fast fashion is out, secondhand is in!
fast fashion is out, secondhand is in!
fast fashion facts that will make you want to barf, my top tips for successful thrift store trips, + more!
You’ve probably heard it through the grapevine by now—fast fashion is bad. But do you know why?
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, fast fashion is responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions and the waste that occurs from the garment manufacturing process harms wildlife, degrades land, and pollutes entire ecosystems. A garment is worn on average seven times before being discarded1, and even if you try to recycle it or donate it, it will likely still end up incinerated or in a landfill. Many of these landfills are in the Global South, where the clothing decomposes, polluting the environment, and negatively impacting the health of the citizens. According to BU Public Health, unwanted used clothing frequently backs up drainage pipes there, which exacerbates flooding leading to water-borne illness.
Not only is fast fashion an environmental justice issue, it’s a social justice issue as well. The clothing is usually manufactured in countries with looser labor laws, resulting in the exploitation of workers. This includes poor working conditions that have caused the death and injuries of thousands like the factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013. Workers are often paid far below a living wage and child labor is often used due to more lenient regulations.
I started learning about fast fashion in graduate school and pair that knowledge with having a budget tighter than before—my consumption of clothing dramatically decreased. I wore what I owned, seldom adding new pieces. A few years later I moved to Duluth and grew to really enjoy thrifting. But I haven’t always been the biggest fan of shopping secondhand.
We frequented thrift stores when I was growing up because it was what fit in the budget as a blended family that started with 4 young kids and eventually expanded to 6. Kids grow fast and when you have multiple, it doesn’t always make sense to buy new. I know this now, but it was something I mostly resented in my youth.
When we went back-to-school shopping each August, my mom would give each of us money to go towards clothes. It usually covered a pair of new shoes and anything leftover I generally used for a name brand hoodie that I’d wear ragged by the end of the first semester. The rest of my clothes I found at secondhand stores. This was before thrifting was cool, long before Macklemore released his song ‘Thrift Shop’. I was a teen growing up in the prime of American Eagle, Hollister, and Buckle; certain brands were associated with being ~cool~, and I would daydream about having money to buy the same clothes as my wealthier peers. I equated thrifting to being poor, and I wanted *more.*
Which is probably why, when the first refund check hit my account my freshman year of college, I went straight to the mall with my friends. Never mind that my friends were using their parents’ credit cards and I was using student loan money that was leftover from paying my tuition—I was fitting in, I was one of the girls! It soon became clear that I couldn’t keep up with them on many fronts2 including shopping. I would stay behind as they went to the mall for the third time that week, instead sitting on my stash of cash until big sales happened (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, you know the deal) before I spent my money. Over the years my closet slowly filled with Forever 21 cardigans and Old Navy tops, clothes that never quite fit right but looked *good enough*. In graduate school my tight budget meant I wore what I already owned, seldom adding new pieces.
As a full-fledged adult, I started secondhand shopping again out of necessity. I am ballin’ on a budget and everything is so god damn expensive. But I’ve discovered joy in the process that I never felt as a kid, discovered there is nothing quite like finding just what you were looking for in a sea of donated items. I imagine it is how pirates would have felt on their quest for buried jewels hahaha. All I really want to do is inspire you to chase that feeling, to go thrifting or garage sale hopping or just anything beside the mindless *add to cart*-ing we’ve grown accustomed to in search for your own treasures. :)
And now—here are my top tips for successful thrift store trips! ☺
Go into the store with *something* in mind! Maybe you are searching for a little dress for date night, a cozy sweater for winter, or a statement piece—whatever *it* is, knowing what you are looking for will keep you on track and potentially help you avoid filling your cart with stuff you don’t exactly need. Having an item in mind will also help you be more time efficient with your shopping experience because if you are looking for a pair of heels, you don’t have to bother sifting through the rack of jeans.
My handsome husband sporting a thrifted shirt I got him. *swoon* I am always on the hunt for shirts for Ben when secondhand shopping because he is not a shopper and he is an artist aka the few shirts he owns probably have paint on them lol. That being said—be open to the unexpected! If you stumble upon an item that fills a void in your closet or home—go for it!
This Pete the Cat shirt was hanging on the end of a rack at my local Goodwill and when I saw it was in my size, I knew I had to buy it! It was totally an unexpected purchase but well worth it to see the look on the kids’ faces that I work with who are diehard Pete fans :) Wear clothing that allows you to try items on over them! Many thrift stores post-COVID lockdowns have done away with changing rooms and many have rigid return policies. Get creative so you don’t get shafted and try on stuff over your clothes. You might get weird looks, but you won’t be wasting time and energy when an item doesn’t fit and you have to try and return it.
If it’s not a ‘hell yeah’, put it back! Listen—it’s easy to get lost in the fun of thrifting but that doesn’t mean you have to buy everything that catches your eye. Ask yourself if you already own a similar item, if this piece of clothing can go with a few items you already have in your wardrobe, or if it is ready to wear without additional modifications. Be intentional with your spending and buy stuff you will actually use.
If you can’t find it at your local thrift shop, consider online shopping! You’d be surprised what you can buy secondhand on the World Wide Web. Whether it’s books, dinnerware, or clothing try googling ‘item + secondhand’ before you *add to cart* elsewhere.
Bring in any donations you have to the thrift store during your next shopping trip! It’s a two birds, one stone situation so it saves you the time & energy of completing the task in the future. Plus thrift stores like Savers often offer a coupon when you donate items!
It’s not always possible to buy used. If you are financially able, the next best course of action is to do your research and invest in quality products. Well-made clothing items may be more expensive, but their durability will have them lasting far, far longer than their more cheaply made counterparts, essentially saving you money in the long run. It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with the fact that you generally do get what you pay for, and it’s something my frugal self is still working through.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this edition of my newsletter! If you would like to support me further, may I suggest sharing Parallel Charts with a friend or on your social media feeds with the recommendation to subscribe!
And if you’d like to financially support the sustainability of this little endeavor AKA donate to my coffee fund, you can do so via Venmo (username: JoVanna-Balquier) 🫶
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Other fronts include binge drinking, fraternizing with frat boys, and giving two shits about the Kardashians