HOW TO SHOP SECOND HAND
A lot of people ask me how I do it, how do I shop second hand? People’s concerns are not about where or why, rather how to become a successful second hand shopper. The important thing from a sustainability perspective is not a shopping pattern where you physically visit second hand stores, rather a fashion pattern where you look after what’s already been produced. If that means you take care of the clothes you already have and don’t buy as many new ones, or that you consume a lot second hand, doesn’t really matter. I also want to clarify that second hand can also mean borrowing from friends, exchanging with people or renting clothes, it doesn’t have to come from a physical store or e-trade.
But there are a few tricks I’ve learned after years of mistakes:
Know your style - I wrote a post about it. You’ll make mistakes otherwise and buy things you believe are cool but when you look at them at home, you’ll regret it.
Know what you need - This one is related to knowing your closet. Investigate what clothes you would use more if you had another item to match them with. Are there pants, tops or jackets missing for you to optimise the use of all clothes in your closet?
Plan a long time ahead - In a sustainable closet, last minute has to go away. Maybe you’ll buy a jeans jacket during winter, a swimsuit in October or boots for winter during June. You have to be more aware what you need during the whole year and be open for that any of those items will enter at any given moment.
Plan time for second hand shopping - For me it’s been more optimal not to mix my second hand shopping with other shopping because I need more patience when I visit second hand shops. It’s normally a lot of clothes, not always sorted and it takes time to try and see if it fits because you can’t always trust the size. Give it four hours during a Saturday and pick only a few.
Pick you favourites - Are there stores that normally have your size, colours or style? Are there stores where clothes are better presented? I have one I visit almost every week to have quick look and that’s normally the time I find the most precious things.
Make sure it fits - Sometimes you buy something because you really need it and you don’t want to buy it newly produced, but it’s also a waste to buy things you won’t use. If it doesn’t fit and you don’t have a sewing machine you regularly use, Skip it!
Look for what you need - Sometimes we spend hours in one shop trying to find something unique and precious but we don’t really know what we’re looking for and this can be very tiring. If it’s jeans you need, go directly to that section and spend time trying them on.
Choose quality over quantity - It’s easy to buy things just because they’re cheap but you might end up with stuff in your closet you don’t really use. If you have things in your closet you’re not using very often, donate them back! It can be good to ask yourself if the item you’re consuming is supposed to stay for a long or short time. Because it might be better to pay a little bit more for better quality if it’s something you want to use regularly over a year or so. If it’s something you’re planning to use at one party, then quality doesn’t really matter.
Choose second hand from NGOs - The non-governmental organisations use second hand as way to finance their social activities. In other words you’re not only a climate hero when buying second hand you’re also a social and economic hero making sure the money goes into something good. At those second hand stores, mistakes are allowed - because you’ve just donated to charity.
I hope these few tips gave you something to think about. Remember that it takes practice to build up a good routine for a sustainable closet. So be patient.