A delve into the world of sustainable and creative pre-loved styling

If you’ve seen our website and social media content recently, you’ll know we’ve been busy bees! We’ve been marking Second Hand September and the launch of our new TikTok account – through both of which we’ve showcased our passion for pre-loved clothes.

Shopping second hand, both online or in-store, is so hot right now, and as it’s National Recycling Week, what better time for us to share our knowledge on sustainable fashion through a blog? Written by Grace as part of Our Environmental Journey; we’re hoping you’ll feel buoyed up and super inspired after reading! 

There are SO many ways to shop second hand now; it can be daunting knowing where to start, finding the juiciest bargains and how to bring a creative flair to your hunting. Fortunately, shopping pre-loved is for absolutely EVERYONE, and there’s so much choice out there that you’re bound to find a few (dozen) things that suit you! And if something isn’t quite right or it’s a little plain? Customise it! One of the beauties of shopping second hand is that you can make it entirely unique – much more so than buying from high street chains. Adding a chunky belt, sewing on some sequins, gluing fabric patches or blinging it up to your heart’s content guarantees you’ll have a totally individual piece. 

Here are some of Artswork staffs’ Charity Shop finds!

But I’m getting ahead of myself; as we need to explore what the options are. The first that likely springs into our collective minds first is the charity shop – familiar, popular, widespread; but still unexplored by some. Charity shops first opened in the 1950s – with Sue Ryder being the first organisation to take the plunge. Mass expansion came in the 1960s, with the post-war baby boom and money still being tight meaning they were invaluable to many households. The phenomenon took off even further in the 1980s, during periods of widespread hardship and austerity.  

However, despite being ‘part of the furniture’ of our local high streets for many decades now, Charity Shops haven’t fully broken into all demographics. Up until a few years ago, there was a perception amongst many young people that such stores were just for ‘old people’. But as someone who’s experienced in the charity sector, I can tell you that swathes of youngsters are loving what we offer (and donating too!) When I get the chance to dress the mannequins where I volunteer, I scavenge for pieces that are likely to attract this target group, and I love combining several pieces to create a bold, statement outfit. It’s encouraging that increasing numbers of youngsters are eco-conscious; and many are seamlessly creating outfits in the current 70s/90s trend by finding crop tops, cargo pants and ‘dad jumpers’ for a steal! 

But where else can you find creative inspiration? The internet hosts a plethora of possibilities for us to discover a whole new world, and Instagram particularly is home to many treasures. This includes inspiration for those who may be a generation or two older – such as through the recently viral account @ticketyboo0, run by mature charity merchandiser Rachel – aka complete style icon and green advocate.

Her bio describes her ethos as ‘a life less ordinary…life in the slow fashion lane’ – and it’s the perfect antidote to the fast fashion industry. Her pictures and videos are a great place to start if you’re not great at outfit pairing; and they’ll help you view second hand in a new light too!

So on to the other major side of internet thrifting: fast-growing websites and apps that offer gems bursting with creative potential. Apps like Vinted and Depop, websites such as Vestiaire Collective and Thrifted (vintage specialists) and male-orientated options like Grailed are massively popular (although not exclusively) with the youth of the present. And it’s not just clothes on offer either – many of these companies provide access to shoes, bags, homeware, toys, books, music and more!   

One of the main motivations for thrifting pre-loved is to avoid the chain of fast fashion, and its’ culture of waste and replace. But there are some stats you may not know about the industry: 

• In the production of jeans, nearly 20,000L of water is needed PER LEG. One pair produces 20kg Co2e.
• The textile industry produces 1.2 billion tonnes Co2eq a year. But strangely, ‘fast fashion’ only makes up 5% of all annual global emissions. The typical consumer of ‘fast fashion’ usually has no intention of keeping the garment for a long period of time even it lasts, thus perpetuating a throwaway culture. Fortunately, charity shops benefit greatly from increasing boredom with clothes, and receive plentiful donations of barely worn clothes aimed at young people. 
• 60-80% of a garment’s total impact comes from the regular washing and drying – but if you wash cold and air dry your clothes, you can save just over 0.4t Co2e a year. 

As our blog on creative and sustainable fashion draws to a close; we’d love to hear what has jumped out at you the most! Maybe you’re going to sign up to a buying and selling app to shift those clothes shoved to the back of the wardrobe, or you might be heading to your local charity shop with bags bursting with goodies!

Whatever you take away from reading this, we’d love to hear about it – on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! And if you prefer visual inspiration, our TikTok boasts interactive and colourful short videos that are sure to leave you with a smile! 

Tags:

Environmental blogs Environmental Issues environmental journey recycling week Young people's blogs Youth Voice