Dianne Sanchez Makes Thrifting A Sweet Experience

With Sanchez' online consignment shop, finding your next favorite vintage piece has never been so easy.

Photo via @sweetoldfinds

Thrifting is in Dianne Sanchez's blood.

Owner of Sweet Old Finds, an online secondhand clothing store based here in Illinois, Sanchez has been going to thrift stores ever since she was a little girl.

“My mom thrifted 90% of my siblings and my clothes since we were babies,” Sanchez told me over email. “Once I was around 11 or 12 years old, I started to go with her to the thrift stores.”

When she started Sweet Old Finds in December of 2021, Sanchez was simply looking for a creative way to share her personal thrift finds with others, but since then, it has grown into so much more.

“I wanted to share my thrifted finds with others and figured it was a great way to also encourage others to thrift,” Sanchez wrote. “I have people tell me all the time that they do not know how to navigate the thrift store, never find anything they like, or do not have the time to go. My hope with Sweet Old Finds is that people can shop sustainably and choose to shop secondhand.”

And though Sanchez hopes to encourage others to invest in more sustainable shopping practices, she knows that a strictly sustainable lifestyle does not make sense for everyone.

“We live in a very consumption driven society where people buy into trends, order items off of Amazon daily, and overall, just consume way more than their needs,” she wrote. “Sustainable fashion does not necessarily mean that you can only buy from sustainable, eco-friendly companies, because that is not always financially accessible for everyone.”

When asked what advice she would give to those just starting out on their thrifting journey, she encouraged everyone to embrace their own personal experience.

“Obtaining sustainable fashion is a journey that looks different for everyone,” she wrote. “No one is perfect. As long as you are being conscious about where you are buying your clothes and why. I encourage everyone to try to thrift or support an online secondhand shop!”

Interested in starting your own thrifting adventure? Start by checking out Dianne’s Instagram shop @sweetoldfinds!