Miguel Aguirre ’23 sold vintage clothing online for the first time during his freshman year, and since then, his side hustle, business and passion has taken off. His brother first introduced him to vintage clothing and reselling, and now Aguirre gets to do what he loves and makes money at the same time. From waking up early to go to the “bins” to visiting multiple “racks” across the Valley, Aguirre finds the best clothes possible to reach his goal of becoming a consistent top seller on Depop, an online marketplace platform similar to eBay where people can buy and sell pieces of clothing. I followed Aguirre around through his entire process of being a vintage reseller, from outsourcing to dropping off packages.
While at a thrift store, or the “racks,” Aguirre points out a common tell-tale of a vintage tee that he learned from his brother and Youtube videos. One stitch on the sleeve means the shirt is from the 90s, while two stitches are common with today’s tees.
Along with looking for details that could classify a piece as vintage, Aguirre also knows what will sell well. Unique details in clothing can catch a buyer’s eye, even if it isn’t vintage.
Aguirre measures a sweatshirt and enters the details in his phone. Customers may not always be able to gauge how the clothes will fit on them based on Aguirre’s frame, so adding measurements removes confusion.
Before modeling in clothes, Aguirre steams all items to remove wrinkles. This is another small detail that makes Agurrie’s products more presentable.
Aguirre models a Carhartt jacket that he will sell on Depop. Depop is a large online marketplace, but Aguirre said creating his own website “has always been a goal.”
Aguirre’s studio includes lighting and a backdrop, a desk to measure pieces and a bed to sort clothing. After his brother moved out for college, Aguirre took over the room since it would increase production quality.
Aguirre drops his weekly orders off at the post office. This is the last step in Aguirre’s process of thrifting and selling vintage clothes.
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