Online curated vintage brand, IT GIRL THRIFT, founded by Emma Scotlan and Rebecca Jahangeri Coleman, hosted a Georgetown pop-up to inspire women to make bold fashion decisions this month. Open from Sept. 22-24, the pop up featured clothing and accessories from vintage and modern designers.
Fashion icons such as Sofia Richie, Bella Hadid, Olivia Rodrigo and Jane Birkin inspired the project, which aims to help women build unique wardrobes.
While thrifting, in general, is a popular activity, IT GIRL THRIFT really stands out because of the variety of clothes that appeal to anyone looking to step up their wardrobe. The location was convenient for people shopping in Georgetown, many of whom just happened to walk by and see the bright pink signs.
Inside, the racks held vintage and secondhand clothing, purses, heels and more, some of which were sourced from Milan and others that were consigned in the D.C. area.
“Vintage fashion was really appealing to me from a marketing angle because there’s a story behind each piece of clothing,” Scotlan said.
Scotlan emphasized the “one of a kind” aspect of thrifting. She explained how she derived inspiration from studying abroad in Milan, where she visited dozens of vintage stores. Scotlan decided to stay in Milan before returning to the D.C. area to finish her degree at George Washington University.
While there is the pre-loved aspect of thrifting, IT GIRL THRIFT manages to display elements of luxury. The racks contain items running anywhere from ten dollars, to upscale items going for a few hundred, ensuring that there is something for everyone.
“We honestly have such a mix because we have fashion coming from all different places,” Scotlan said. “When you’re curating secondhand fashion it is way more accessible for people to shop sustainably, especially if you can keep it at a low price point.”
Thrifting gives people an opportunity to shop sustainably while finding their style. “There’s a lot of clothing in landfills,” Scotlan noted, which is part of why it's so important to encourage people to shop secondhand.
Scotlan said that their target demographic is people who have never thrifted before, for whom “this is their introduction to buying secondhand.” Scotlan explained that thrifting traditionally can be really intimidating because of all of the racks customers need to sift through to find something that speaks to their style. For newcomers, shopping at such a well-organized pop-up that also meets a variety of price points can be a relief.
“I wanna have unique finds and I wanna be colorful and sometimes wear crazy things,” Scotlan said.
Scotlan also said that students who are interested in fashion can reach out via their Instagram page about volunteer opportunities, as well as more fashion inspiration.
This article was edited by Maria Tedesco, Patricia McGee and Abigail Pritchard. Copy editing done by Isabelle Kravis and Luna Jinks.
