Don't give up — your perfect thrift shop find is out there.
A Redditor shared their "white whale" — a Moby Dick reference used by thrifters to refer to their most desired item — thrift find to r/ThriftStoreHauls.
"Already found my white whale - the famous strawberry dress by Lirika Matoshi for 60$," the user wrote. "I found this about one year ago. I always dreamed about owning this dress but could never afford the 500$ price tag. I then found it at a thrift store, the original dress and immediately bought it. I'm still so, so happy with it."
The Redditor attached several photos of the stunning strawberry dress, which is available for $490 on Lirika Matoshi's website. The dress went viral in 2020, and Matoshi eventually released an entire fruit basket of dresses: blueberries, bananas, lemons, watermelons, and more.
$500 is quite the price tag, and this lucky Redditor saved hundreds on the gorgeous gown.
Donating your used clothing allows another person to find the dress of their dreams and prevents the item from reaching an early demise in the landfill. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, over 30 billion pounds of clothing waste is generated every year. Only a small amount — 14.7% — is recycled, with 66% of textiles landfilled.
Most of these items have prematurely met their end. Earth Org reported that while clothing production has doubled, the amount of times a garment is worn before it is thrown out has decreased. This means we are making, selling, and buying more clothes than ever before but wearing them even less.
Fast fashion is a problem. Trends come and go, but textiles in landfills can take hundreds of years to decompose, says clothing company Jackalo.
To reduce textile waste, consumers can donate to and shop at thrift stores, repair clothing, and upcycle. Bring your old clothing to Goodwill, or consider a trade-in program like ThredUp. Try some simple embroidery over little holes in your sweaters. Cut up old t-shirts for eco-friendly and reusable Swiffer refills. These tiny tricks are great ways to change the way you get rid of your old stuff.
Commenters were happy the user found her white whale — and a bit jealous, too.
"I have been obsessed with this dress for so long," one user said. "Awesome for you!"
"I'd be happy for you but honestly I'm so full of jealousy right now that's all I can feel," another said.
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