3 Models of Thrifty Sustainability

Photos by Dominique Taylor

If reducing, reusing and recycling are key ingredients for sustainability, thrifting would intuitively reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. But what difference does it truly make? How can we best develop our style and express ourselves through this artform while also being conscientious of climate change and our communities?

Holy Toledo, a boutique consignment shop in Vail Valley; Algorythm, a zero-manufacturing clothing label in Eagle-Vail that redesigns existing garments; and the Second Chance Thrift Shops in Ridgway and Telluride, which partner with the Humane Society, all exude inspiration with their innovative business models. Organizations like these help combat fast-fashion, one of the world’s largest polluters.

Mainstream stores including H&M, Zara and TopShop sacrifice ethical manufacturing practices for cheaper clothes and shorter trend cycles. Although the industry’s precise footprint cannot be measured, issues arise in water use, chemical pollution, carbon emissions, textile waste and unjust and dangerous working conditions. A study published by Nature Reviews Earth and the Environment in 2020 estimated that the industry produces more than 92 million tons of waste per year and consumes more than 79 trillion liters of water per year. Thankfully, we have other options.

The high-end thrift shop Holy Toledo resells current labels from all over the world. Heather and Eric Schultz opened the boutique in 2002. They have built a global network of consigners who collectively send the store up to 200 pieces a day, Monday through Thursday. Initially, thrifting appealed to Heather when she was in college and wanted nice things without paying full prices. She has since learned an additional benefit of secondhand shopping: boycotting the use of another 800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton for one new pair of jeans. The Schultz’s business not only raises awareness around recycling and reusing, but it also helps eliminate stigma around buying clothes with a prior life.

Crys Shannon, the founder and owner of Algorthym, discovered her brand’s motivation after working in L.A. and discovering the off-price market — the absurd excess of new clothes that float around warehouses and factories because they were overproduced to begin with or went out of “season” and can no longer be sold. Shannon is able to buy from this collection at low prices and redesign the pieces with her own playful, futuristic, galactic and geometric aesthetic. Shannon illuminates the importance of extending a product’s lifecycle with the reminder that even garments made from recycled materials have to go through manufacturing. Shannon’s business is neither creating more nor throwing anything away. Plus, it encourages creativity! Shannon loves to inspire others with workshops like “Design Your Own Hoodie.”

The Second Chance Thrift Stores, which sell furniture and other items in addition to clothes, provide an opportunity for people to recycle and reuse, are partially solar-powered and support the organization’s animal shelters. In fact, 70% of the nonprofit’s revenue comes from the shops. Second Chance also acts as a significant source for local employment and volunteer opportunities and offers programs and events to affordably train, treat and strengthen relationships with pets so they can stay in homes.

Lynda Burns, manager of the Ridgway location, has been with the organization longer than any other employee. She began as a volunteer after retiring from being a nurse. She reflects, “People are amazingly generous and it’s because of that we’ve been able to be so supportive of our shelters. I didn’t anticipate staying this long, and now I can’t imagine leaving!”

Kelly Goodin, the executive director who has been with Second Chance for almost as long, transitioned towards animals after burning out on social work. She describes working with the nonprofit as, “fulfilling, inspiring, overwhelming, rewarding, challenging and very healing. Exactly what I needed.” The unexpected model that works so well for this organization started as a group of forward-thinking, animal-loving volunteers. They opened the Ridgway store in 1998. In 2004 the first shelter opened, and soon after came the second store in Telluride. “Our thrift stores truly do serve as a major hub in our tri-county area for recycling/reusing a huge amount of varied goods, while saving animals’ lives in the meantime.”

The ways of fast-fashion are nowhere near the only methods to make, find, wear and share clothes. Hopefully these aspirational community members have inspired you to get creative with your style, minimize your impact, support local shops and maybe even start a non-conventional business of your own.

Originally published in the Summer 2021 issue.