The benefits and dark side of the thrift-shopping trend Anna Fang FacebookTwitterEmail illusGetty Images / Maskot A couple of years ago, the problem used to strictly be about fast fashion: it’s exploitative, it’s not environmentally friendly, and it promotes over-consumption. These days, the issue with the fashion industry and its obsession with vintage aesthetics has taken a different stage — capitalizing on poor communities’ already-limited resources and continued environmental harm. Bay Area residents should be no stranger to the concept of gentrification. In a recent ranking, the San Francisco-Oakland area came out on top with a gentrification rate of 31.3%. This is thanks to increased desire to work in technology, with Silicon Valley and San Francisco being innovation hubs. Many college graduates accept full-time offers for local corporate giants, such as Apple, Facebook, Google, and Tesla (sound familiar?). By settling here, they drive housing prices and displace low-income communities, many of which are historic occupants of the space.