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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 26 ,2 01 8 | 26 It was a sand-coloured Nautica jacket from Value Village that got Acton resi- dent Zack Ross hooked on thrifting. That, and the realiza- tion that he could play a part in reducing waste, while wearing vintage pieces that were no longer sold at traditional retail stores. "I never really thought about where my clothes went when I was done us- ing them, because usually they're not in a throw-out condition, but they've been worn," he said. "Here in North America, we shop seasonally, so we probably buy more than we need." After a friend informed Zack Ross that clothing was one of the largest con- tributing factors to waste worldwide, he decided it was time to make a differ- ence. So Ross went thrifting. And to his surprise, a trip to Value Village taught him he could find a number of brands he liked at reduced prices. That day, he purchased the sand-coloured Nautica jacket - his first thrift item of many more to come. In January 2017, Ross decided to try his hand at online retail, starting up his own business, Offsuit- ed Vintage, where he sells second-hand clothes that he sources himself. He began by offering Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren brands but has since expanded to include a number of other brands, as well as band T- shirts. This month, Ross took his online shop to the streets, opening a pop-up at 16 Mill St. E. in Acton. Al- though the young entre- preneur had planned to stay open over the month of July, he said the response has been so overwhelming- ly positive and he may keep the shop open for August, as well. "I'm just trying to pro- vide a service to people who like to buy second- hand and like to reduce waste," he said." "Everyone is saying they want us to stay longer." For further information about Offsuited Vintage, visit www.offsuitedvinta- ge.com. COMMUNITY ACTON RESIDENT TAKES ONLINE VINTAGE CLOTHING SHOP TO THE STREETS Prior to this month, Zack Ross' clothing business Offsuited Vintage has only had a home online. Now, the entrepreneur has opened up a pop up in Acton. Veronica Appia/Metroland OFFSUITED VINTAGE POP-UP WILL BE OPEN FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IN ACTON VERONICA APPIA vappia@metroland.com