By Kwesi-lee Williamson
More and more people are now shopping in sites such as Shpock, Vinted and Preloved, to name just a few, to save money and to gain those all-important vintage pieces.
Shoppers enjoy being able to mix and match their clothes at a lower price when they buy second-hand, allowing them to express how they feel and show their personality through their clothing. While purchasing clothes from charity shops used to be seen as an embarrassing option for people with less money, it has now become a popular way to shop.
Canny shoppers not only like to buy second-hand because it’s better for the environment – they also like to buy clothing made from sustainable materials. In fact, an amazing 67% of consumers, according to Fashion Discounts, consider that sustainable fabrics are one of the factors when purchasing a piece of clothing.
Saska Buckingham, 21, a nursery assistant from Downham said: “I always make sure I check
the tag and see what materials are in my clothes because I care about our environment, and I
know the clothes we buy in big clothing shops get taken to landfill if they don’t get sold a
lot.”
UK fashion searches for the terms “organic”, second-hand, and “vegan” rose by 17 % in 2020,
according to Fashion Discounts.
It shows that people are becoming educated about why they should do more second-hand shopping, as
opposed to shopping for fast fashion.
High street charity shops like Traid and Oxfam may have had the stigma of being seen as untrendy and dull – but that is no longer the case.
Amabel Vitai, 21, St Christopher’s charity shop worker from Croydon said: “I personally buy
my clothes from charity shops because number one, it’s good for the environment and
number two, nobody will have the same thing as me and that is what I like and that’s what
makes it my own style.”
As well as second-hand shopping, we can also play our part by upcycling the clothes we
don’t want so that it is a one-of-a-kind staple in our wardrobe.
By buying second-hand clothing people can help the lifestyles of the people who make the
clothes all while looking trendy, who wouldn’t want that?
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