Secondhand September
Secondhand September, which I think has been highlighted by Oxfam, along with many others is a way of encouraging each other to avoid buying new for the month. Reminding us to re-wear our clothes, fix what’s broken, swap clothes, or buy from a charity shop/secondhand marketplace.
My brain has a million tabs open, and whilst I’m always on the go, fast fashion is one of the things at the top of my mind right now.
What I’m really struggling with is being extremely aware of the fast fashion issue, and witnessing so many people being unaware - which I completely understand, I was that person too! Until a few years ago I would buy an item of clothing and the only thing on my mind was buying it for something in particular (e.g a party) or just the good feeling you get when you love a new piece of clothing.
Repeat outfits
This photo was taken in the Dordogne, France, where I bought this cute skirt 4 years ago. I still wear this skirt every summer without fail it’s great dressed up with some heels or dressed down with converse - perfect for any day.
Repeating outfits is a small step we can do to help. You probably already do this too, now dig into the back of those draws and find the clothes you forgot about. Pair them with your favourite items or have a look on Pinterest/Instagram for ways to style them differently. This is a great rainy day activity when the days are getting colder too, grab a cuppa, put some music on and enjoy rediscovering your old clothes. Why not take Marie Kondo’s advice and make sure you can see all the clothes you own so you make sure you wear them? This made a huge difference for me, realising how many T-shirt’s I had hiding in the draw.
Clothes swap / borrow
Swap with a friend or family before buying new.
Swap with friends or attend a clothes swap event. If you don't have any clothes to swap, just ask to borrow or lend someone a piece for a while. I always go on about this pink jumper (if you know me then chances are you’ve seen this jumper, I wear it ALL the time! #proudoutfitrepeater). A friend of mine didn’t wear it so when I asked more than once to borrow it she said I could keep it, from there it’s made me realise we all might have an item of clothing someone else will get more wears out of than if it was sitting in the wardrobe.
Charity/Thrift shop
Can’t find someone to swap clothes with, take a look in a charity shop!
Charity shops are worth going to, more than once. It’s good to go in keeping in mind what you’re looking for and not to buy stuff just for the sake of buying something - if you love a piece, and you know you’ll re-wear it lots of times then go for it! You’ll be giving that garment a new lease of life. I recently had a look in Cancer Research and found this little oversized cropped t-shirt for just £3. I’m thinking it will be great paired with high-waisted jeans or underneath dungarees.
Not just clothes…
I picked up these pretty drinking glasses secondhand, they’re good as new and when you find something like this it has a story and chances are your belongings will be more unique!
When we think about how much ‘stuff’ we buy new, it’s good to step back before you buy something and raise a few questions.
Do I really need it? Does someone I know/locally have it? Can I find it secondhand?
This September, and in future too, when you feel the urge to buy a new item of clothing, maybe see if someone you know has what you’re looking for and borrow it for a while, or swap it for something in your wardrobe they might like. If you desperately can’t find an alternative then put in a little bit of research for an ethical brand instead of a fast fashion option.
We can all do a little and I must remind myself and be open to admit that I was clueless to this issue not so long ago, and we can slowly educate each other and ourselves to do better. Every time we make a conscious decision in our wardrobe, it really makes a difference - saving items from landfill, and the consequences on a bigger scale.