I am absolutely loving my thrifty query series and it’s awesomely interesting to read and share the diverse responses I receive to each question posed to my groovy gone thrifting group:
Discover the fantastically honest answers to the latest thrifty query: Why do you thrift & shop preloved?
Feel free to leave your thoughts in a comment below too!
Julie: I started because I love vintage, especially jewellery, purses, scarves and decor. The past few years I have bought my clothes almost exclusively second hand and I love it! At the moment I have a trunk full of clothes I no longer use to donate. Shopping second hand at incredibly low prices allows me to have a varied wardrobe at affordable prices while doing good for the causes the charity shop supports and the earth. Win win! Oh! And of course there is the thrill of the hunt – can’t forget that!
Katie: I wouldn’t live as well as I do without thrifting. I love getting compliments on an outfit or a pie plate or whatever and responding “Thanks! It was one of my lucky finds!”
Kirsti: I like it because it’s better for the environment. Also, I like to use old fabrics when I make things.
Al: Quality clothes and supporting nonprofits is much better than supporting fast fashion. I also love the staff at my local thrift shops. They are funky folks and I love it!
Twyla: As a plus size woman, the clothing available to me in plus-stores is increasingly one of two things – either not my style at all because of whatever is considered fashionable, or not really designed to make an actual plus-sized woman look good. Add to that the inflated prices, poor selection, and limited seasonal colour choices, and you’ve got a very limited style without thrifting. Plus there’s a treasure hunt feel to it – some days you find nothing, others there’s one amazing find, and occasionally you hit the jackpot and come home with wardrobe-changing items!
Corky: Like Twyla, I find the selection of styles and sizes to be very restrictive. My personal style is offbeat and artistic, which is not offered in fast fashion or conservative boutiques. I prefer vintage and unique finds, which allows me to have a greater variety in my wardrobe. Preloved is the best solution to having a unique and thrifty style!
Ren: I hate how much we Americans waste. I also think I have a great eye and end up with a much better wardrobe than most.
Candy: I love to sew and fabric is expensive! I often use fabric from preloved clothes, I tend to not even look at the size, it’s the pattern that catches my eye.
Me: I simply cannot afford to purchase brand new ethically produced items from sustainable brands. Thrifting, upcycling and DIY-ing definitely help keep a tight budget under control yet still allow for new-to-us gear and the occasional thrifty spending spree! Also, by shopping second hand and reusing I am not contributing a penny to the unsustainable multi-billion dollar fashion industry nor am I unintentionally supporting an unethically produced brand.
Wearing and refashioning pre-owned garments means they are not ending up in landfills. North Americans send more than 10.5 million tons of wearable waste to landfills each year, not to mention the increased impact when you add in the rest of the world. In fact, only around 15% of used clothing gets recycled or donated (sadly only 20% of donations make it onto the shop floor), giving textiles one of the poorest recycling rates of any reusable material. That’s even more shocking when you realize around 95% of the textile waste sitting in our landfills today, is actually easily recyclable.
I’ve awoken to find polite and (incredibly) rude variations of the devil’s advocate question above in my inbox too many times to count so let’s dive right in with my response right here.
Head on over and take part in an upcoming thrifty query with the Gone Thrifting group!
