Manya Goel, 18, recently completed high school from Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Ghaziabad, stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her messy bun, chunky specs on, white tee tucked into her slim-fit denim, all set for the ultimate mission: college shopping. “I have it all figured out,” she announced, eyes glittering with hope. “Janpath, Sarojini, or maybe even Chandni Chowk, time to raid flea market.”

All these thoughts of thrift shopping, started with, the shirt. A Zara masterpiece, wide collar, tiny motifs, it screamed effortless chic. And, of course, labelled new arrival with Rs. 4,000 price tag. She stared at it for complete ten minutes, put it back, walked away, circled back, and sighed dramatically.

Cut to her standing in the checkout line. ‘It’s fine, it’s an investment’, she convinced herself. But as she reached the cash counter, her wallet suddenly felt ten times heavier. Rs. 4,000? For one shirt? Her brain cells were like ‘Girl, be serious’. But the heart? It was screaming, yes.

Then, as the cashier said the total, panic set in. Her muscles twitched, pink notes of Rs. 2,000 felt like bricks. She leaned in, whispering, “Umm… cancel the order?” Then she ran out of the store- Phew. Piggy bank: saved.

The Shirt, lingered in her mind. But one day while casually scrolling through Instagram, she came across Rachel Dcruz’s, an Indian fashion influencer, latest thrift haul video. And to Manya’s surprise, she was holding same shirt. For Rs.600. She flipped her phone. Stared the reel for a while. “Excuse me?”

That was the turning point. The search history transformed, ‘best thrift stores in Delhi,’ ‘best shops in Sarojini”, ‘dupes that will save my bank account.’ She dived into more thrift related content, bookmarked reels, and made a full-blown shopping map.

From almost spending Rs. 4,000 on one shirt to planning an entire closet in the same budget, she cracked the code. “Luxury isn’t off the table,” she admitted, “but if I can get more variety and stay within budget? That’s just smart shopping.”

Also at the end of the day, style isn’t about price tags— it’s about how well you play the game.And if that wasn’t enough, her shopping buddy, Suhani Gupta, 23, Masters student of Fashion Communication, Pearl Academy, Delhi, added another solid reason to thrift, “Not just that, it is actually good for the environment too!” she said, “Buying something with the mindset that it can be reused? That’s a win for Mother Earth.”

It is about giving fashion a second life, what started as a budget-friendly shopping hack turned into something bigger. A mindset. A way to flex and make a difference. Because let’s be real, if looking good and doing good can go hand in hand, why wouldn’t Gen Z choose thrift over malls?