NEWS
EVENTS
Why there's more to charity shops than shit shirts and Toby jugs.
Wednesday 22nd February 2017 | Grace
With something as shallow as London fashion week adopting the ‘charity shop chic’ look, perhaps it is time we all took influence from this and started to think a little harder about the impact of throw away fashion in the modern day.
Granted, the stereotype of second hand clothing being freshly ripped from the recently deceased (although perhaps that is a selling point for some…) is now long *ahem* dead, there can still be an air of snobbishness about not buying first hand from people who think that all charity shops are good for is buying fluorescent orange flairs for a crappy fancy dress party or purchasing items you are likely to see on your Grans 'best shelf'.
However, there are so many reasons that buying second hand goes beyond the hipster vintage shops of east London.
Besides the obvious tax-dodging "c you next Tuesdays" that own the majority of fashion giants, there is a devastating amount of labour, environmental impact and minimum waged shop workers that the first hand fashion industry has an effect on.
With workers abroad being paid as little as 71p an hour and 3 billion tonnes of soot being produced by Chinese textile factories each year, perhaps it’s time we all stopped being so shallow, sucked it up and started realising that not everything we own has to be first hand and brand new.
Not just clothing but electronics, kitchen ware, cars, pets, children, whatever! If the previous generations and other countries could deal with a ‘make do and mend’ attitude, then why can’t this one? If something is broke, get a needle and thread and fucking fix it!
And you know what, if you do go out and buy something cool and second hand and you really truly in your heart feel like it “smells”, just try fucking washing it then!
As well as contributing to a better environment and fairer life for others, great reasons to shop second hand, also think about the benefit to your pocket and the contribution to local businesses and charities. Not only can you walk out with a new cheap wardrobe but also with a smug grin on your face too!
(A big ol’ Victorian, bought in a vintage shop hats off to the people that do buy second hand, by the way.)
