Second hand September

My younger daughter has been trying for a while to lure me down the rabbit hole of pre-loved clothing. I've seen the bargains she's found online or through charity shops and I've been tempted for a while, though not sure of where to start; since the pandemic I've taken to buying my clothes on-line, generally in sales, and my local charity shop window never has anything appealing on display.

Then Oxfam's Second-hand September campaign hit my inbox and social media. I was already vaguely aware of the shocking statistics behind fast fashion - apparently it contributes 10 % global greenhouse gas emissions, and 336,000 tonnes end up in landfill - but didn't think of them as really applying to me as 'fast' fashion is not my style; I'm a firm believer in buying clothes that will last for years, then wearing them out or upcycling them if necessary. On the other hand, I'm always one for a bargain so I took the plunge and scrolled through e-Bay and Vinted in search of some new, old clothes.

Lots of items caught my eye - if I needed a one-off party dress this could well be the place to find one, and then pass it on - but for the most part they were summer clothes - it's the end of the season and lots of folks seem to be clearing lighter clothes from their wardrobes. I did find one thing that I couldn't ignore though - a top which I'd bought in a different colourway several years ago. It's like meeting up with an old friend, though one which hasn't aged over the years. 

Delighted with my first foray, I continued looking. As autumn approaches, I'm looking through my wardrobe, often in despair, discovering those clothes which have 'shrunk' since last year, and realising I need a few new items. I always intend to diet seriously 'this' year, and then my old but lovely clothes will fit, but meanwhile I need something to wear. This is an ideal gap for the pre-loved to fill. I'd rather not pay a lot for something in a larger size as I hope to lose weight. So I've 'saved' several items, made a bid that was too low, and missed some because I didn't want deliveries while I was on holiday.

 The persuasive blurb from Oxfam claims that by choosing second hand the consumer can makes 'a choice towards a fairer, more sustainable future'. Now, I take their point that it saves unwanted clothes going to landfill, but I've also read that unwanted new clothes can end up there too, and my e-mail this month has been filled with 20% off new season stock notifications, or 60% sales on end of summer ranges. If buying second hand for a month means that stores suddenly begin to struggle, what then? It maybe isn't as easy a solution as it's painted to be. To my mind, to buy a mix of new and second hand throughout the year is a better plan.