In a world where clothing production is dominated by the unethical and unsustainable practices of fast fashion, there is hardly anything than buying you clothing at a second-hand clothing shop – and the benefits of buying second-hand do not end there!
Second-hand clothes shopping is not just limited to going to a thrift store or charity shop, there’s also plenty of opportunities to shop for second-hand clothing online.
The most sustainable piece of clothing has already been made
It costs a lot of resources to craft a new garment – even if it is made sustainably. Fast fashion in particular not only consumes those resources, but does so in the most environmentally destructive manner, with profit being the only concern.
A second-hand clothing shop goes beyond limiting the impact of production because there’s no production needed.
Avoid sweatshop labour
Most clothing nowadays is made in sweatshops: garment factories in developing countries using cheap labour and exploiting workers. The worker pay in these factories is below the minimum living wage and working conditions are often dangerous.
Switching to a second-hand clothing shop instead of buying new helps you avoid this, as very little labour is needed.
Save money
The one big pro of second-hand clothing is how much money it can save you! Shopping second-hand, the prices don’t usually get anywhere near what you’d pay for a new garment – even though they may vary from store to store and location to location.
Whether you’re on a budget or not, the extra money you can save up always comes in handy.
Tried and tested
If a piece of clothing has been worn and is still in such a good condition that it can be resold, it withstood the test of time and is likely to last you longer. As fast fashion clothing quality decreases with prices being lowered, buying from a second-hand clothing shop provides the best value for money you can get!
A piece as unique as you
A second-hand clothing shop only has one of each garment. Sure, some of it may be from mass-produced labels, but there’s also plenty of unique pieces few others will have. The best finds from second-hand shops are often hand-crafted hidden gems or unique pieces of which only a few were made.
Buying second-hand clothing online
Long gone are the days when you had to visit a physical store to buy second-hand clothing. The option of buying second-hand clothing online has been growing in popularity – and no wonder why. The selection online usually tends to be larger than in a physical store and you’re better able to search for any pieces you might be looking for.
Shopping online can also be more environmentally friendly than buying in-store – physical stores take a lot of power to keep open and the further away you live, the larger your carbon footprint will be.
