibalizing the options available for people who are actually like, nope, this is my only option? Yeah, I feel like there's a lot of, there's a lot of things to this one because I hear this a lot. It's a big question. When I hear it a lot on social media, like, you know, like people like thrifting getting

popular is like driving up the prices and then people can't get clothes. And again, like I do in like, so there's like two sides to this. So like I have to in one place be like a myth buster of like, there's actually so much out there and like, yes, prices are rising in certain places on certain things, but prices are rising on literally everything. And I know from even speaking with my like thrift stores, like my local thrift stores, they're like, we need to start paying our people working here more money. Like we need our rent in these places we are in Los Angeles are more money. So like the clothing does have to cost a little bit more. You can still find like all the deals in the world. There are so

many places, the Goodwill bins, pay by the pound clothes. Like there's so much. And I think sometimes a lot of the people yelling like, stop thrifting if you have money not to thrift, are not these low income people. And actually are people that are just seeing this stuff on social media and echo chambering it out. And so I don't love the idea of telling anyone not to thrift, honestly, even if you're rich. I don't love that. But I do think you have to be mindful of the communities that you're thrifting in, that you're going into to thrift. And like I said, you don't want to be buying up all of these resources. And so that even comes down to just shopping intentionally. And we're not thrifting to just mass consume. That's not what we're trying to do here. We're still just trying

to be thoughtful about the way we thrift and thrift what we need and what we think will work in our wardrobe. But yeah, going back into those communities and replenishing it through donating the thrift stores, but also donating to like we talked about earlier, like people that do need clothes, I think is an amazing way to kind of like be in the community. I always say like, if you're going to like join the thrift community, like it is a community and you can't just take the resources, you have to give back the resources. Right, pour back into it. And I think having that idea around it and really like thinking of this as like a community you're

stepping into versus just like, oh, I want to thrift because I want cool stuff for cheap and I'm just going to take, take, take. I think when you have that mindset that it is a community, like you're a more intentional shopper and you become a more intentional shopper. And I think that is really helpful for like making sure we're not taking up all of these resources. But like I said, I never want to tell people not to thrift. I like the virtual thrift world is a great place because obviously, like it can be a little bit more expensive. You can still find amazing deals, but like you can find like the fast fashion brands and all that stuff for cheaper that you

want. And that's a great place to go. But I get so hesitant to tell anyone not to thrift, because at the end of the day, I live in a bit of an echo chamber of the thrift community. And so in my mind, like everyone, like everyone thrifts and then I break out of it. And I'm like, oh, wait, like a video of mine will go viral on like the wrong side of Facebook or Instagram or something. And people are just like, this is disgusting. Like, oh, my God used Penny used everything like I can't.

And then it reminds me like, oh, wait, no, oh my god, used Penny, used everything. Like, I can't. And then it reminds me like, oh wait, no, no, no, not enough people are thrifting. And we all actually do need to be in there. But yeah, thinking of it as a community because it is a community and communities only thrive if people are being empathetic, being compassionate, giving as much as they take. I feel like that's what kind of keeps the thrift world moving and grooving no matter like who you are. Toronto. There's another great city that starts with a T. Tampa, Florida. Fly to Tampa on Porter Airlines to see why it's so tea-riffic. On your way there, relax with free beer, wine and snacks snacks, free fast streaming Wi-Fi, and no middle seats. You've never flown to Florida like this before,

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And I'm so excited for you to choose your path to financial independence this year in the 100k club. See you there. I got a lightning round for you. Are you ready? Oh my God. Yes. Okay. Best piece you've ever thrifted. It's so hard and it changes every single day. But right now, like those Mimiu shoes are pretty high up there. But also one of my favorite thrift finds ever are these Roberto Cavalli pants. I'm a Cavalli

girl. They're so expensive on the resale market. And I found a pair at Valley Value Center for literally like, I think it was $10. I'll never get rid of them. They're incredible, perfect condition too. I love it. Best deal you've ever thrifted. Maybe you've already answered this. Yeah, recently this blue like furry jacket I'm hanging here, because I was trying to think about this because honestly, I thrift the deals on the daily. But I was driving past this yard sale in my neighborhood recently. And I live in LA so the yard sales can be very good.

