A Second Life For Clothes: Why Thrifting Is More Than Just Saving Money

In 2021 I set myself several goals for the year (instead of new years resolutions) including the goal 'to only buy secondhand clothing for the year'.

I (understandably) excluded underwear from this while also excluding gifted clothing too. But everything else, shoes, shirts, dresses, bags, whatever I might need to get throughout the year, I would buy secondhand.

I've been buying secondhand for a good few years now, to the point I prefer shopping used compared to brand new. This is mostly because I have a smaller budget when it comes to buying myself clothing; a £16 shirt brand new in a store can get me several pieces of clothing in the local charity shop. I get more for my money at the cost of a potential fix required. (9/10 times, they don't need any work done!) I'm so used to buying myself clothing at a much cheaper price I feel like everything else is expensive.

Giving a second life to pre-loved clothes is another reason why I'm such a fan of secondhand. The UK is the 4th largest producer of textile waste in Europe, each person throwing away approximately 3.1kg every year and 1.7kg of that fashion waste ends up in the landfill. (Source)

There is so much good quality (or at least decent, depending on the brand it's from) clothing in charity shops that after browsing a couple of shops, I've found what I need and for a fraction of the cost. If I don't, I go elsewhere, or wait a few days to a week and have another look.

While I shop secondhand, I don't feel the need to worry about where the clothing was made as much. I do what I can to avoid buying clothing made by people who get the poorest of wages; this helped me in my push to go thrifting more often. But my money will not go to that company, instead, it goes to charities such as Cancer Research, Mind, and Age UK.

I also feel better knowing that the garment made won't go to waste; after someone worked hard making that piece to make their living, no matter how small an income it may be (Clothes makers deserve to be paid their worth, not exploited for the bare minimum. But that's a topic for another time)

Over the last year I've been looking into slow fashion and more sustainable clothing brands. Unfortunately for me, these companies have a much higher price range, but it's for all the right reasons.

And because it's for all the right reasons, I plan to keep 95% of my clothing purchases as secondhand while I save to buy these sustainable, natural fabric items.

I will always be willing to pay for high quality slow fashion. Always. And while I save for my first few pieces, I know my local charity shops or online resellers will keep me sorted for my clothing needs. Because it prevents unnecessary waste, helps the enviromnent, helps charities, while also saving me money.

I feel I should state, that while I've made it sound like I do a lot of clothes shopping, I really don't. Unless I happen to need something, I don't go often unless I'm in the area or simply fancy a wander. I'm currently working on creating a wardrobe full of pieces I love and frequently wear. Preferably across all the seasons. So I like to make sure my wardrobe is to my taste and to help discover what my taste is these days, browsing the discounted racks of preloved clothing is a great way to go about it.

I love doing what I can to help the environment and our planet. And while I'm only one person, I know the little I do makes a difference, especially if there are others like me out there doing a small bit too.

We can 100% make a difference together; a second life to clothes is a great way to start.

If you like my work, you can also see my blog Surviving Millennial, where I talk about food + recipes, gardening, preserving, and low waste living. If you're into fiction, you can see my work as an author at StephiDurand.com