Let me debunk a myth: you don’t have to be a bisexual, veggie-eating, left-leaning, eco-warrior millennial to buy second-hand clothes. Yes, I do happen to fit that description, but I started thrifting way before I identified as at least three of those things! This option is just as much for you if you’re a countryside-living, meat-eating boomer who’s just looking to save some money. Hear me out, you won’t regret it!
The first thing I ever bought second-hand was a pair of ankle boots. This was in September 2019 and they were £8 with free delivery from Depop. I still wear them today. Depop came into my life via my housemate and as I was living in Central London I was up for any and all ways to save money.
This one purchase started a snowball love affair and since then I have barely bought a thing brand new. Let me tell you why.
Fast fashion is not your friend!
Before Depop, my only knowledge of buying second-hand clothes was from the charity shop. I’d never heard of fast fashion. Being brought up in a capitalist society means placing value on material goods—especially shiny brand new ones with an expensive price tag. It wasn’t until I started buying second-hand that I began thinking about why I’d never done so before—considering just how many benefits there are to it!
I learnt that fast fashion is the process by which cheap clothes (and shoes) are turned out incredibly quickly to keep up with current trends. These garments are not intended to last for more than a few wears; all in support of the elite idea that nothing should ever be worn more than once.
However, the consequences of this process go far beyond a societal faux pas. So much fashion is produced and never bought that 350,000 tonnes and £140 million worth of wearable clothes end up in landfills every year in the UK! That’s a lot of plastic and microfibres that can’t be broken down. The effect that has on the environment is quite simply indefensible.
And, that’s all before we even touch on how fast fashion relies on the exploitation of workers. Brands like Shein have been discovered to only be paying their workers 4 cents per item they make and, they are having to work 18-hour days with no weekends off. All in the name of capitalism.
Save money, make money
As soon as I learnt of these things, I knew I could no longer continue being a part of that process. So, what was the alternative? Buying second-hand, or in other words: circular fashion. When you buy second-hand clothes, you’re directly interrupting the whole master plan of fast fashion.
Buying second-hand means you also save so much money! And the money you do spend goes to better places than to line the pockets of big business people. If you buy from a charity you’re helping a good cause. If you buy from an individual you can be certain they need the money far more than Mr H&M.
It also gives you the opportunity to make money! Next time you’re clearing out some old clothes, don’t throw them away, pop them online. Even if you only make enough for a cheeky cocktail… that’s now a free cocktail!
Once you start, you won’t be able to stop. You soon realise that you get the same buzz from receiving your new clothes from Depop or Vinted that you do if you’d ordered them from the shop directly. After all, they’re new to you! And, if new products are really that important to you, there’s always someone selling stuff with the label still on that they bought but never fit. There are no downsides!
Be the change
By now it’s become clear that we cannot rely on the people in charge to stop the exploitation and stop the damage to the environment. So, the only option is to force the change ourselves (and while we’re at it, can we please force them to add pockets to women’s clothing?).
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we the people have far more power than we know! There’s absolutely nothing stopping us from boycotting these fast fashion practices – we can and we should. We need to let them know that we won’t stand for their unethical practices and their astronomically damaging impact on the planet and on workers. And anyway, why give money to millionaires when you could just… not?
Macklemore said it first: there is a thrill involved in cheating the system, and I doubt I would love the astronomy-themed flared trousers, I recently bought for £7, (Or the red-leather look ones or the olive-coloured cocktail dress) half as much if I’d spent triple the money and bought them new. We have washing machines – who cares if someone else has worn them before?
Be the change you want to see in the world. And besides, the kids say it’s cool, so it must be.
Words by Becky Lauder