Since I embarked on a personal journey back in 2017 to make a sustainable wardrobe a higher priority, I've found that I've really made a big impact on my shopping habits and my closet. I don't impulse shop at conventional stores online or locally, choosing to shop from either a sustainable/organic/ethical brand or a secondhand store.
Sometimes, I won't even realize it until I'm halfway through my day, but I'll look down and realize every element of an outfit is secondhand in some way. That's what happened with this outfit from earlier in the week!
The kimono, leggings and wedges are all from ThredUp, the tank top is a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law, and the pearl necklace is a family piece.
And now it's even more fun, since I get to practice my secondhand shopping skills with Ariana too. So many of her outfits since birth have been hand-me-downs or secondhand. From the everyday onesies and long pajamas to her Christmas dresses and shoes, she's been rocking secondhand style.
What I think is most eco-friendly about shopping secondhand is that it keeps so many items of clothing from going to a landfill. Especially when it comes to children's clothing that is used for such a short span of time. With the amount of resources it takes to produce an outfit and ship it to a store or a home, it's so wasteful to throw it away quickly.
Shopping secondhand helps keep the cycle going for much longer, allowing articles of clothing to be used twice, three times, four times or more. I know I've donated or passed down items that were secondhand to me, and I have probably received items that are technically third- or fourth-hand.
In addition, it saves SO much money! Especially with the amount of baby clothes I've gotten as hand-me-downs, I've literally saved hundreds of dollars on clothes that fit for a month at most. When I shop secondhand, I can find great-condition items for 2 or 3 dollars.
Just last week, I ordered a Madewell skirt from ThredUp that's made of lyocell, a fabric cellulose fiber made from wood pulp or cotton linter. It's extremely soft and uses up 'waste material'.
Over these past few years of shopping secondhand, my favorite stores have come to be Clothes Mentor (which I mentioned as well last year in my extremely pregnant Secondhand Wardrobe Day post), ThredUp and Once Upon a Child.
Garage sales and thrift shops are also excellent places to find secondhand clothing, although I don't personally turn to them as much.
Where is your favorite place to find secondhand clothing?
No comments