In a world that no longer promotes consumerism with the same zest that it used to, more and more people are ripping the price tags from their sleeves and starting to wear who they truly are or want to be. Forget about the designer, forget about the label, forget about the money spent. The trend has shifted, and now it’s about focusing more on the value of expression rather than materialism.

It’s not about “I SPENT ’X’ AMOUNT OF DOLLARS ON THIS AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW”, it’s about “LOOK WHAT I JUST DUG OUT OF THE 40 PERCENT OFF RACK AT FAMILY THRIFT”.

Don’t get me wrong, I love high waisted American Apparel shorts just as much as the next girl, but am I really willing to pay $60 plus tax on a piece of denim that covers one-fourth of my leg? Luckily, a lazy Sunday afternoon at Goodwill filled my denim void. Scanning the rows of shades of blue and navy I came across my own little pot of gold beneath the rainbow. A pair of high waisted 505 CT Levis’ laid resting in my hands. The scuffs, rips and fading marks that made up my new found mom jeans gave me something that my envied American Apparel jeans could never give me, character.

They were the kind of jeans that made you want to throw your hair up in a ponytail, put on your high tops and blast eighties pop ballads from your car window. The only thing better than that: I picked up my new vintage babes for $6.99 from my local thrift shop.

In almost every conversation I stumbled upon I wanted to scream and brag at the top of my lungs that I didn’t give up everything I had in my wallet to get a super chic and trendy style. But I’m not the only one who prowls every retail and consignment store in sight with high hopes of finding a good deal. Thanks to companies like H&M and Forever 21, which have increased the popularity of mass production, people are getting more bang for their buck. Savvy shoppers are refraining from spending their two-week paychecks made in grease-filled kitchens on a single clothing item. The crave for finding a whole outfit at a decent price has beat the power of the label.

So stop being afraid to shop the sale rack or scavenge around Goodwill on your way home from work. Style is not about being able to spend the most, or being able to wear the most trendy, well known designers. Fashion is about the power of expression and becoming more in tuned with who you are, not the label printed on the inside of your shirt.