Is it Ethical to buy Fast Fashion Secondhand?
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Come for a walk with me! In this video I chat about why I think it's okay to buy fast fashion brands second hand and a few things to think about when doing so.
As I've mentioned in other videos shopping secondhand is one of the most sustainable and ethical ways to buy clothes - you are not using any new resources or supporting unethical manufacturing, and you're reducing waste. It's also a very affordable way to reduce your impact and build a conscious wardrobe.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this!
My secondhand and thrift shopping tips: • How to Thrift like a P...
Why I buy new and used clothing: • New vs. Used Clothing ...
Also I apologize about the quality and audio! I'm in Canada right now and it's difficult to film but I still wanted to make this video.
Thanks for watching!
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This is not a sponsored video.
how do you feel about out of season/discount stores like TJ Maxx, Ross and Marshalls? Or outlet stores?
I would like to know this too.
I used to buy from them, but no longer do. If you look at just the immediate impact of the clothes they're a more eco-friendly options since those clothes might otherwise end up in the landfill; however they have a bigger picture impact by providing a place where brands can get rid of clothes without having to deal with their own waste and overproduction.
In a more traditional fashion business model brands carefully calculate how many of each item to produce because they can lose a lot of money having to sell product at clearance or not being able to sell it at all. But if a brand can still sell those items at a small profit to stores like TJ Maxx it means it's not a problem if they overproduce (or overbuy for retailers) and they don't have to deal with the clothing waste they've created. It basically encourages more production.
However I still do think they are a better option than buying new items directly from a fast fashion brand, if fast fashion or discount store are your ONLY options, go with the discount store, but buying secondhand or from sustainable/ethical "slow fashion" brands is definitely much better.
I hope that helps and makes sense?
My Green Closet absolutely! Thank you.
(Although I am a little sad because I do find joy in shopping at those retailers haha. I will just limit my visits.)
About Winners
I think they just resell things, or they buy it from the brands. Some is coming from stores what is closing, like Sears.
An average size Winners makes 10 m3 trash a day. 3-4 m3 is cardboard and the rest is plastic. Every single clothes in plastic, and a 6 (xs, s, m, m, l, xl) in an another plastic. Mugs packed in bubble wrap, candles same... Earlier every single liquid like shampoo, shower gel was in individual plastic bag, now this is gone.
In the last few weeks, Christmas is coming soon, people buy everything, seriously doesn't matter what is on the table, people just buy it. So many of the costumers are back every second day to buy more and more and ask double bag for no reason.
The idea of this discount companies and the fact they have only one each item makes people crazy. In the buy hours ladies are almost fighting in the beauty area who can see the cool stuff first.
really helpful for me I have been dodging TkMax (uk version!) because I was unsure about where this one stands on the radar. Thanks x
I'm a plus sized girl, and shopping second hands is sometimes difficult for me, but I do it more often than the alternative! I love your videos, even if I'm not learning anything necessarily new, I think what you're doing in the youtube "fashion community" is important and you're doing a great job at it! Keep it up, sista! ;) xxx
Thank you so much!!
The thing is, most of that fast fashion is so poorly made that it doesn't stand up to a second life. It's not that durable. Even when buying secondhand, it is better to buy something that you will get more use from, to slow down that turnover of buying and throwing away.
I agree, when someone says that they got x item second hand from x shop, I will immediately go to x shop rather than think of shopping second hand. The thrift store that I like to go to sells pricier, possibly new pieces and a few multiples which is a bit questionable so I have always avoided those items (plus I don't have the extra $). However, next time I will ask about those items! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us :)
I know in the US, Target brand clothing ends up at Goodwills, but my understanding was they donated the stuff left over from clearance sales and the goodwill isn't buying them. I suppose I should double check next time
That's what I've heard as well, but then the company does get a tax write off.
This happens at my local Goodwill as well! It's also my understanding that Target donates their unpurchased clearance items to the nearest Goodwill.
The Goodwill in my area buys items from Target at a discount. I know they do that with home goods, I did not ask about clothes. I will ask them next time.
yep, my Goodwill has a whole rack of donated stuff from Target, often priced HIGHER than the target clearance price tag that is still on it. PASS
I really enjoyed this, and the scenery was lovely. my arm would've got tired though haha
Thanks! Haha it definitely did get tired, I get more shakier near the end :)
I've had to address this question several times as well and I think you hit everything on the head! I'm so thrilled to find someone who aligns with my values so closely. Thanks for recording this!
