Shop, sew, sell: student repurposes thrifted clothing

Leah McFarland is a junior who buys clothes from local thrift stores, repurposes them and sells them on her Instagram account, thriftedandflippedit. Some of McFarland’s customers tag the account when wearing the clothes they bought to help her attract new business. She turns dresses into tank tops, pants and skirts. She even made her sister’s wedding veil earlier this month from clothes that she thrifted.

After she repurposes the clothing, her friends model the pieces, so she can post photos on the Instagram account. She uses the money from selling clothes to help supplement the income from her job as a community assistant on campus. Being a CA also provides her with a large customer base. She said she hopes to continue to grow her business and gain more exposure for her Instagram account throughout the school year.