Happy Earth Day! Keeping sustainability at the heart of my content, I share with you an article all about second-hand shopping, featuring @secondhandcharli (Instagram).
What is Second-Hand Shopping?
It is giving old clothes new life. Second-hand shopping is an easy, affordable, and effective way to reduce the number of new materials and resources that are used in producing fashion items. We all know we live in a world of fast fashion. But, this doesn't just allude to companies that produce clothing at unprecedented speeds, but also our own shopping behaviours where we feel the need to quickly and effectively replace what we have to fit the ever-shifting trend mould. Second-hand shopping in many allows us to rescue those old clothes that consumers fell out of love with.
Inspiring Second-Hand Shopping
In the December 2020 issue of Ensemble Magazine (available here) I collaborated with my friend Charli on this very topic. Charli opted for second-hand shopping methods at the end of July 2020. Sharing her inspiration she says:
"During lockdown, I learned a lot about the fast fashion industry that really upset me - from the treatment of garment workers to the detrimental impacts on the environment. I initially started @secondhandcharli [an Instagram blog dedicated to second-hand shopping] to keep myself accountable and to share my favourite second-hand finds with my friends/family.
But since then, it has allowed Charli to connect with other sustainable fashion accounts and inspire her followers to cut down their fast fashion consumption.
Top Second-Hand Shopping Tips
When we were talking about second-hand shopping, it was clear that there is no one clear-cut rule to being perfectly sustainable. However, there is a great alternative that can help lower, reduce and minimise the impact on the environment. Here are some of Charli's top tips for all those readers who are looking into second-shopping methods:
HAVE PATIENCE
I think this is why it took me so long to move to 100% sustainable/secondhand shopping. I wasn’t willing to wait to get what I wanted. You need to realise some days you’ll walk out of the charity shop with a full bag and other days you’ll leave completely empty-handed.
BE WILLING TO RUMMAGE
Sometimes the best things are hidden at the back of shelves or in the middle of a full rack of clothes.
DON’T BUY SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE IT’S CHEAP
At the start, I was a sucker for doing this. I once found a Michael Kors dress for £3 in my local cancer research shop, and even though I didn’t really love it, my brain told me “I HAD to buy it” as it was such a good deal. Safe to say, I never wore it and ended up giving it away to a friend.
SECOND-HAND SHOPPING IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK
There are SO many great places to shop online. My top 2 places have to be “swap family” on Facebook (no item can be more than £5 + postage ) and the vinted app (I find it to be a little cheaper than Depop usually). In terms of stores, my favourite charity shops are hands down Barnardos and Cancer Research. They’re always reasonably priced and have a great range.
I hope you enjoyed this article on second-hand shopping. Make sure to follow @ensemblemagazineuk on Instagram to stay updated on all the articles, videos, and magazines that I release! Have a great day!
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