If the logo is rather small (as with nike sometimes) you can paint over it, sew a patch over it or the like
Yes! Great point!
I do almost all of my shopping at Poshmark these days. I love that I can search for exactly what I need while also buying secondhand. I also love that it avoids the possibility of the clothes being sent to the landfill, as so many thrift store donations are. It’s a bit more expensive than thrift stores, but much cheaper-and more ethical, IMO-than buying new.
In the US, it’s almost impossible to find a thrift store that doesn’t buy some items in bulk. Savers is especially guilty of this.
Also want to point out that Goodwill’s labor practices are pretty problematic, so if you can support other thrift shops, do.
I love all the thought you've put into this, all makes sense to me! I just wish there was a better plus size selection at thrift stores. It's usually mixed in with the regular sizes and I get frustrated sorting through and trying on a million things. Any tips for keeping shopping low stress? :)
I agree 100%! Enjoy your time in Canada! :)
I completely agree with you on not mentioning brands on social media. I came to this realisation a while ago that if i mentioned brands in general i was essentially providing free advertising for these big companies that i don't necessarily want to support. So i no longer do this although i did in the past.
One thing you don't mention though that currently troubles me is the fact that i find that in 2nd hand stores especially in fast fashion brands clothing with a synthetic content is much more typical. Since almost my entire wardrobe is 2nd hand this means i now have a lot of synthetic stuff (often mixed with natural fibres). I like to think that the good that i've done by not purchasing new outweighs the negatives of the synthetic microfibres that get into the waterways. However since i think the microfibre issue is relatively new (last decade or so) probably nobody really knows what the total impact is. I know of some sustainability advocates that have got completely rid of their synthetic content 2nd hand clothes to buy a whole new organic natural fibre wardrobe after learning about the microfibre issue. Personally i can't afford to do that nor think that is necessarily the best option to do since it still creates either waste or sends the clothing onto someone else anyway (plus the energy and resources that go into making the new clothes). I did think of seeing if there was somewhere i could at least send all my microfibre cleaning cloths to where it could be recycled and i could replace them all with biodegradable versions (since i could afford this one change) however in my area there is absolutely no where i can send them except maybe H&M who say they have some kind recycling service for clothing (i'd have to wait till i'm travelling to a city where there is one of these stores though so it isn't as easy as that sounds). Anyway do you have any thought on this and i'm sure you've already said this in a previous video but do you purchase only natural fibres or do you have a mix? Thanks
It's unfortunate that there's more and more synthetic materials and blends being used. I do try for the most part to stick with natural materials, but with buying synthetics secondhand (or recycled synthetics) the way I see it is the damage is already done. If you give it away someone else is just contributing to the microfibre pollution, it hasn't actually helped the problem, just changed hands-the real issue is the creation of new synthetic materials.
I agree, and think that the total impact of a new garment (because there is so much involved) is greater than the impact of a synthetic secondhand garment, and I don't think it's a very good idea to get rid of everything for an organic natural fibre wardrobe. Even though natural fibres are much better at the end of life, the creation of them, especially cotton, is very energy intensive and damaging in other ways. Finally I can't remember where I read this, so I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I think I read something about how the largest amount of microfibres are lost in the first few washes, so if that's true than secondhand synthetics aren't having as much of an impact.
I hope that helps? It's definitely a complex issue and ultimately it's about what you're most comfortable with but I would say that natural fibres are generally the better option but I also wouldn't worry to much about buying synthetic materials secondhand. Secondhand shopping has so many great sustainable and ethical benefits that it think it's much more important to look for style and fit (so you find pieces you like and enjoy wearing!) than fibre content. :)
Thanks for this detailed comment and thanks for the great content!
Totally agree. Almost all my fast fashion clothes were purchased from opp-shops. No logos (not my style). I invested in some slow fashion, made locally, this year, inspired by you!
That's amazing!!
That last pointer you made is very true as it's something that I recently implemented with my Instagram account. Shopping for things secondhand and sharing that aspect is what I enjoy and take pride in the most; not the brands behind each purchase I made. In fact, I'd say that for last couple years, I've become a lot less interested in brand names and staying loyal to them. It just takes up a lot of time as well as wasting a lot of money in the long haul.
I totally agree about finding out what your thrift shop supports. I bought 2 items from thred up once only to find out they donate to teach for America (which as a urban public school teacher I don't support that organization- I support their overall mission but not the means to the end) so after receiving my items I deleted the app.
