Elgin Vintage, David Hill’s city clothing store, wants to not only offer a new way for customers to shop, but also increase awareness of how textiles impact the environment.
The 23-year-old Elgin native said, “I’ve always been very socially conscious in my life. It’s great how he combines his planet-related activism with his own business. It just kind of ended up happening in the most ideal way probable.”
Before deciding to relocate to 23 S. Spring St., Hill started his business by opening pop-up versions of Elgin Vintage for the previous two seasons. He sells previously owned items like T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, jeans, bags, sunglasses, and other items at prices ranging from $20 to $30, according to him.
The goal is to prevent clothes from going to landfills in addition to finding a place to put it that is also useful. According to Hill, who received an ecological studies degree from Eureka College in December, garments are forgotten waste.
He said, “No one thinks about clothing being thrown away.”
According to greenamerica, Americans discard about 10 million tons of textiles each year, accounting for about 6 % of all landfill waste (plastics account for 13%). nonprofit. According to the nonprofit organization, these materials can be recycled for use in other places, including around and abroad, or for other purposes.
According to the American Textile Recycling Service, only about 13% of discarded garments are recycled, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It can take up to 200 times for the components to degrade once they are in a landfill, according to statistics.
What’s known as “fast fashion,” a term used to describe how big companies “pump out innovative styles by the hundreds,” is a major issue, according to Hill. They produce clothing in areas where they can underpay the staff and pay extremely low prices for inferior materials that will disintegrate. You receive two or three wears before going to the wastes.
Hill said, “It’s what I’m trying to fight against.”
He said he is attempting to plug into and develop this type of waste because Millennials and Gen Z are more conscious of it.
“I believe it was put on our technology. If we don’t take any actions, the damage will be irreversible,” Hill said.
In high school, he began selling boots. Afterwards, he began to austerity, getting inspired by YouTube videos showing people finding cool clothing in thrift stores.
Elgin Vintage was born out of his scholar body Elgin Community College in 2019. While he was a student at Eureka College, the organization started during the COVID- 19 crisis, spreading through word-of-mouth and social media.
“Finally, I snagged enough confidence to hold an in-person occasion,” Hill said. It “grew and grew,” according to the statement “I gained a following.”
His Elgin Vintage goods are expertly selected, he claims, and he does purchases and trades. It is not a thrift shop. He appreciates the ability for it to be a business that is both classy and environmentally conscious.
Because I didn’t have a lot of money in high school and I wanted to have some style, Hill said, is the reason I started thrifting.
He has a lot of 1970s T-shirts in the store appropriate now, which is really cool.
Hill is happy for the help he’s received from clients, friends, and community, and is eager to be a part of the companies that are “bring downtown Elgin back,” he said.