This September, Oxfam are asking people to “take the pledge” to take part in their seemingly crazy movement: Going a month without buying any new clothes. This may seem crazy to most people because the way that the majority of us consume fashion (in the western world) is wasteful and irresponsible; we have come to see buying new clothes, not as a luxury, but as a necessity. The disposable nature of cheap (but fashionable) fast-fashion clothes has bred a throw-away society: A world of never-happy consumers who are always looking to buy the next pair of trainers or faux fur jacket and God forbid we’re ever caught in the same look twice! Tempted by impulse buys and £1 next day delivery offers, we are adding more and more clothes to landfill each year as well as funding unethical and almost unbelievable working conditions.

Since When Do Oxfam Care About Sustainable Fashion?

The fast fashion industry has a myriad of problems both ethically and ecologically. I recently wrote an article called The Environmental Cost of Fashion in which I wrote, in detail, about the detrimental effect that the fast fashion industry has on the environment. As well as being one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses and second largest polluter of clean water (through the use of textile dyeing) globally, many of the factories where these clothes are made are based in countries where working conditions and minimum wage aren’t regulated.

This video on Oxfam’s Instagram states that the effects on the environment caused by fast fashion are hitting the hardest in places where the poorest people, who have done the least to impact climate change will be effected. They also touched on how the low prices of most fast fashion brands – which is the main, if not only appeal, to buying from them – usually means low wages for workers, especially women. And of course, buying your second-hand goods from Oxfam means that your money will be put towards helping these people; according to the video, the proceeds from one dress can afford drought resistant seeds that help the people of Zimbabwe to continue to grow food, even during the climate crisis.

Source: @oxfamgb

Source: @odilebree

Let’s look at the facts*:

· One pair of jeans takes 7000 litres of water to manufacture – this is equivalent to 6-7 years of the average person’s drinking water

· 11 million garments end up in landfill un the UK every week

· The emissions from new clothes bought in the UK each month are greater than those from flying a plane around the world 900 times

· More than half of all fast fashion produced is disposed of in under a year

· Although this industry is the largest employer of women globally, less than 2% of these women earn a living wage

My Experience with Saying Yes to Second-Hand.

Up until this summer I hadn’t given much thought to my buying habits. I had long been a culprit of buying a £5 dress for one party or an oddly sized bikini from a Chinese clothing website that was worn no more than 3 times. Even this year, when I was celebrating my first full-time wage by buying new clothes from Topshop and Monki (sometimes weekly), I didn’t give a second thought to the impact my choices were having.

I honestly can’t remember what exactly made me consider any of this, but the discussion of fast vs slow fashion was floating around a lot in my little Instagram echo-chamber and something just clicked. I think it was exactly 2 months ago that I decided to stop buying new clothes and I haven’t really looked back (although I really want to be able to buy some sustainable activewear in the next Tala drop). I’ve been able to find everything I need either in charity shops like Oxfam or on Depop (my favourite place to find amazing pre-loved clothes).

Without access to cheap, new clothes at the click of a button I found my desire to shop decreasing – I don’t need new clothes just because they’re there and they’re cheap, I have enough in my wardrobe. This doesn’t mean, of course, that I haven’t shopped. I’ve spent my time wafting through racks of vintage clothes and scrolling through Depop to find my “new” pieces and enjoyed it a lot more and so did my bank account. I In essence, I rediscovered the fun in shopping whilst lessening my desire to buy and throw away clothes.

Tips for Surviving Second-Hand September

If you’re not an avid vintage shopper but you want to give this movement a go, you’ll need some tips.

Go Shopping!

The best way, and the way which will be the most fun, is to go out to the vintage and charity shops in your town/city and have a look. Browsing the racks of a vintage shop is one of the simple pleasures in life – you’ll be surrounded by the smell and sight of history. That’s the beauty of vintage shopping; every piece has a story and whether it’s been reworked or not you can guarantee the owners of the shop have put a lot of work into getting that piece on the rack and (hopefully) into your wardrobe.

