Pitt students lined up outside the O’Hara Student Center ballroom to celebrate Thriftsburgh’s 10-year anniversary on Friday, March 14. Various vendors and sustainability student organizations assisted with the festivities. The oldest vintage shop on Pitt’s campus, which has a regular, student-run storefront in the O’Hara Student Center, focuses on spreading a culture of sustainability through reusing clothing and preventing unnecessary waste.
Students started bustling into the O’Hara ballroom right at noon. In the center of the room was the $1 item sale, where students could buy an item for $1 or fill up a small bag for $5. Thriftsburgh had a variety of vintage clothing vendors displaying racks of thrifted Pittsburgh sports gear, one of the rare sources of Pitt’s old blue-and-gold merch. Other Pitt sustainability programs had tables and sections at the event, such as Plant 2 Plate Urban Garden, Pitt Pantry and Pitt Ecoreps. Thriftsburgh also had various arts and crafts stations where students could make bracelets and create birthday art for Thriftsburgh reaching double digits. A DJ and free cupcakes completed the celebration.
Thriftsburgh is a Pitt program that operates within the Pitt Student Office of Sustainability (SOOS). With organizations like Pitt Pantry and Pitt Green Team, SOOS aims to create a healthier and more environmentally friendly Oakland. SOOS supports many clubs and organizations on Pitt’s campus, working with them on goal setting and practical planning to inspire a sustainable future. Through SOOS, Pitt was recognized as a Princeton Review Green School and highly ranked in sustainability among universities.
Bella Emmanouilides, a junior sociology major, is the outreach coordinator and social media manager for Thriftsburgh. Emmanouilides, who has worked with the store for almost two years, raved about the culture that Thriftsburgh and SOOS are cultivating on Pitt’s campus.
“It’s really great to see this cycle of sustainability and of community,” Emmanouilides said.
Thriftsburgh operates mainly off of student donations. Students are able to drop off clothes, shoes and accessories in return for store credit to use at Thriftsburgh. All clothes are set at $10 or less, encouraging students to shop second-hand rather than spend large amounts of money on fast fashion. Thriftsburgh receives a variety of clothes through its donations, with the majority consisting of women’s clothing. However, the store is always looking to expand its repertoire.
“We do get a lot of women’s clothing donated, but we want [Thriftsburgh] to be a resource for everybody,” Emmanouilidies said. “I’m trying to incentivize men to get in the store and shift it into gender neutral.”
The vendors were the highlight of the event. Mickey’s Vintage, Retroltz and Nathanbthrift all featured racks of Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and Pitt clothing. Marked-down vintage expos often grace Pitt’s Oakland campus, drawing large crowds of students looking for cheap and trendy Pitt clothes. Logan McKito, the owner of Mickey’s Vintage, thrifts and trades for all of his products, selling them on Depop, Instagram and other vintage events hosted around the city.
“I hate when people buy on SHEIN because you can go to a thrift store and find much cooler items for so much cheaper,” McKito said. “Overall, it’s helping the planet, and you can find better stuff.”
Plant 2 Plate was one of the sustainability programs with a booth at Thriftsburgh’s Birthday Bash. The organization operates a community garden across from Bouquet Gardens in South Oakland and focuses on the availability of fresh, organic produce for students. Plant 2 Plate works in collaboration with Pitt Pantry and other programs on campus to donate all the produce to students.
Thriftsburgh’s birthday bash also featured small businesses run by Pitt students. Sookie Joseph, a senior social work major, runs a crochet business, making everything from tops and skirts to tote bags and other accessories. She started crocheting during COVID-19 and selling her handmade items at different markets around Pittsburgh. Joseph enjoyed her first time working with Thriftsburgh and appreciated their celebration of sustainable practices.
“I really like Thriftsburgh because it gives students an opportunity to get cheaper clothing that’s sustainable and not super expensive,” Joseph said.
Thriftsburgh’s 10th anniversary had students filing in and out throughout the sunny afternoon, taking glances around the ballroom and reveling in the event. The racks and tables of clothes slowly dissipated as satiated customers came and went.
“I’m so happy to see this. [Thriftsburgh] started as an individual project in a sustainability class and turned into a storefront with loyal supporters and just a great place to shop,” Emmanouilidies said.