Turning to the past, a rising fashion trend has emerged in recent years. Shopping second-hand has become a trend on social media, a sustainable trend that has many environmental, philanthropic, and financial benefits, all while keeping your style unique.
Shopping secondhand is a great method to add to your personal style. From clothes to furniture and houseware, buying used items can be beneficial to the environment, philanthropy efforts, and your wallet.
Producing new clothing can heavily impact the environment, adding to the world’s pollution and carbon emission levels. According to an article by Business Insider, “The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, and pollutes the oceans with microplastics.”
Overall, producing new clothing items takes more time, energy, and water; in turn, causing environmental and social issues.
When buying second-hand, all these efforts have been made. No additional production, marketing, and societal costs are necessary, lowering the end cost of the items at second-hand stores, like thrift stores. One of the most common reasons to start shopping for used items is the financial benefits. The cost difference between shopping for new and second-hand is substantial.
One method of shopping second-hand is thrifting. Proceeds from thrift stores commonly go towards charity or non-profit efforts, including chain stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and local stores here in Pittsburg, like The Doggie Bag, where 100% of their proceeds go to the SEK Humane Society.
Being more conscious of shopping efforts has been gaining traction in fashion and lifestyle trends. Following the trend, upcycling is also rising in popularity. Upcycling transforms by-products, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality while also personalizing the item.
This method is a great idea to repurpose unwanted items into one-of-a-kind items. Designers use this method to make sustainable high-end items like ELV Denim, which repurposes denim products, one of the most expensive products to produce initially. ELV Denim said in an article by The Guardian, “Once retailers are aware that not only is upcycling a creative and conscious way to use excess stock but a revenue-generating way, I hope other companies will sit up and take note.” As sustainability becomes an issue of interest, upcycling is a great option for people and industries to explore.
With second-hand shopping becoming more people’s first choice, the efforts have become digitally accessible. Apps like DePop, Poshmark, and ThredUp, being the biggest platforms, allow more options for these sustainable methods to reach.
Choosing to be more sustainable with your shopping choices is more accessible than ever. Allowing for discovering new styles and aesthetics without adding to environmental and social issues, shopping second-hand should be the first choice when looking to add to your closet, decorate, or furnish your home.