For some, wellness is meditation, movement, or reposting inspirational quotes on their Instagram story. For others, wellness can be a healthy dose of retail therapy.
On April 24, the Wellness Peer Advocates (WPAs) hosted a free pop up thrift event in the University Commons open to all students to come and peruse racks of clothing. Event attendees could browse and take home any items they liked at no charge.
“At this point in the semester, sometimes people just need some free retail and to get out there, hang out with friends, and look at clothes,” Briana Martinez, an event attendee, said. “That’s what I’m doing here today, it’s a nice break from the day.”
WPAs brought in tubs and baskets full of clothes donated by other students and left over from prior clothing events such as the Fast Fashion class’s Fall pop up thrift and Laundry Day Relays which was also hosted by WPAs.
“We help organize events similar to this, to educate and to create a wellness environment on campus,” Leah Flint, a WPA and event organizer, said.
WPAs work directly under Millikin’s Wellness Coach, Ecila Deransburg-Cook, and offer services on campus to promote the eight sectors of wellness: emotional, occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, physical, social, and spiritual.
“I think it hits a couple of sectors. This is a really good social wellness event because it’s letting people get out in the community and meet each other and bond over clothing,” Flint said. “Even more than that, it’s an environmental wellness event because all of these clothes are secondhand and we’re keeping them out of landfills and giving them to new homes.”
All of those who attended had their own intentions for the clothing. Some went to find clothes to wear to work or just pieces they could wear around campus. Others imagined more creative purposes for the clothing.
“I have a lot of DIY project ideas in mind. An event where stuff is free is really helpful because then I have a lot of stuff I can work with to make things,” Laura Switzer, an event attendee, said. “In the past, I’ve painted or bleached clothes, but coming soon, I’m releasing music. I’m thinking about sewing and painting things to make merch for myself.”
The event was also a good opportunity for those involved in theater to gather materials to be used as costumes for productions.
“It saves the bank, especially in this economy. I’m part of the theater program so we have shows we thrift for and saving this money helps us pay for dinner or have a little bit more grocery money,” Martinez said. “I think it’s really important to have free events like this on campus.”
Thrifting is more than just shopping, it can be part of the creative process and a tool to discover individual style preferences. It has become an economic means of finding unique fashion pieces and sometimes upcycling them to become a one-of-a-kind design.
“I love that you can turn anything into what you want it to be. It’s helped me grow my imagination with my style. I think it’s really cool that it’s recycling things that other people didn’t want,” Switzer said.
The pop up event left attendees beaming with excitement for their newest hauls. They took turns showing each other their thrifted treasures and sharing their plans for styling the pieces. If the goal was to promote wellness, the smiles and excitement of students served as evidence of its success.
“The most rewarding part of events like this is seeing how happy the clothing makes people and seeing them light up when they find something that speaks to them,” Flint said. “I know clothing isn’t always super accessible or affordable, so being able to give people clothes for free is a really cool experience.”
For more information on events hosted by the WPAs, visit their Instagram page wpa_millikin. Their next event will be around finals week to help manage the stress that time of year can bring.
