Feeling Thrifty

Students eagerly lined up outside Lee’s Garage on the evening of Monday Sept. 16 and Tuesday, Sept. 17, to partake in the second annual Hatter’s Closet Pop-Up Thrift Shop.

Some students patiently waited in line for 15 minutes or more, and excitedly peeked inside at the vast arrangement of clothing and accessories on display. When the time finally arrived, senior Avery Brooks and junior Darbi Robbins — co-founders of Hatter’s Closet — happily welcomed the entering crowd. For them, seeing this kind of support was a dream come true. 

“It is incredibly rewarding to see the impact of Hatter’s Closet on campus and in the community,” Brooks and Robbins wrote in a prepared email response. 

How it all Started 

Both, Brooks and Robbins, have a deeper connection to thrifting beyond the work they do at Stetson. For them, Hatter’s Closet is more than a cool project; it’s a direct reflection of their personal lives. 

“I do feel a connection to thrifting because I enjoyed thrifting and buying secondhand growing up,” wrote Brooks, who is majoring in Biology and Environmental Science. “Alongside Darbi, we found a way to combine our interests in clothing sustainability and supporting students to develop the thrift store idea.” 

Although Robbins’ reasons are different, both students have an intrinsic motivation to do good work through the act of thrifting. 

“I do not particularly feel a personal connection to thrift stores,” wrote Robbins, who is majoring in Marketing. “But, I do shop secondhand when I can because I know it is better for the environment. I wanted to create an idea that was ‘trendy’ and would generate excitement on campus to attract students to support our cause.” 

The Creation of Hatter’s Closet 

While the foundation of Hatter’s Closet began to form outside of Stetson, the emergence of the idea itself is inextricably tied to the university. 

As a requirement for their course Honors Project: HONR 102, Brooks and Robbins collaborated with a third classmate, Mary-Kate Hoang, on a group project.

As the trio worked, one thing led to another and what started out as a strictly academic assignment evolved into a community service project. 

“During Honors 102, Hatter’s Closet was very much in its beginning stages,” Brooks and Robins wrote in a prepared email response. “We pursued many different avenues and tested several ideas to gather as much knowledge as we could and methodically planned out how we wanted this project to look.” 

To begin the process, the three group members orchestrated a clothing drive at the end of the Spring 2023 semester by collecting clothing and accessories — such as tops, bottoms, shoes and hats — from donation sites located in dorms across campus. 

“From there, we washed, organized, transported and stored the items for later use in the fall for our thrift store,” Brooks and Robbins wrote. 

A Resounding Success 

In the Fall 2023 semester, featuring their newly acquired wares from the donation drive, Brooks and Robbins launched Mad Hatter’s Closet, the first edition of their annual pop-up thrift shop. The results were simply extraordinary. 

Through their partnership with the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia, Hatter’s Closet raised roughly $1,500. Every penny went back to the nonprofit organization to fund homelessness prevention efforts.  

However, despite the initial success, Brooks and Robbins believe that Hatter’s Closet only had scratched the surface in terms of its potential. 

“While Hatter’s Closet began as an Honors group project, we recognized the tremendous impact it made in just one year,” they wrote. “That’s what motivated us to continue running this community service initiative.”

A New Level of Impact 

As impressive as Brooks and Robbins’ inaugural pop-up thrift shop was, year two demonstrated an even stronger performance. The duo was set up for greater success this time, with better organization and an even larger selection of apparel and accessories compared to last year, as well as more help.

“This year, we have a lot more individuals willing to volunteer their time to help us with our events,” Brooks and Robbins wrote. 

All told, Hatter’s Closet Pop-Up Thrift Shop raised $2,577 on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 — over $1,000 more than what was raised in 2023. In addition, its continuing partnership with the Neighborhood Center ensures that all the earnings go straight to those most in need. 

Set Up for the Future 

Brooks and Robbins believe that the message spread by Hatter’s Closet can be just as impactful as their fundraising in the Stetson Community and throughout DeLand. 

“We don’t want resources, like clothing, to be a financial worry for anyone,” they wrote in a prepared email response. “Hatter’s Closet aims to promote a culture of giving and compassion by encouraging others to contribute to the community through our events by volunteering, donating, or bringing awareness to our mission.” 

Brooks and Robbins believe that these core principles are what make Hatter’s Closet so special, and will continue to do so as the initiative takes the steps to become an official student organization at Stetson. 

“We are both passionate about protecting the environment and serving people,” they wrote. “Through an organization like Hatter’s Closet, we have been able to help reduce waste and resource consumption as well as provide essentials and support to those in need.“ 

– Alex Douma