by Amanda Horne
Assistant professor of communications Ann McNellis discovered her love of thrifting during high school, when her aunt introduced her to antiques.
“She had an antique booth set up in northeast Oklahoma — several of them,” McNellis said.
“She taught me what to look for and then took me to my first auction and taught me how to bid on an item.”
McNellis is not alone in her love of secondhand treasures.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, sales at used-merchandise stores increased by about 65% between 2012 and 2022.
Whether motivated by trends, sustainability or tighter budgets, Americans have demonstrated a growing appreciation for thrift shopping.
“I would say 70% of all my clothes are thrifted or gifted,” said OBU student Grace Lee, who has thrifted around the world.
“The clothes I get the most compliments on are thrifted, and the clothes I always compliment people on are thrifted.”
McNellis’ outfits have also attracted attention.
Whether she wears a pop of color, a playful pattern or a fit-and-flare silhouette, students take notice.
“They’re always so cute and stylish, and I wish I had her sense of fashion,” OBU student Eliana Berger said.
Although McNellis first expressed her love of thrifting through furniture, a New Year’s resolution brought her hobby into her closet.
“On New Year’s, I decided I was going to try to do the whole year, except for my birthday month, and thrift everything — clothes or anything like that,” McNellis said.
“I actually have a wedding I’m going to on Friday, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a challenge.’ But I found something at an online thrift store. We’ll see how it looks all together.”
For people who struggle to pair thrifted items or envision how a piece might work, McNellis offered a word of advice.
“I think just figuring out your own style is probably the thing,” she said.
“You have to get the confidence of saying, ‘This is what I like, and this is what I think looks good on me, and I’m just going to do it.’”
For some shoppers, the struggle is finding anything at all.
It can be easy to enter a store searching only for a particular shirt or pair of shoes. McNellis suggested shifting the focus to an item’s quality and material.
“I’ve been really into looking at the fabric,” she said.
“If it’s 100% cotton or linen or wool, I try to go with those instead of polyester or acrylic.”
McNellis emphasized that she wants her yearlong challenge to be viewed for what it is: a fun activity.
“I enjoy it, but it is just a hobby,” she said.
“I always think it’s way more important what’s inside than what’s on the outside, which I try to tell my own children and my own girls as they develop their own fashion sense.”
Whether they thrift as part of a personal challenge, an everyday hobby or an effort to stay within their budgets, shoppers can follow McNellis’ advice: Look for quality, develop a personal style and have the confidence to wear what they love.
Photo credit: Photos provided by communications professor Ann McNellis.
Left: McNellis and her husband, Russ.
Below: McNellis and husband with children Maggie, Lilah and Scott
