In a world where being more conscious of our fashion choices and being environmentally sustainable is key, dressing like our grandparents could be the answer we’ve been looking for.
Welcome to the Era of the “Grandmillennial”. Starting off as an interior design trend in early 2019. The “Grandmillennial” trend saw millennials styling their apartments and homes like their grandparent’s homes, filled with embroidered linens, vintage crockery and vintage-inspired artworks the list goes on. This design trend was a huge hit on Instagram feeds and Pinterest boards.
So, it is no surprise that this movement has now made its way into fashion, both on and off the runway. With the use of social platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok, millennials are sharing their experiences and techniques to thrift and re-use clothing. Now with the introduction of online thrift stores like Depop, Grailed and others, it has now become more accessible to all and has broadened the already large trend.
Millennials have always had a love for thrifting and second-hand fashion. The thrill of looking through racks of clothing to find hidden treasures has always and continues to entice millennials. According to ThredUp’s 2019 Fashion Resale Report, surprisingly shows that the younger generations are leading this charge, with “millennials adopting second-hand 2.5x faster than other age groups”.
This movement sees young people wearing thrifted or nostalgic family pieces and taking inspiration from their grandparents or older family members. Pairing upcycled jackets and vintage jewellery passed down through the family. Matching sweaters with crocheted tops or patterned shirts. Even rocking vibrant oversize suiting with thrifted fitted pieces or throwing on a vintage fluffy coat or knitted Jumper before grabbing a coffee. Our grandparents are so proud!
Avid vintage shopper Bayley Reed say’s “I definitely would say I consider myself a grandmillennial … I love to go vintage shopping”
Millennials have always had an interest in suitability and climate change and in recent years we have seen action from younger generations for fashion labels to become more ethical and sustainable. ThredUp’s report found that “74% of 18-29 year olds prefer to buy from sustainably conscious brands”.
Troy Anthony says he wouldn’t consider himself a grand millennial. “Even though I go vintage shopping, I don’t look for clothing from a certain era I just choose something I like for my personal aesthetics”. He continues to say that
“Its good that were not consistently buying new pieces of fast fashion thus wasting less resources such as water on clothing that is only going to be worn once its more sustainable using clothing that’s already been made”
Macklemore said it best in his 2012 song “thrift shop” when he said “I wear your granddad’s clothes … I look incredible”. Many Style bloggers and Instagramers are doing this by filling their feeds with Thrifted inspirations and outfits.
Thrift shopper Emily Ph is always on the lookout for outfit inspirations. “My favourite fashion blogger is Freddy, Her YouTube channel called freddymylove is amazing”
“She does several challenges of thrift shopping clothes and styling them to suit her vibe and I like her as she knows how to style things elegantly, even when they’re second-hand,” Emily said.
In our digital world, many of us are searching for things that make us individual and separate us from the basic copy and paste culture online and Thrifting could be the answer. Thrift shopping allows us to express ourselves in a way that won’t hurt the bank or the planet. Its a win win!
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