Welcome to Second Hand September – get a free Shopping Trip!
One of my second hand purchases.
First launched in 2019 by Oxfam to encourage people to buy second hand, it has
inspired thousands of people to shop in a way that is kinder to people and the planet.
With climate change affecting all of us, there’s never been a better time to act and be more sustainable in our shopping and lifestyle habits. So, I challenge you to only buy second hand clothes this month – nothing new!
And to help you get through this challenge, here are some guidelines to support you on your way:
Shopping sustainably requires some forethought. To do it well you need to think ahead, do some planning and have a good understanding of your personal style and existing wardrobe. Instead of making regretful purchases that will be cast off after just a couple of wears you can make meaningful purchases that will be worn and loved for years to come (I wore something the other day that I worked out was over 40 years old! See picture below).
Start by assessing your wardrobe. Get all your clothes out then pick the pieces you wear the most and ask yourself why –
- is it the colour that’s working?
- the cut?
- the fabric?
- is it easy to style?
Then go through the garments you don’t wear and think about why this is – what is it about these that doesn’t work? Be honest with yourself or get an honest friend to give you some help.
Knowing what works well for you – and what doesn’t – is a great way to ensure future purchases really work in your wardrobe because the most sustainable way to shop is always going to be from your own wardrobe. And by doing this exercise and becoming reconnected to your wardrobe you’re likely to find a hidden gem or two lurking at the back of the wardrobe that you’d forgotten about.
You may find that some pieces could work better if they were altered. I’m always showing clients how to tweak a garment to make it work for their body proportions and this can make so much difference to the overall look. So, get to know your local tailor or alteration service. If you need to be put in contact with someone let me know and I can make some recommendations.
And for those clothes that were just a mistake and can’t be salvaged think about selling on, then you can put the money towards something you really need.
Did you know that we now buy 4 times more clothes than we did 10 years ago and we are wearing them for half the amount of time? It’s much better to invest in fewer quality pieces that will fit with your personal and life style needs than to succumb to that quick fix gratification of buying something new that won’t pay off in the long term. If we spend more on our clothes, we are more likely to take better care of them and cherish them for much longer.
So, where will you be looking for your second-hand finds? Obviously, there’s the charity shop on your local high street, you might well have more than one. And online platforms such as Depop, Vinted and eBay but my two favourite are https://thrift.plus/ which is great for high street finds and https://www.thecirkel.com/ if you’re looking for something a little bit more up market.
If you fancy having a second-hand shopping spree with me this month in my local area of Olney, give me a shout – no charge to do it together for a maximum of an hour but I’m hoping you’ll buy the coffee!!
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