Benefits of Shopping Vintage and Second-Hand Clothings
Thrift, the new word on everyone's lips. Thrifts are what were previously known as second-hand items including but not exclusive to furniture, electronics, kitchenware, shoes, and clothes, you know, bend-down-select or if you want to drop the forming, “boskoro”. Vintage wears, on the other hand, are outfits that are older than 20 years.
Although in the past it was unpopular and seen as a sign of poverty or low income, this mode of clothes sourcing is a fast-spreading trend. A few years ago, when most of us were barely out of primary school, to admit to or even to be suspected of wearing an outfit with a second-hand would be social suicide. But now, as with all things, it's considered cool, classy, and educated. "Why?' you ask, because of the activities of environmental and fashion activists around the world. Yeah, that didn't make it any clearer but below are detailed benefits of thrifting.
Benefits of thrifting
'Why should I buy second-hand or vintage clothes?' You should buy second-hand wear for a lot of reasons, I mean they are;
Affordable: Items found at thrift stores have been pre-loved and used, therefore they cannot be sold at the same price as brand-new ones. This means you get quality and oftentimes, designer clothes at lower and even possibly half price. Thrifting allows for everyday people on a budget or trying to save, to cut costs and still look good.
Uniqueness: The items found at thrift stores come from different places and ages. It's possible to find a top or a pair of shoes that would have gone out of stock or been discontinued or not even originally available in your country of residence. 'How is this a good thing?' You get to curate and create your very own style especially if you're into vintage wear.
Authenticity: It's very likely and possible to find original name brands at a low cost. I mean how cool would it be to get a designer top for less than the actual price?
Sustainable and slow fashion: Sustainable fashion refers to the actions taken and products made to ensure an animal cruelty-free, affordable, and carbon-free industry. Global warming exists and it might be surprising to a lot of people that the fashion industry is a contributor although the animal-cruelty stitch has been going on for a while and is well documented and fought against. However, sustainable fashion recently achieved the limelight.
To understand sustainable fashion, we must first understand fast fashion. Fast fashion which is the production, sale, and wearing of fashion items that sample ideas from runways and produce at an alarming rate, using cheap materials and exploited labor. Sustainable fashion strives to stop this and hold producers responsible and save the earth.
Eco-friendly: Because wearing thrift contributes to slow and sustainable fashion, there is a decrease in the number of clothes that are made and as a result destroyed or thrown away.
Why is this important?
Research by fashion activists has shown that a significant amount of clothes made end up in landfills, water bodies, and even on beaches. Clothes made for fast fashion tend to be made from weak and cheap materials, which means they tear easily and most times cannot be fixed. These clothes are either burnt, which does more harm than good or they begin the journey to landfills, 40% of which end up in gutters and cause floods or are carried by the rain and up in the ocean or on beaches.
Other sustainable fashion trends, recycling, and upcycling. Recycling of clothes occurs when clothes are processed usually by a textile company and made into new and sustainable clothes, rags, and other textile materials. To do this, you can look up recycling centers near you. Upcycling on the other hand refers to reusing something no longer of use or need in such a way that it results in a new product of higher quality. This can be in the form of turning your old jeans into a skirt and leg or arm sleeves, or an old gown into a skirt. The possibilities are endless.
Basically, thrifting and vintage shopping don't allow you to only look good and save money, it allows you to be part of those working for a sustainable, greener earth.
By Aremu Eyimofe.