Thrift Queen Macy Eleni Shares her Thoughts on Second Chances
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Peeking into Macy Eleni’s wardrobe during our Zoom call, which she took from inside her closet, felt like I was behind-the-scenes of an MTV Cribs episode—except this time, the star of the show was her collection of thrifted gems. From rare preloved pieces to tips on scoring the best secondhand finds, her closet tells the story of years spent curating a wardrobe full of personality, and maybe one too many pairs of Jeffrey Campbell Litas.
With the release of her debut book, Second Chances: The Ultimate Guide to Thrifting, I caught up with the beloved ThriftToker to dive into her writing process, and of course, unearth some exclusive thrifting wisdom. In Second Chances, Macy shares her expert knowledge on building a one-of-a-kind, circular wardrobe. This guide is packed with tips on how to organize your closet, evaluate and repair secondhand pieces, and create a wardrobe that reflects your personal style and embraces sustainability. Macy also brings in other experts to offer diverse perspectives and ensure that everyone, regardless of body type, gender, or ethnicity, can navigate the secondhand fashion world with confidence.
Throughout our chat, Macy’s Virgo energy beamed through—she knows what she’s talking about. Here’s what she had to say.
You’ve been thrifting since you were a teen, how did your early experiences with secondhand shopping shape your personal style and relationship to sustainability?
From as far back as I can remember, fashion has always involved thrifting for me. I found my personal style in the thrift store; I found myself in the thrift store. As a teen, I was plastering magazine pages from Teen Vogue and NYLON all over my walls, really wanting to recreate those looks. The thrift store was a mash of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, with no one telling you what you’re supposed to be doing with any of it. It was the first time I had access to clothing that I liked. I would bring home these trash bags to my mom's basement and play endless hours of dress-up. Those years were where I really started to figure out my style and what I liked.
In college, I started learning about the global climate crisis and how fashion, this thing I'd put on a pedestal my whole life, was one of the biggest contributors to it. Eight years ago, I completely filed for divorce from fast fashion. Once I started seeing clothing as connected to the human beings behind the clothing, it became something I could never unlearn.
In Second Chances, you talk about the “thrill of thrifting.” What are some of the most memorable or unexpected pieces you’ve found while thrifting?
Growing up during the first Indie Sleaze moment, Jeffrey Campbell Litas were huge. Back in 2010, all I wanted was a wooden heel on my foot. A year ago, I found my first pair in the thrift store, and now I can't stop finding them. I have the one with the cutout heel, very Lady Gaga, with spikes, and I found the super massive glittery ones at Goodwill. I also found a Juicy Couture gumball machine at a Savers thrift store. After I found it, I ended up on the podcast of Gela Nash-Taylor, the founder of Juicy Couture, and she became one of the blurbers for my book. It felt like I manifested that into my life.
While writing your book, you spoke with other thrifting experts to learn about their diverse perspectives on secondhand shopping. How has engaging with different voices shaped your view of inclusivity in fashion, and why do you think it’s so important in the secondhand space?
It’s so important. In writing the book, I reflected on two different thrifting experiences I had. The first when I was younger and going to thrift stores with a friend who was bigger than me. I naively found so many things while she got just a piece or two. Fashion has always prioritized thin bodies, which affects what trickles into thrift stores and the secondhand market. Then in 2018, I made a thrifting video with my friend Carrie Dayton, a YouTuber who creates midsize and plus-size thrifting content. We shared perspectives on sizes in vintage stores, but people got mad in the comments. For the book, I interviewed her and my friend Moe Black, a fantastic fashion creator on TikTok. I wanted to share their perspectives.
Second Chances offers tips on how to repair, tailor, and clean thrifted finds. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about preserving and reviving secondhand pieces?
Every time I go to the thrift store with my sister and we find a piece and bring it back from the dead, so to speak, and give it an actual second chance, I get chills because this garment is gonna get this chance to live a whole different life. It would've just been in the landfill otherwise. If we can take these tiny steps to tweak things, we shouldn't just throw them out because there's a stain or a snag.
My sister and I started this thing where, in the past, if I got an opportunity or brand deal, I would celebrate by getting myself something secondhand. Now we have a bucket for when I hit a milestone. It’s full of my designer shoes that need cobbling and things that need fixing. The treat is taking my Prada shoes to get cobbled.
Your TikTok content has introduced so many people to the joys of secondhand shopping. How do you think social media has transformed the way people view thrifting and sustainable fashion?
When I was in high school, we didn't have a ton of social media, and all the girls at my school thought thrifting was gross. I get DMs from young followers saying, “I really want to thrift, but my mom said it will make people think we’re poor.” There are all these preconceived classist notions from our parents and grandparents. I feel like presenting thrifting in a way that aligns with how people digest typical fashion content has made it look more attractive and fun. Having voices showing younger people that this is actually cool is important. It’s not just cool because the clothes are stylish; it’s cool because you're not harming other human beings. You’re usually pouring money into local and small businesses and low-income people selling things at markets. It’s actually a beautiful thing.
For someone just starting out on their thrifting journey, what would be your top three tips for finding great pieces and building a circular wardrobe?
For someone just starting their thrifting journey, I would say:
Create a vision board: Make your vision board your manifestation board. Put everything that you like on it: your vibes, brands, people on Instagram, celebrities. I like to use Pinterest to create boards by season. Take yourself off of the retail websites and put yourself into a place like Pinterest where you can visualize what you actually like.
Utilize online thrifting: Really utilize the online thrift world. Take stock of the brands that you do like to wear and look up those brands and those styles on Poshmark, ThredUp, Depop, and others so you don't have to go from wearing these pieces that you like that are fast fashion to like 80s and 90s stuff that you find at the thrift. You can find it all on the secondhand market.
Immerse yourself in thrifting: Whether that's going to the thrift once a week or hitting up a yard sale down the street from you, you will just be amazed at the things that you can find in your neighbor's grandma's backyard. The craziest, craziest things.
Get your copy of Second Chances: The Ultimate Guide to Thrifting through our pals at Bookshop.
