"IT LETS ME SEE A DIFFERENT SIDE OF MYSELF"
FROM OCTOBER 2022 ISSUE OF WEST END PHOENIX
MARKO MATESA (he/him) and SARAH CONSOLI (she/her)
“Marko’s cowboy boots, pants, and technically his car, were thrifted – the boots from Value Village and the car off Kijiji. It’s special to him because it is so far removed from what a modern car is today. My pants and leather jacket came from Value Village as well as a local thrift store in my hometown. I love the brown and black leather combination. Thrifting is something we love to do together since we started dating.”
For a class portraiture assignment at Sheridan College last year, Sabrina Sisco posted a call on their personal Instagram page asking for volunteers willing to meet locally for brief, outdoor shoots, “self-styled in their favourite thrift store find.”
A mix of friends, acquaintances and strangers – all “non-models, all creative types” – answered the call. Thrifting made sense during the pandemic, not only because it was economical and ecologically sustainable, but for more imaginative reasons: It was a pursuit of “pleasure, connection and self-expression,” as Sisco saw it, during a time of intense anxiety and isolation. Thrifting is a journey that one can undertake close to home, a character-building “choose your own adventure” that requires patience, luck and perseverance. It’s also an activity that raises questions for which there are no definitive answers. Who else wore the item? Where? How many times has it changed hands, bodies? Remnants of personal history remain, ghosting a jean jacket, a pair of shoes, a shirt. In what she smilingly calls “low-budget fashion photography,” Sisco, herself a thrifter, strived to convey the joy in the successful search and rescue and the pride in self-presentation. Here, the subjects in Sisco’s “The Thrift Series” tell us how wearing their favourite second-hand item makes them feel, alongside photos that convey a primal need to be seen and to be celebrated.
KAZ (he/they)
“In this photo, I’m rocking a turtleneck sweater, a grandma blazer with shoulder pads, my trusty green joggers and low- top Doc Martens. What I love the most about these thrifted pieces is how bold they are. It brings me so much confidence – enough for the average audience member to do a double take. Outfits like these remind me that it’s okay to break conventions. The clothes you wear can be a powerful form of self-expression, and exist solely for you to be the person you want to be when you’re wearing them.”
ANNIKA TUPPER (she/they)
“I thrifted this oversized blue corduroy shirt in Toronto during my first year of college. It was quite the splurge when I got it at the time – $50 is a lot for a college student – but my god, was it worth it. It’s one of the coziest tops I own and has followed me many places. She has some rips and tears that I’ve fixed here and there, but no matter what, she’ll be with me everywhere.”
EM SCHUSTER (they/them)
“Thrifting has been a big part of my life ever since I was in junior high; it’s what my family and I could afford. I’ve learned to develop a knowledge of where to find cool clothes that I love in my price range. It’s also interesting to see the weird things people have had in their lives. Here I’m wearing my thrifted cowboy hat and faux fur jacket. As a prairie-born they/them, I love all things western. And I always gravitate toward jackets. I love interesting and comfy ones that will not only keep me warm during Ontario winters but that also make me feel like myself.”
CASEY, right (they/them)
IMOGEN LISTER, left (they/she)
“Everything I’m wearing here was thrifted. The green shirt was from a small shop in Kitchener, the green shorts from some curated thrift store in Toronto, and the brown jacket from Black Market. I love the shirt because the collar is really special and I love that the older women at work will say that they used to wear the same thing.”
MAYA ISRAR (she/her)
“I was out and about downtown one day with friends for brunch and I accidentally spilled a latte all over myself and needed something to change into. I Googled the closest thrift shop to me and discovered Stella Luna. It was such a cute vintage store, and that’s where I stumbled upon this high-neck striped tee. At the time I felt so embarrassed about the spill, but this turned into a core memory for me and my girls because we’d never gone thrifting before and we ended up having so much fun in there. It was just one of those spontaneous, unforgettable days.”
JAHNELLE JONES (she/her)
“I’m wearing a thrifted button-down shirt with thrifted dress pants and Blundstones. I found the shirt when I was 17 at a Value Village on half-price day for $2! I love its patterns and colours. It just makes me happy and I wear it on days when I’m not afraid of standing out.”
KRISTINA (she/her)
“I found my shoes and skirt at Value Village and my mom’s closet. The skirt is one of my favourites because it’s a full button down and looks classy and cute, like me. Lol – my modesty.”
GARETH DAVIES (he/him)
“My green Danier leather jacket is thrifted; it was from Talize in 2020! From the moment I put it on, it was a perfect fit and let me see a different, more rebellious side of myself. Whenever I wear it, I feel like I am unstoppable.”
DANIELLA M.G (she/her)
“I purchased this black turtleneck and jean jacket from my local Value Village. I absolutely loved the jacket and the flower details on it when I first laid my eyes on it. It just gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.”
COURTNEY METHNER, left (she/her)
“Both my jeans and shirt were thrifted in the first place, then handed down to me – the jeans by my brother and the shirt by Kiveli. I love how a thrifted outfit gives me courage and influences me to find inspiring articles of clothing that will make me feel my best.”
KIVELI MADENTZIDIS (she/her)
“This tank top and maroon shirt are thrifted from Value Village, but the skirt was brand new. For me, thrifting is a form of art. With each piece I thrift I find a new way to express my style. I can create new outfits that in their own way are like a unique piece of art.”