Just curious, why don't you support Teach for America? I don't know much about them to be honest. I've been wanting to get some workout clothes second-hand and was looking at thread up too
+twotwo I appreciate their mission which is to bridge the achievement/opportunity gap (the fact that children of color/low economic status don't do as well and generally seem to be at a disadvantage in school), but I don't think that even the most elite high achieving college students are the ones to bridge the gap (if they are not going to college for education). I think the program largely discredits hard working, vetted teachers. I also feel from what I have seen that there is not enough diversity among teach for America members (among teachers in general too honestly). Teach for America members are people with 4 year degrees (usually not in education or teaching) who go through a 16 week crash course in teaching. They go teach at an underprivileged school for two years (and are paid I believe 20k per year) and the schools often push more experienced teachers into retirement because they can pay these teach for America people so much less.
+Samantha A also many of them quit after those two years but I believe research indicates that teachers really start to get good in the 3-5th years of teaching.
Thank you for explaining! I'll have to read more into it
Really enjoyed this video Erin :) Here, in London, some thrift/charity shops have brand new items with a tag on because it was donated new. This is fairly common in rich neighbourhoods where some women had bought things and then never worn it. The charity shop then wants people to know it's never been worn and it justifies the extra £.
I've been trying to get better at what I'm purchasing. I never thought to apply it to second hand stores. You've definitely given me things to think about!! Thanks 😊
I have seen thrift/charity shops selling multiples. I asked the staff and was told they were donated by a shop that closed down. So that's another way they end up with multiples.
After watching your videos I've been thinking a lot about fast fashion. I've been buying second d handed and love it. 50% of my wardrobe is now second handed. Best change ever. I'm also selling pieces that I don't wear anymore and using the money I get from my clothes for moving and whatever is left over goes to trips in the future.
That's so awesome!!
Love your thoughtful and approachable videos! Just one thing with the 'new with tags' clothes in thrift stores: in the UK, it's a policy of some brands (such as Urban Outfitters) to donate stock that hasn't sold. What's your view on buying those pieces? I'd also be interested to know your views on TJ Maxx, as mentioned in Rachelle's comment - particularly since they often seem to have People Tree and other items from ethical brands. Thanks!
I totally agree.I don't like to advertise brands and don't feel like brands make us look beautiful or better than others. I now buy thrifted clothing and I love finding unique items. Like a shirt I got that even got a compliment on it and where I got it. I said thrift store yayyy It says STOP THE TRAFFIC (with a light traffic pic) and on the back says Human are Not for Sale.
Just love shirts with a message.
I honestly don't know all the brands of fast vs. slow fashion, but I know George is Walmart, and I usually avoid those when I see them second hand. Same with Joe Fresh. The quality just isn't there. I do love that thrift shopping is completely acceptable these days. My Mom doesn't agree though - thrift shops still have that "poor people" stigma for her, so she's very proud to pay way more than she can afford for brand new clothes, just to say that she did. She'll come around one of these days. :)
Also, I love finding Canadian vloggers... where are you from? I'm near Kingston, Ontario.
Great tips! Thank you for explaining this so well.
loved looking at your surroundings during your talk 😄 I never thought of this issue that way and I think you're making excellent points. I have so many fast fashion clothes bought years ago that I have decided to not shop at all anymore. Waiting for my old clothes to get ruined gives me time to look for sustainable fashion brands that fit my style and budget, but also save money to get better items in the future. What do you think of luxury brands ? Are any of them sustainable or socially and environmentally responsible ?
Yes definitely ask your opportunity stores, as I was once a designer and gave it up to be more sustainable and I donated a lot of items to my local stores.
Thanks for sharing your opinion - I agree with you but I was super curious what you were going to say. I tend to say the brand along with the thrift shop store but that's probably my insecurity. Great food for thought!
another point for me personally is that fast fashion contains loads of plastic which means on one hand that you are putting plastic on your skin or heavily chemically treated material (I still do thrift shop though, just wanted to mention it) and also the microplastic that lands in the ocean when you wash those fast fashion clothes. those are in my opinion essentially reasons why to not only thriftshop but also - if you can - support fair fashion brands and buy organic cotton clothes that will be nicer to your skin and the ocean
I've seen several items of the same brand or with the tags still on in Norway, I've asked and often the salvation army will buy those items from h&m or whatever store, for a cheaper price and resell them. I think it really depends on where you are, I've asked here in Hong Kong and haven't hear of them doing that. Loved this video, will keep in mind not to tell ppl what my brand my thrifted clothes are from, although I do like to brag a little when i get french connection or other higher end brands for only a few dollars.
