Wildcat Thrift Shop
Courtesy of Emily Jaenicke
Written By: Natalie Ladino
We’ve all seen the posters with “WILDCAT THRIFT SHOP” on dorm doors, Bartley, Conn, and Pit; but, what exactly is it? The Wildcat Thrift Shop will be held on Friday, April 8, 2022, from 2 pm-5 pm. Founded by Emily Jaenicke, this event encompasses sustainability, student organizations, and unique clothing into one, three-hour gathering. Emily Jaenicke is a senior who, last year, had the idea of students selling to students. The USC flea market skyrocketed on Tiktok and Emily asked herself “Why can’t students sell clothing to students?” From here, she began her journey to create a collaborative and sustainability-driven event. Emily worked with Liesel Schwartz, the Villanova Sustainability Manager, in order to have everything approved by the school. With Leisel’s assistance, Emily constructed the Wildcat Thrift Shop that ran last semester and this upcoming Friday.
Last semester’s event brought 22 tables made up of student organizations – such as Villanova Vintage and Kappa Kappa Gamma – and individuals who wanted to sell their own clothing. The event has clothing ranging from trendy graphic or vintage tees to funky pants and skirts from NastyGal and Urban Outfitters. There is definitely something for everyone. Emily believes that “the way it has been created is meant for anyone to participate in it”; even if clothing does not sell, tables have the opportunity to donate the rest of the clothes to an organization in need with the help of Catholic Relief Services Student Ambassadors. At the core of the event is sustainability and how easy it is to get involved.
Contrary to public media, sustainability is something everyone can get involved in at the easiest level. We should support people for trying to do the best they can and not punish people for not tackling the entire issue of climate change. The Wildcat Thrift Shop is one medium for students to experience the ease of sustainability. Simply by buying used clothing from other students, we remove major logistics that hinder bigger clothing companies. Right under the Driscoll tents, we remove shipping costs, reliability concerns, and size worries. In this tight-knit community, we are able to physically look at clothing in person and remove the distress of material, size, color, and all possible factors we usually use when we shop. To be sustainable does not mean we have to be a sustainability major or understand material science; at the end of the day, if you buy reused clothing or buy clothing with the intention of keeping it for a long time then you are already being sustainable. Emily imagines sustainability as “a community everyone should be a part of” where “people with an interest in business or fashion can get involved”. Sustainability is one of the aspects that makes this event meaningful and impactful to our community.
In Emily’s words, “it’s just your peers; people there are just as excited or scared to do what you are doing right now”. When everything goes well on Friday, April 8, this will continue to happen at Villanova and potentially inspire other college campuses, too. In business, circularity and profit are very important. With the Wildcat Thrift Shop, students can make a profit from selling their clothing at a minimal price and also demonstrate how easy sustainability is. This is an event that attracts every kind of student. Overall, who doesn’t want trendy and unique clothing for a cheaper price than retail and also being sustainable? Now, that’s student sustainability if I’ve ever seen it. Pick something up Friday, April 8, 2022, from 2 pm- 5pm under the Driscoll tents at the Wildcat Thrift Shop. Remember, in Emily’s words, “The worst thing that's going to happen is you’re gonna get a cheap skirt you’ll really enjoy”.
