In a world where there is a lack of environmental obligation amongst the fashion industry. A new generation of adults have taken it upon themselves to live ecological. Buying second-hand pieces of clothing, and going as far as upcycling hand-me-downs to suit their personal style.
With up to 57% of fashion and beauty brands opting to engage in influencer marketing by inviting them to promote their clothes, it is hard to not get sucked into the illusion that you’ll never be satisfied with your wardrobe. However, amongst this toxic cycle, is a small group of society who choose to stay far away from this fantasy being sold to us through our screens.
“Fast fashion is so popular, but the culture of it makes us think we can’t wear the same thing twice”
Fashion students Ella does just that. Only shopping for hand-me-downs in charity shops, at car boot sales and vintage markets, whilst classing Depop and Vinted as her ‘online shopping’. “I got into it when I was about 13,” said Ella. “That was when I started learning about fast fashion.” Fast fashion is (by definition) inexpensive clothes produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. Global brands such as ASOS, PLT and SHEIN all fit into this category and with the average price of a top on SHEIN costing below £5, many could ask what the need to charity shop is when you can buy items brand new for the same price. “Fast fashion is so popular, but the culture of it makes us think we can’t wear the same thing twice. I think influencing has a big impact, Molly Mae for example, she only has one type of look which you can’t get in a charity shop, to look expensive, which is obviously what people want.” Ella went onto to say, “with charity shopping you don’t really have any idea what you’re going to get, that’s what makes it fun. I also think it’s more challenging because it’s not like trends are laid out for you, you’ve got to find your own taste. It makes it more fun to style things.”
The ‘throwaway’ fashion culture is having a detrimental effect to the planet today. According to the Guardian, £140 million worth of clothes are being sent to landfill every year in the UK. Furthermore, 300,000 tonnes of clothing is thrown away every year, despite charity shop donations being high. Ella said, “I do think fast fashion has gotten way worse; however, I think it’s also become very trendy to thrift things and buy second hand.” She continued, “it’s funny because you find there’s a lot of fast fashion brands infiltrating the charity shops anyway. If you only want certain brands, you could definitely find them second hand if you searched around hard enough.”
“With charity shopping, you don’t really have any idea what you’re going to get, that’s what makes it fun”
Despite this huge negative figure, there is some hope. A poll of 2000 UK adults done by eBay, found that one in two Brits now use charity shops. Additionally, a quarter said that they plan to do more charity shopping next year. When asked if she had some advice for people who want to start shopping sustainably Ella advised, “Just because it cheap doesn’t mean it’s worth buying, because you don’t want to continue the cycle. At the beginning when I first started buying second hand, I would just buy things because I would think ‘oh its nice enough and its cheap’ but then I’d never wear it.” She continued, “you just have to buy something you really want to wear and then you wear it all the time. Also, understand that your taste is always changing, so it’s best not to invest in crazy things”
Another thing to consider is what to do with clothes you no longer want anymore. Fashion student Eva, who has been second-hand shopping for as long as she can remember, expresses that she does her best get rid of unwanted clothes sustainably. “I always donate clothes I don’t want back to charity, or if its old lingerie or socks I take them to a recycling bank and then they can be cut back down by people who know what they’re doing. I never just throw things away.” One popular way to get rid of unwanted clothes is to sell them on marketplace websites such as Depop or Vinted. Eva admits, “I sold a lot through the lock down, I feel as though Depop and Vinted became really popular because no where was open.” This is true, sale of goods on eBay jumped 30% during the lockdown compared to 2019. It brings hope that shopping sustainably is becoming more popular by the younger generation as opposed to fast fashion which many are starting to become bored with through the constant change in trends and trying to keep up with them.