Walking out of Russell House, students may sometimes be seen feverishly digging through bins of t-shirts and sifting through clothing racks.
This is no other than the Gamecock Vintage Market — a round-up of vintage clothing stores that gather once a month on Greene Street.
The market brings in vendors from all over both North and South Carolina. Whether they're local to Columbia or they're traveling down from Charlotte, these vendors gather to sell their finds to USC students.
The market is hosted by Thread Affair, a group of vintage sellers, in collaboration with USC’s Fashion Board, a student organization. Vendors apply for a chance to show off their wares on the racks on Greene Street.
The Gamecock Vintage Market offers a variety of different options for students to shop through, ranging from vintage corset tops to Gamecock gear.
For October, Thread Affair recently held a Halloween edition of the vintage market for students and vendors. Marketed specifically as a "costumes expected" event, it had everything from vintage corsets to classic sports jerseys.
The market shows how students have a continued interest in vintage clothing, said Alex Smith, the owner of Throwback Outpost. The vintage store, located on Beltline Boulevard, serves as the storefront for Thread Affair's vendors.
Smith said he appreciates seeing students become more invested in vintage clothing.
“I hope people take a second to be conscious of where they're shopping — really consider maybe shopping at somewhere like here (Throwback Outpost) … at the market or somewhere second-hand,” Smith said.
Josh Rogers, the owner of Snips Vintage LLC, came as a vendor to the Gamecock Vintage Market for the first time in October. Rogers said that selling vintage clothes offers him a new avenue to show his creativity.
For Rogers, the shared support of encapsulating and expressing one's true style, whether it's the vendor providing the clothes to do it or the students choosing, is what makes them express themselves best and work together.
“Don’t base your style or ... your aesthetic on what is currently popular,” Rogers said. “Wear what you love.”
The vintage market also has a variety of options to expand your personal style, said Frederick Jones, the owner of Vintage Thread.
Jones said he was impressed by the community and amount of student interest during his first time selling clothing at the Greene Street event.
“I didn’t know anybody in the scene or anything like that, but I came out there and I did really, really well," Jones said. "It just showed me how great of a community this is."
The community of the Columbia vintage scene — whether it's the support and friendship between vendors or the excitement and love shown by the students who come out to the market — shows a true sense of shared aesthetic and community, said Jones.
The continued support from students is what allows the markets and vendors to thrive, he said.
"It was supposed to start at (noon) and by about 10:30 a.m., I had sold out of pretty much all of my Gamecock stuff," Jones said. "I had about four racks of full of it."
The Gamecock Vintage Market takes place on Greene Street roughly once a month. Those interested in finding sustainable clothes can follow the market on Instagram, where Thread Affair posts information about upcoming events and new market dates.