The goodwill in Longmont Co gets left overs from the local Target. I actually learned that from another shopper because I questioned it while standing in an aisle.
Great video! Always enjoy when you post. I used to work in savers and I saw that all the time. I assumed that a lot of brands just donated their items that they couldn't sell. A lot of them were either non-name brands that were very odd, or sometimes from places like a lucky brand,etc. Never thought of shops buying them, really is making me think now!? I can't see them actually buying and doing that. That's just my thought though.
Great video. Good thought on promotion by brand even 2nd hand. Thanks!
I was able finally to purchase a couple of pieces from Eileen Fisher, and I think that I'm going to love them for a long time. The fit and quality are amazing! Planning my fall capsule now but it looks like it will be right around the 10-12 item mark again. I'm so glad I didn't follow a project like 333 because I would have gone with a specific number (33) where as now I have the number of pieces that work for me through self discovery.Funny you mention logos, because I am finally donating a sweat shirt with a large logo, because I don't want to advertise for the brand.
Nice! Eileen Fisher makes such beautiful clothes :) Happy to hear your capsule wardrobes are going so well!
so, Im a 6''2 girl who literally cannot buy clothing from normal shops because it NEVER fits me. i often buy from seller on ebay who sell things from say topshop tall and newlook tall etc. but I have very very limited options for size etc. its sad because ive very very rarely been able to go into a charity shop and fond something that is anywhere near long enough. im trying currently to only buy second hand...but for seasonal things like coats etc its really damn hard. there needs to be an ethical tall brand out there!! ive written to people like people tree about it and they said theyd consider a tall range...but realistically i know there isnt enough demand for ethical brands for this to actually happen. 😡
Size 11 shoes here, i can feel the problem and i m just 6 feet tall.
I bought a sawing machine to solve this issue, but yes a little uncomfortable to buy a large size and resaw it every times, but no better option now :(
Loved this video! So simple, natural and useful 😉
I alwais buy in sencond hand (except of course knickers), but it's so difficult to find ettical clothes of this tipe, I only find two clothes and there aren't my size. Sorry for my english! I am from Spain. Another thing, here in Madrid there are a lot of second hand shops, and some day you can buy good clothes for 4 euros o 2 euros. My boyfriend boy yesterday good clothes (good qualithy, and some new clothes) in Intermon Oxfam shop (this is better than Humana, take care with this shop).
thanks I found this video really helpful its been a subject on my mind and its definitely given me some clarity
Again a really interesting topic, I've sometimes wondered about this myself but since I've recently accepted that buying from ethical stores doesn't work for me(at the moment due to fit issues) purchasing fast fashion second hand has become my go to. As I can't get to second hand stores in my area at the moment and to be honest they aren't very good anyway eBay or Oxfam online is where mainly shop. Recently I've noticed that Oxfam seem to have some sort of arrangement with M&S as they have a lot of items that are brand new with tags, I'll have to email them and see if they're buying the items or whether they are just end of line items. Although I'd seen the selling of fast fashion items by business sellers on eBay I'd never thought to question it with Oxfam
Second hand is the best!! :D
I think it's always good to just ask what the arrangement is- if the new items where donated or bought, or if the thrift store ever buys stock to resell.
I love your new profile picture - you look great! (As always)
A lot of charity shops in the UK buy in new bags and accessories - I guess this is because these items are rarely in good condition when they're donated. Also sometimes if you see multiples of the same dress and they don't have tags, they were bridesmaids' dresses and were donated after the wedding! But if they do have tags, then like you say, they were probably bought in or donated by a fast fashion chain.
I'm in two minds about mentioning brands in posts/videos about secondhand clothes. I think your point about promoting the brands is a very good one, but if that person wants that specific item, then they're likely to go to eBay to look for it secondhand, and they need to know the brand to find it. That's what I've done when I've seen something I really like on a blog, and it was thrifted or purchased years ago.
Hello, I see a lot of new items in the thrift shop I go to, because the brands donate this items to the thrift shops sometimes when they are out of season. I don't think this is a bad thing at all, so I support that. I know that's the reason in my specific shop....
this is an amazing video! was totally wondering about this!