And I saw this blue jacket and I made my boyfriend stop the car, go around. And it ended up being the designer's house. And this is literally a multiple thousand dollar jacket made in Paris that they were just trying to get rid of this stuff that they had from like being the designer of this like French label. Literally $4 $4 $4. And she was just like, Oh, I know you're gonna love it. Like that. I was just like, I never even heard of the brand. And then I like looked it up and I was like, she was like, this is a really cool. I was like, Oh

my god, it is a really good deal. But it was just me seeing it and loving it without even knowing the brand and then finding it. And that's the best part. Wow. Renting clothes, yay or nay? I don't do it, but like, yay, yay, yay, if you're doing it instead of buying new. Like I think newly and like Rent the Runway

and all those places like are incredible. Armoire is local to Seattle. I got to shout them out. They're women of color owned. That's who I use. Yeah. I think they're incredible. I think they're incredible things for people to be doing, especially for like events and stuff. All these new like all like life events that we think we need new shit for and we don't.

For me, I get photographed a lot because I speak and I reuse outfits all the time. And also, you know, every about six months, I'm like, okay, we're going to rent new clothes because I just need I've been photographed in those pants too many times. And it looks like I'm at the same event over and over and over again. That's super circular and super sustainable of you. So like, honestly, like everyone needs to tap into that. Especially people that don't have time to thrift

and like curate for themselves and find things, you know, like that's a great sustainable option. Yep, something you always buy secondhand. Leather and denim, like a hundred percent. Yeah. No one should be buying those things new. Capsule wardrobe, yay or nay. For me, it's a nay,

but that's just because my style goes crazy. So for some people it works, but for me, I need more options. Yeah, it is one of those trends that feels so French cool girl. And I'm like, I wish I was that person. I'm so not that person. I'm not either I'm not either. I will say on vacation, I have kind of become that person because I've been to Europe the past two summers. And last summer, I did it on a carry on it at three weeks. Now we had laundry, but I did three weeks in a carry on. And I literally just it was like four white t shirts, three black pairs of joggers. And that was the outfit. And also like truly, as everybody says, it like takes the guesswork out. But it was the nicest thing. It was like four white t-shirts, three black pairs of joggers. And that was the outfit. And also, like, truly, as everybody says, it like takes the guesswork out.

But it was the nicest thing of just dressing in the morning. Yeah, I wish. Oh, my God, I wish. And like for me, I feel like people get like minimalism and sustainability. Like they think they go very hand in hand, but I am just like such a maximalist. But it's like you can just do it with all you stuff. Yeah, I'll never I'll never be able to get into it. But it is I it's chic, I guess. But like and it's cool. And you can build do it with all you stuff. Yeah, I'll never be able to get into it, but it is... It's chic, I guess.

But like, and it's cool, and you can build one at the thrift store. You can still build your capsule collection, your capsule wardrobe at the thrift store, but for me, it's never happening. Finally, an underrated item you think more people should thrift for. Oh, my gosh. So it'll be a little controversial because it always is when I talk about it, but like bathing suits and like

I'm gonna go a step farther further like dead stock undergarments I can't even tell you the amount of things in the thrift store new with tags that you get online Like I have found so many dead stock Never worn before bathing suits underwear And if when you think about it in the way of like, you go to Target to buy underwear, like you actually like have no idea where that has been either. You have no idea, especially with bathing suits. Like I've been DM'd from followers that work at Target, like the conditions that some people will leave bathing suits and things when they try them on at Target. And then they put it back on the rack and you take it home with

you and you wash it. You do the same thing with your things from the store. And so many of these things aren't used. Like literally my friend gave me for the PR boxes that I sent out for my book. I did like all used things in them and like vintage magazines. And my friend sourced me this like crazy lot of like dead stock, like Y2K Powerpuff Girl thongs, all new with tags, never worn before, literally just sitting in a box. And if they don't get passed out, they're going to go to a landfill eventually. These things exist in the same mass quantities like they do now, and they're just sitting in these places.

And I think people would just be really surprised by the amount of dead stock, never worn things that exist. I'm not saying you need to go all used panties and used bathing suits, but I'm just saying, I think we need to like retrain our brains a little bit to think about like, again, why we think that's so much grosser than the stuff that everyone's trying on at Target and at the mall and then just like putting back on the rack for you to also try on and take home.

