Starting as an 8 year old in awe of thrift stores, sophomore Aubreyah Green has made it a goal to create one that will give others the same feeling. 

“I enjoy finding old pieces and putting them together to create something that I love,” Green said. “It’s like recycling clothes.”

Throughout her years of thrifting, Green has made some friends who share the same passion. They have thrift stores on Instagram and encouraged Green to create one herself. 

So, since July of 2019, Green has been growing her online thrift store on Instagram. 

“If they can make a living off of it, I can too,” Green said. 

When Green created her Instagram thrift store, she had trouble finding a unique name for it. Her mom suggested that she incorporate an ‘80s or ‘90s catch phrase in it, which immediately made Green think of the movie “Clueless.” In this movie, the characters used the word “buggin” quite often. As a result, she named her store Buggin Bargain. 

“I love the name of my shop because it’s catchy but also super cheesy,” Green said. 

Incorporating her style into her shop is important according to Green. She says her style can range from grunge to retro bright colors.

Sophomore Shen Bu is one of Green’s frequent customers. She says she admires Green’s style and likes how she offers retro clothing items such as oversized sweaters. 

“Her store makes it so much easier to shop,” Bu said. “It’s hard to find vintage-looking t-shirts and sweaters from regular stores.” 

Green says she gets most of her style inspiration from her all time favorite movie, “Pretty in Pink.” She feels the characters in this movie are accurate representations of her feelings. The characters like to dress up and create funky outfits, and they don’t do this to please anyone else but themselves. 

“I don’t like to dress basic,” Green said. “This movie inspires me to dress differently from everyone else and express myself.”

Since the beginning of her Instagram thrift store, Green has gained around 300 active followers. She sells clothes to customers in her community and has even shipped to clothes out of state, like Hawaii and Colorado. 

Green says she gladly meets up with customers in her community. Some of them go to SHS and others meet her at local places. 

Sophomore Pilar Nava says that Green’s customer service is great. 

“She always has nice clothes available on her shop,” Nava said. “And you can get them in less than a few days.” 

As Green’s business continues to grow, she improves the quality of the clothes she sells. While she’s thrifting, she’s very attentive to different types of stitching and brands. Her store offers brands such as Brandy Melville and Tommy Hilfiger. 

Sophomore Emma Meredith has bought high-end brand items from Green. She enjoys purchasing them from Green because the pieces she sells usually aren’t in the stores anymore. 

“I love how she’s transforming the way we think about clothes,” Meredith said. “Most people wouldn’t want to wear used clothes, but she turns each piece into something unique.” 

In the future, Green hopes to open a shop in her garage and create an individual website for her store. She likes the idea of mixing her passion for business and fashion into one. 

Growing a business takes time and patience, according to Green. Her advice to anyone who is looking to do something similar is to start with low expectations but to continue dreaming big for the future. 

Meredith says she looks forward to the expansion of Green’s business and admires how much she cares for it and her customers. 

“I like how passionate she is about her business,” Meredith said. “And I can’t wait to see where she takes it.”