Maybe that's the reason why in some lookbooks people just say that something is thrifted and don't say from which brand the clothing item came from.
Just found your channel and I'm liking it. It's so inspiring :)
Thanks!!
Your welcome hun :)
I have seen the "multiples of the same fast fashion item" happen in a thrift store near me several times. However, each garment was clearly damaged in some way (a stain, a rip, a button missing, stitching coming undone, etc.) so I suspected that the fast fashion store was offloading items they knew they could not sell in store, even at a discount. I eventually talked to the manager of the thrift store and he said that they did not purchase the garments from the store but had an unofficial agreement with the store to take the "reject" garments. This, they explained, was mutually beneficial: the thrift store regularly receives fresh stock and the fast fashion store more "kindly" disposes of bad stock instead of tossing it in an unsustainable way (ex. landfill). Curious to know your opinion on that. : )
I completely agree with you. Thanks so much for sharing.
thank you for this video! I loved it and it encourages me!
Great video! :) I pretty much think this way about it too. My only thing with buying fast fashion secondhand is sometimes I worry that people knowing that there will always be a demand for certain fast fashion brands thinking that the items can just easily be resold via the secondhand market who might be encouraged to continue buying fast fashion without thinking about the impact of the initial purchase? Like people might buy clothes thinking "I'm not really sure about this, but I'll just get it anyway and if I don't like it and run out of time to return it I can just sell it half price on eBay/concession". Is that an irrational thought?? Maybe?? :S
the Goodwill I shop at does often and new and multiples of clothes from Target but I have been told Target donates the items to the Goodwill.
Very useful, thank you!
happens all the time in the savers op shop that ive been to that there are multiples of a particular piece
Something that's really been playing on my mind in terms of ethical fashion recently is this: by boycotting mainstream brands, what happens to the workers who are dismissed due to a smaller workload? Isn't it the case that working in a clothing factory, despite how horrendous the conditions are, is the best option for them, and they would otherwise have to go into prostitution or beg on the streets? Are we really helping these people by not contributing to the fast fashion industry? I find it such a dilemma. Would love to hear your thoughts xx
I talk more about that in this video ua-cam.com/video/-SWZYE6mAi0/v-deo.html&t=4m40s
Also I recommend watching this Vice news piece ua-cam.com/video/EnXhB1XtL2o/v-deo.html it looks at how women are "rescued" from prostitution and basically forced to become garment workers. The factory work is so awful and they can't make enough to support themselves and their families that they say they would rather work as prostitutes than in the garment industry.
My Green Closet Thanks so much for the reply, I will look at the links.
Loved this video!! For a while I was shopping 2nd hand shops via Instagram and then a few of my favorite shops started buying/taking orders for fast fashion items. It really sucked because the reason I liked the shops so much was because they were unique and a different shopping experience and eco friendly. Has anyone else seen this happening in the past year? Also, where do you get athletic shoes? I haven't been able to find any 2nd hand =\
I would like to know your opinion on one thing this video made me think about. Asos has a separate online site called marketplace where you can purchase clothes from thrift shops all over the world, which is great because inthe city where I live there's only one and one charity shop. I've only purchase one item that came from a store in Lithuania and checked at the end of the purchase how much money went to one side or another, and apparently it all goes to that shop, so not to Asos itself. My issue is that if is really ethical to buy, being from Asos site, which spreads massively fast fashion.
Good points! What about secondhand but through eBay from other countries, therefore shipping is needed? In one thrift store I go to, they do have a lot of multiple items from brands. I always thought they were given to the charity to resell (like, if the stores already had multiple sales but the stuff doesn't sell), but I could be wrong. Good idea to ask them. I never bought any of those items though.
I also really like the point you made about not mentioning brands. Really good point!
I totally agree with shopping at thrift stores that align with your values. I purposely avoid a particular thrift store because the institution that runs it does not have the same belief as me regarding gay marriage.
I was thinking about what you said and I have a little bit a problem to understand this. For example, TK Maxx (or in some countries TJ Maxx) is buying 100 t-shirts from H&M and then individual people are buying these t-shirts from TK Maxx, so H&M got paid for each t-shirt and TK Maxx got paid for each t-shirt. Let's say that some girl is buying 100 different clothes from H&M and after few months she is donating them to charity, and then individual people are buying these clothes from charity shop. So H&M got paid for each item and charity got paid for each item. In both situations H&M got paid only one time, second retailer got paid once and in both situations each piece of clothing is making second round, so why first example is not ethical and second one is? I know that supporting TK Maxx is not a good idea, but it really doesn't matter if your clothes from charity shops are from private people or from clearance because fast fashion shops (like mentioned H&M) are getting paid once and only once in every scenario possible.
