Fashion is a personal statement that lets us express ourselves through various garments. But how often do we actually get to show the world our true selves with mass-produced clothes? Styling may help to improve an entire look even consisting of only basics, but there are several other options that may bring some variety to your wardrobe.
Budapest’s gay scene shows a great variety of styles: from boys who look like they’ve just popped out from a boutique’s window to more dramatic looking guys who could have easily come from another planet. As a foreigner in this country I found myself a bit lost in trends and tastes. Fashion and style doesn’t only cover items that only high class society can afford, but a passion that everyone can and in my opinion, should adopt.
When I arrived to Hungary, I realized something quite peculiar: people are not scared to say that a certain item is second hand. Usually among the poshest people from my city second hand is taboo and the existence of places that sell designer items with old clothes is pretty hard to imagine.
Choosing what to wear can be a tough task, but choosing what to buy is even harder. Especially when typical retailers provide you the same three items in five different colors under eight different brand names. Whenever I find myself in this situation, I run to the familiar embrace of grandma clothing, but believe me: I’m a cool granny who makes a treasure hunt out of thrift shopping. From designer items to hand-knit blankets, second-hand shops offer a wide range of pieces that can not only pimp up your closet with a taste of real vintage, but bring in unique garments that no one will ever find in the common stores.
As many things in the world, fashion is recycled. From season to season we get to see the prettiest, most daring and ugliest trends from the past once again, so it’s not unusual to find something fashion forward or trendy in thrift shops. It’s important to underline that even though real treasures can be found, your patience will be tested to its limits as more than 80% of the pieces will either not fit you or they are a simple NOPE.
Several places around the city center offer used items for all tastes and occasions. Shops specialized in vintage clothing are the ones with the most interesting variety. People even go there to look for costumes as the possibilities are huge. These clothes can be used for day-to-day wear as well without being judged.
Even though some really old clothes are sold in these shops, it is worth remembering that they reached that age because they are made of good quality materials and not just one-season fabrics as most retailers manufacture them nowadays. So next time you go shopping and see a retro shirt made in a sweatshop, remember that you can find it in better quality, for better price and with history behind it at a second-hand shop.
Orlando
