There are many benefits of buying clothes secondhand, but how do you know if the secondhand clothing lifestyle is for you? Let’s make it really simple…
Are you:
- budget-conscious
- a person with an unstoppable fashion addiction
- a new parent with a baby that is growing out of its clothes as soon as you put it into them
- a hunter/gatherer who just won’t quit
- living on planet Earth
If you said yes to any of the above options, then it’s time to shake things up and start buying clothes secondhand. Here are the reasons why…
It’s a money saver
The #1 thing people notice about buying pre-loved clothing is that it’s an amazing money saver. Regardless of whether you need to be pinching pennies or not, it’s a seriously easy way to save cash with very little effort. In fact, it’s often easier than browsing the stores for new clothes.
You’ll find tonnes of online sellers on Bountye, who are advertising everything from designer threads to items that still have tags attached to baby clothes that are in excellent condition but are no longer needed.
You’ll notice how much more you can get without blowing the budget. So, while you’re getting more bang for your fashion budget buck, you’re also freeing up money that can be put to good use — like paying your internet bill so you can continue your secondhand shopping online.
It’s sustainably-savvy
The production of new clothing has an unbelievably negative impact on the environment. It’s hard to believe that some items of clothing are only worn once, considering how much goes into producing that one item. Buying clothes secondhand reduces the waste and pollution that is a direct result of fast fashion.
You probably didn’t realise that every time you wash a polyester garment in your washing machine you’re contributing to plastic in the oceans. Or that textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of clean water globally. Or that many toxic chemicals and high levels of water (it takes 2,700 litres of water to make one cotton shirt) are used to grow cotton crops, contributing to drought and health implications for the farmers producing these crops.
But now you do. Start helping to save the planet, one t-shirt at a time.
It’s fun
Buying clothes secondhand is often like going on a treasure hunt — you never know what you’ll discover next. It could be an amazing pair of corduroy flares from the 70s, it could be a smart three piece suit, or the dress you saw in the window of your favourite shop last week with the price tag still attached.
If you’re buying used threads via Bountye, you’ll most likely type in a general search term such as: pink spotty dress. Since everyone has a different interpretation of what a pink spotty dress looks like, and you’re not hamstrung by only having the option of looking at what’s hot in the stores this week, you’ll be agreeably surprised with the great options that come up.
You’ll find items that you might not have been looking for, but that really take your fancy. It doesn’t hurt that you are likely to pick these things up for much less than you’d be paying in the store.
Designer for less
Designer fashion comes with a hefty price tag that most people can’t afford…unless they are buying secondhand. A quick online browse of secondhand + a designer name will magically conjure up the garments that you wouldn’t be able to afford new in your wildest dreams. Now they’re just a click away.
The Luxe Strategist gives the lowdown on various ways to get your hands on designer clothing for less, and agrees that buying secondhand is one of the best ways to pimp your wardrobe.
People who don’t mind paying full price for designer items will generally only wear them once or twice, before they tire of them and then sell them so they can afford the next piece that comes off the runway. Good news for you, as you’ll be strutting around in designer gear without having your bank insisting you cut up all your credit cards and never call them again.
