Have you ever walked into a thrift store and only found clothing items that were dated? Caitlin Trantham, a 33-year-old mom-of-three and military spouse, sees beyond what’s in front of her and transforms outdated clothing into trendy new pieces.
A vintage fashion lover, Trantham was tired of spending lots of money for one-of-a-kind items and having to sift through thrift shops to find them, so she did what any crafty person would do and started making her own clothes.
She’s been sewing for almost seven years, but she was especially motivated to pursue her passion when she was stuck at home during quarantine. “I just started really experimenting with clothing this year! When quarantine hit, I had a ton of time to practice and make a bunch of projects,” she told Bored Panda.
Trantham was drawn to thrifting as a way to save money and to help the environment. She also just loves the thrill of finding amazing pieces. She limits her spending to $10 on an item and luckily, the dresses at her local Goodwill in Jacksonville, North Carolina range from four to six dollars and the skirts are only three dollars. At her local Salvation Army, the items are a bit more expensive so that’s when she limits herself.
So what does she lookout for when thrifting? “Embroidery, a fun vintage print, embellishments or anything else that could make a garment special,” she explained. “Then, I analyze the material — am I going to be able to manipulate this? Is it going to fight me? The last thing I look at is closures: buttons and zippers, all that stuff. I need to make sure they can be moved or altered to fit my ideas.”