My favourite Manchester vintage shops are Cow and Bags of Flavour. Cow is actually a chain and they have an online store for anyone short on time – their racks are full of reimagined designer pieces, sportswear and denim! Bags of Flavour is a hidden gem on a corner of the Northern Quarter – it’s a menswear shop but it’s full of shirts and t-shirts that can suit anybody; I found a great Ralph Lauren rugby shirt that I wear as a dress. I also honestly love Oxfam. I found an amazing denim jacket in there for £10 that I take on all of my trips and almost every night out – it’s amazing, and I can tell it’s going to last!

Kilo sales are another place you can find great pieces for a low price. The standard price at kilo sales is £15-20 for a kilo of clothes. Just scour the racks, pick your pieces and weigh them. I got a pair of pink, high top Converse in my exact size in a kilo sale – just £15!

Buy Online:

If you don’t have the time, or the desire, to rift through 100s of pre-loved garments in desperation to find your perfect piece (tip: don’t do it on limited time, an empty stomach or a full bladder), another great option is to utilise online marketplaces such as Depop, Beyond Retro and Asos Marketplace. The ability to search and refine said searches makes these sites a handy, pocket-and-planet-friendly alternative to fast fashion.

A lot of people use these platforms to buy and resell exclusive designer pieces, but you’ll be surprised by the amount of Topshop Joni jeans and Zara jackets you see. People often resell their clothes – at a discounted price – after that fatal first (and only) use, others simply resell things because they’ve outgrown them, or received the wrong size. Benefits of these sites and apps are that its quick and easy and can be done from wherever you want. Make sure to converse with sellers, though. It’s easy for things to arrive later than expected – I usually message them and ask for first class.

Swap Your Clothes:

Clothes swaps are amazing. Whether you find one in your area that’s been organised by a company or charity, or you stage your own with a few of your friends; you’re guaranteed to have a good time and get some new clothes out of it too. The general consensus in a clothes swap is that one item = one item – some opt to tier clothes based on quality, brand or category but, that’s just confusing. I got one of my favourite pairs of jeans from a clothes swap organsied in support for Plastic Ain’t Fantastic (an organisation advocating for a ban in single use plastics) – Topshop Mom jeans! (Thanks Starr).

Rent Your Clothes:

Whilst similar to swapping, renting is an even more eco-friendly way to wear new clothes as it promotes a circular economy – compared to the reuse economy of swapping and reselling, or the linear economy of buying and throwing away. It is much more resourceful, and it ensures that items will be loved time and time again. There has been a recent surge in new online rental sites such as Our Closet UK, Rent A Dress UK and By Rotation (A.K.A the Airbnb of fashion). Rented clothes are always at a discounted price and allow for that wear-it-once culture – which is going to be difficult to overcome – to have a place in a world of environmentally friendly, slow fashion.

After Second-Hand September

Once you’ve finished Second-Hand September, you may well be addicted to this new style of shopping – they do say it takes 30 days to form a habit! I’m on my third month and I honestly doubt I’ll go back to fast fashion. But maybe you won’t be quite ready to give up the gun. Here are some ways to make your fashion more sustainable:

Wear your clothes multiple times – the more you wear your clothes, the more you’ll value them. Don’t treat them as throw away items and make them last.

Wash your clothes less – if you wash a t-shirt after a 7-minute trip to the shop and back, you’re wasting a lot of water and a lot of energy. Wash your clothes when you need to not simply because you can. You’ll save money, too!

Try buying clothes that are made from organic and natural material – synthetics like polystyrene and Lycra contain micro plastics meaning that every time you wash them, loads of miniscule pieces of plastic are released into the worlds water supply. Pro tip: when you do wash your synthetics, put them in a wash bag to lessen the damage.

Try shopping sustainable – there are loads of slow, sustainable and ethical fashion brands out there; it just takes some digging. A lot of them are expensive but there are some gems out there, such as Tala, that will get you high-quality, sustainable clothes at an affordable price.

Thanks for reading!

Sources* Oxfam, The Sustainable Fashion Forum, Fashion Revolution

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Sep 8 Why I’m Taking Part in Second-Hand September (And You Should Too)