Bre's peeves: Cure your aching heart with some purchases

If you’re alone this Valentine’s Day weekend, why not drown your sorrows, or celebrate your freedom, with a bit of shopping?

You don’t have to invest hundreds to bulk up your wardrobe. Thanks to a variety of affordable second-hand stores and thrift shops around town, a few dollars is all you need. Want to earn bonus points? Find a few throwback IU items to follow campus trend.

This semester, I’ve noticed a large resurgence in vintage IU gear. From crew necks to windbreakers, T-shirts to sweatpants, a walk around campus can transport you back a decade or two. There are no complaints from me. I’m in full support of recycling fashion and making the old feel new again. If you haven’t yet hopped onto the vintage bandwagon, it’s not too late.

There are three main sources to find these treasures: family members, secondhand stores and the Internet.

Maybe you’re lucky enough to be a second- or third-generation Hoosier. Not only does this fortune showcase how well-educated your bloodline is, it also increases your chances of having classic Hoosier gear in the family. Ask your grandparents, aunts, uncles, mom and dad whether or not they or any of their friends saved their gear. You’d be surprised at the results this could bring up. I am the recipient of gifted ’80s Hoosier gear that would otherwise be laying in a box, abandoned and alone.

For those interested in the thrill of finding a unique item, check out Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop.” The Goodwill locations in Bloomington and other second-hand stores are usually picked over and limited on the IU gear they offer, but making a quick journey to Martinsville or Indianapolis thrift shops to see what they have in stock would be beneficial. Goodwill and the Salvation Army are two larger chains that have manageable prices for college students.

If family and thrifting have failed you, take a quick trip back to 1999 and hop on eBay. The Internet’s forgotten online auction site is usually littered with vintage options ranging from hats and posters to drinkware and apparel. Remember to be wary of price gouging on these sites — sellers hoping to make a quick buck off of the trend are rampant.