SECONDHAND FASHION IS ALWAYS A FAVOURITE OF OURS, IT’S UNIQUE, IT HAS A VERY LOW IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND IT USUALLY DOESN’T COST A LOT. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF SECONDHAND SEPTEMBER. IT WAS STARTED BY THE CHARITY OXFAM IN 2019 TO PROMOTE THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF SHOPPING SECONDHAND. THE 30 DAYS OF SECONDHAND SEPTEMBER ARE A WAY OF CELEBRATING THE AMAZING ASPECTS OF BEING SUSTAINABLE WITH YOUR WARDROBE. IF YOU’RE NOT YET BUYING IN A MORE CONSCIOUS WAY, THIS MONTH IS A BEAUTIFUL INVITATION TO START!

words by HOLLY KELSEY
photographs by ANDREW DAY & HOLLY KELSEY

Waste is a major issue in fashion at the moment, with fast fashion brands bringing out new collections each week and millions of items ending up in landfill. No matter how many new clothes you keep buying, you might still have ‘nothing’ to wear in your wardrobe. It’s perhaps time to rethink the pieces already in your wardrobe or try something different. Secondhand September is perhaps the answer to this. If you take a look at the Instagram hashtag #secondhandseptember you’ll see all the great ways others are supporting preloved this month and maybe get some inspiration for your outfits.

Five ways to get involved in Secondhand September

01 - SHOP VINTAGE AND SECONDHAND FASHION

There’s always a lot of questions about what is the difference between vintage and secondhand. Vintage is anything that fifteen years old or older, it sometimes can be expensive if it’s an archive piece from an Haute Couture brand. Secondhand is anything that’s not brand new, that someone else previously owned. It's a lot cheaper than buying brand new. We featured Vestiaire Collective in a previous article about how you can easily find something wonderful whilst shopping vintage. There’s nothing better than searching through a vintage store and finding an absolute treasure, its always the best feeling that you’ve found something unique! Check out our Paris and New York vintage shopping guides to get inspiration on where to shop.

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02 - RENT GARMENTS

Rental fashion is such a fun way of wearing something new without actually producing a new garment. We’ve even written about the different rental apps around the world, check it out here or get inspired by our article with 5 looks from Rent the Runway.

3 - MEND AND UPCYCLE YOUR WARDROBE

The most sustainable piece of clothing is the one that’s already in your wardrobe. Show some love to the items that are already in your wardrobe, take them to the tailor to be adjusted, style them differently, or even turn them into something new!

4 - SELL CLOTHES YOU NO LONGER WEAR

If you 100% know you won’t wear an item again or even up-cycle it, selling it is the way forward! There are so many apps you can use to sell items. Whether its a high street brand, premium or luxury, there’s an app for everything! We previously wrote an article on all the great apps for selling clothes. Another great option is to donate garments to a charity, it could be Salvation Army or British Heart Foundation or Oxfam, there are many organisations that would benefit from a donation.

5 - ATTEND OR HOST A CLOTHING SWAP

A clothing swap is an event where you can take your old garments and switch them for other preloved garments. You can either attend a clothing swap or even host your own! It’s a great way to say good bye to old garments that you no longer love or don’t work in your wardrobe and get something new in return. Quite literally one persons ‘trash’ is another persons treasure. Plus it's such a lovely social thing to do to meet others in the sustainable fashion community!

With all of this said, being more considerate with your shopping habits shouldn’t just be for one month but an ongoing action. Secondhand September is a fun way to get into conscious shopping! Whether you’re on a budget or looking for a new way to spice up your wardrobe, pursuing secondhand hand is not only fun, but also has such a positive impact.