Why I love thrift shopping...
There are so so many benefits to hitting your local thrift shops instead of your local Westfield.
Number one. Its cheap! If you are like me and you have some shopaholic tendencies and a strong treat yourself gene, then thrift shopping is your bank accounts new best friend. You get the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with buying a new top, without the guilt over spending the money. $1 for a new bubblegum pink jumper that is so on trend right now? Yes please. Plus, shopping exclusively with sustainable brands isn’t exactly budget friendly, so thrift shopping is a sustainable shopping alternative that won’t hurt your wallet. So you can save up for that special sustainable piece you’ve been lusting after.
Number Two. You won’t see every Bob, Sally and Nancy out there wearing your clothes! Your new vintage blazer is not lining the racks of every Zara and H and M, but you are still bang on trend. Take my new favourite blazer, this is a tough decision, and I will probably have a new favourite tomorrow. It’s this snazzy, oversized, light blue and cream check, it adds a pop of colour to an otherwise boring outfit and was the perfect layering piece for this slightly chilly Brisbane Autumn day. It must be noted that I have become a big baby when it comes to the cold and I’m sure it didn’t drop below 24 degrees.
Full outfit details:
T-Shirt - This tee is actually a piece of merch from Tar Mar on Youtube, she is a very cool youtuber and blogger who has a focus on sustainability and fashion. What drew me to this piece is that unlike a lot of influencers out there Tara put in the effort to make sure that something that she was putting her name on was sustainably and ethically made. The campaign is discontinued from Everpress but if you are interested in some New York based fashion content I would check out her Youtube.
Skirt - This is my go to little black skirt, originally from Topshop, however it came into my life when my friend and I did a closet swap, something I highly recommend if you and your friend have similar taste, are wanting some new clothes and don’t have a lot of cash to splash. This is also not available anymore but here is something similar from a great sustainable fashion website, Well Made Clothes.
Shoes - A classic. Low cut, black and white converse. A staple in any wardrobe. I’ve had mine for about 6 years now and they are still going strong.
Bag - This little cutie is from Sportsgirl a while ago, I feel in love with the shape of it and couldn’t resist. Here is a great vegan leather alternative from Matt and Nat.
Number Three. It’s Sustainable! Hitting your local thrift or vintage shop is giving new life to clothes that would have otherwise ended up in landfill taking years to decompose. More precisely synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon and acrylic take 20 to 200 years to break down. Where as natural fibres like cotton, linen and hemp take a few weeks to a few months. I’ll talk more about natural vs synthetic fibres later down the track as there are some pretty fun facts to be discussed, in my opinion anyway.
Thrifting also often means that you are not purchasing as much fast fashion, that is, poor quality, cheap garments made to be disposable by underpaid workers in poor working conditions. Taking away capital from this industry and putting it into a more sustainable practice feels like a nice little step away from the fast fashion machine. However, I’m not saying you have to quit your Zara habits cold turkey, (I certainly haven’t) but a small step is still a step in the right direction.
All of these things aside; the main thing is, I love channelling my inner 80’s business woman while rocking my $5 blazer. Not feeling guilty about it is just the icing on the cake.
Hit up the link below for more fun fibre facts, and stay tuned if you want to hear me discuss them x
