Stella Valentino sees a blank slate when she looks at the plain, white, Hanes tank top in front of her. She views basics as opportunities to show off the more eye-catching pieces in her wardrobe. Those eye-catching pieces consist of interesting combinations of textures, patterns and fabrics, all from the thrift store. Since eighth grade, Valentino has been avidly thrifting. She now finds that her best pieces in her closet came from the thrift store.
“I like to think that they've got a history behind them, and they're just more authentic,” Valentino said. “You weren't looking for this specific thing, but you happened upon it and now, it's your favorite thing ever.”
However, Valentino didn’t always love what was on her hangers. When she first started thrifting, she would look for the trendiest items, or the big brand names without considering whether or not she really liked the item. She looked in her closet during quarantine, thought to herself “This isn’t me,” and started to get rid of things.
“Sophomore year, my style was very much a plain tank top, jeans, maybe a belt, maybe a necklace, maybe,” Valentino said. “I would match with my best friend a lot, because we would wear the same thing, and it started to get embarrassing. I was like ‘This is really weird. Why are we wearing the same thing all the time?’ And I realized it's because we do not have unique styles at all.”
As the years have gone by, Valentino has opened her mind to more eccentric items. Quarantine allowed her to experiment and branch out more. Specifically through thrifting, she used a trial and error method, buying things that stuck out to her and then redonating what didn’t work. She has honed in on the retro style she wears today. There is no one way to gauge someone’s thrifting abilities, but Valentino considers herself to be pretty good.
“I'm always looking for something that's comfortable, but still makes me feel unique,” Valentino said. “Which, I think is a big part of why I love thrifting so much because not everybody will have that thing I'm wearing. I mean my style is not revolutionary by any means, but it's still mine.”
Valentino channels her creative energy into her fashion sense. She sees it as a more accessible way to express herself, and has since middle school. Being able to present part of her personality to strangers passing by, and being able to change that perception with different clothing items is what makes her so invested in her style.
On this day, Valentino chose brown, low-waisted, corduroy pants and a floral, patchwork, button up to go with the white tank top. Both items from the thrift store come together to make her summer to fall transition outfit.
“I don't know how I was able to find [this shirt] because it's really amazing,” Valentino said. “I love it so much. Even down to the buttons, they’re so pretty and beautiful. I think the pieces really mesh well together. It’s not fully fall yet and I think the colors in the shirt are reflective of that.”
Valentino completes her outfit by accessorizing. Over her three base necklaces that she rarely removes, she adds an adjustable double-chain and human shaped dangle earrings. Both additions are silver, her preferred jewelry color.
Credits:
Photos by Grace Wang