Yeah, if you're audio listeners, I had a full on just connection. I saw it, I know a full on just connection. I saw it, I know. But then was also doing the Britney Broski, like once you said, okay, yeah, because you know there's people trying on swimsuits and they're not keeping their underwear on. I've been DM'd, like from, because I'll talk about it and anytime I talk about it, I always know when I make a video like thrifting swimwear, like underwear, like people go crazy.

Yeah. Like all the comments and I get DMs from my followers are like, I work at Target. Like you would just be so surprised by how disgusting what some people are leaving in the fitting rooms that then we have to put back out on the floor and then people buy. So it's really like you just actually never know what's going on with any of your stuff. So you might as well just like get it second hand.

And this stuff I am saying, like you can find a lot of really, really cool, especially swimwear. All my swimwear. I found this like amazing yard sale recently, or it was not recently, it was like a year ago. And this woman like had a swim shop in Miami in the nineties and she had like all this leftover stock. And like, I got all the bathing suits I own now are from this yard sale. I bought like 20 of them all new with tags, never worn before. Where are they going to go if they don't go on my hot little bot in the summer? Where are they going to go? They're going to pile up in a landfill somewhere just because we were too precious to touch them. Well, and really quick, you're saying dead stock. Can you define that for us? Dead stock is pretty much just stuff that was made, but was never sold. Got it. So it's kind of like what you will find at like a Marshall's or like a TJ Maxx

sometimes kind of thing. That was my final question and I lied. Like is TJ Maxx thrifting? I know it's not but like is it closer? It's definitely like stuff that is on its way to the thrift store or the landfill. Because if if TJ Maxx is thrifting I am a I'm a peak thrifter baby. No, and my mom is very like, like she is a Marshalls TJ Maxx woman like Marshalls TJ Maxx home. Yeah, if she's not Salvation Army or American thrift, like she's a TJ Maxx or Marshalls. And that's the other option. My parents go to any TJ Maxx in any city they're in. They're like they fly to New York for a vacation. And they're like, where's the nearest TJ Maxx?

My mom was just in New York with me for my book pub. And we were at TJ Maxx. Like, yeah, like, I need to see what book pub and we were at TJ Maxx, like we have to go. She was like, I need to see what's in the New York city, TJ Maxx, so we had to go. No, literally my parents. And like, I'm like, this is our destination. This is our tourist destination is this TJ Maxx. But like, it's all like overstock stuff

and overflow stuff, stuff, stuff, stuff. So like, you might as well get it there so it doesn't go somewhere else bad. So like, it's not like exactly thrifting, but it's definitely like that in between area between like the tip of like your traditional retailer and the thrift. Macy, this was so great. I learned so much. I am so excited to get out there and be more intentional.

And also I'm usually just a goodwill donator and I'm going to look at like other options, especially like shelters that need clothes because our Goodwill's in a great way are kind of overrun here in Seattle. And so I think my clothes can be going to something else that's better. So that was a great takeaway. Thank you. And especially if you have like those like business clothes, like there's so many like women's shelters for women that like need clothing for job interviews and stuff like

that and like they deserve the cute stuff stuff that we've also been wearing, not just our stuff with tears and rips that are broken. So it's really great to take the good quality pieces to those people because they'll use it right away. Totally. Where can people find your book and more about you? Plug away. My book is Second Chances, The Ultimate Guide to Thriftings, Sustainable Style and Expressing Your Most Authentic Self. Literally came out two days ago on September 24th. Congratulations. You can find it.

Thank you so much, I feel crazy. Anywhere you can find books, you can find it. You can find it at the link on my Instagram, Macy Eleni. I'm on TikTok, Blazed and Glazed. I'm on YouTube, Blazed and Glazed. I'm everywhere talking about thrifting and being your fabulous self all the time. I love it.

Thank you, thanks for being here. Thank you so much to Macy for joining us. You can find her debut book, Second Chances out now, and you can also follow her at Macy Elainey on social media. Thank you so much for being here. As always, Financial Feminist, we appreciate your support of the show. And if you haven't subscribed yet, what you doing?

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