The difference has to do with volume. Before resale options like TK Maxx or some thrift stores existed brands would have to carefully calculate how many of each item to produce based on past years and sales of similar items etc. so that ideally nothing would end up on the clearance rack and worst of all not sold at all because then they not only loose money but have to find a way to get rid of those items. Having a place they know they can rid of large volumes of units (at likely still a small profit) means that overproducing is no longer as much of problem and they don't have to be as careful calculating how many units to produce. It gives them an "out" so they don't have to deal with their own waste and over-production and can even make some money from it.
While there is a good argument that buying from private sellers or through consignment can encourage that person to buy more fast fashion, it's almost impossible to know what a person's motivations for selling their clothes are, and it's also individuals instead of brands off-loading thousands of items. The system is definitely not perfect and I think buying secondhand no matter what is always better than buying new, but I just don't want to support fast fashion brands being able to over-produce and still make money on anything leftover.
Yeah, that makes sense... :)
Buying from sellers online make me nervous. I feel like I just give them money to buy more fast fashion .-.
I mean, its their choice at that point. Not something you're responsible for.
Omg thank you for this! I was feeling guilty of purchasing secondhand fast fashion items. I'm quite a small person, everything I use is XS, so it's difficult to find items that fit. Usually fast fashion brands are the ones who carry really small sizes.
So, I work at Crossroads trading, its similar to Platos and Buffalo. I would like to have your input on resale stores. I like shopping at my store because I get a discount and use trade so I dont actually spend money.. but is it really ethical? Or just sustainable?
No reason to feel guilty! :)
I explained my thoughts on resale stores on Rachelle's question ^ in more detail, but generally while they are immediately a more sustainable option, they also encourage overproduction. Since fast fashion brands can sell their excess stock to stores like that, they don't really have an incentive to only make as much as they can sell. They also don't have to deal with the clothing waste they're created since they've passed it on to someone else.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this! It's complex because they do have a sustainable function of keeping garments from the landfill but I'm concerned about the larger impact they have on fast fashion production.
Doesn't buying second hand let people who buy fast fashion off the hook because they can say its OK because I donated to charity/got some money selling it. If they have an easy outlet for their cast offs it doesn't encourage them to slow down.
I see what you're saying, but the benefits of secondhand shopping definitely outweigh the negatives. There is already way to much clothing going into landfills (according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 13.1 million tons of textiles are trashed each year and only about 15% are reused or recycled) and reducing ways people can easily donate clothes would increase that.
Re-selling is a little different and I understand why some people avoid buying from private sellers and it can be good to avoid sellers who list a ton of clothes. That's also why I mentioned trying to avoid people that are selling new things, but it's almost impossible to know what a person's motivation for selling their clothes is. Secondhand is the most sustainable way to shop, and I think discouraging it because it might encourage some people to shop more has a much larger negative impact than the extra purchases from those people.
I don't mind buying items that secondhand stores bought at a discount from fast fashion stores, because if those stores couldn't sell their returns or out of season clothes they would probably end up in a landfill.
That's true but the problem is that it encourages fast fashion brands to overproduce instead of just make what they can sell. Anything that doesn't sell they can still make money from by selling it to thrift or discount stores, so there is no incentive for them to produce less. It also means they don't have to deal with the clothing waste they've created since they give it to someone else.
I hadn't thought about it that way at all! You have a point.
Hi Erin, I know I'm late on this topic but the very reason you stated in your reply to Joyce, is the reason why I do not purchase fast fashion brands second hand. I avoid all together.
I've gotten some messed up clothes where they had a lot from the same brand, but the side seams of the jeans kinda wrapped around rather than being straight? I think they may have been donated because of that? maybe?
Hi, Erin! Thanks for this video, it's so informative!
I'm wondering if you ever bought clothes from Slow Fashion brands you've talked about in your Monthly 5 videos? Because you say you buy Second Hand and I'm just curious :-)
Anyway, have a good day!
Thanks! I do a combination of shopping secondhand and buying slow fashion. While secondhand is definitely the most sustainable way to shop, I also think it's important and really want to support sustainable and ethical brands. I don't purchase new clothes very often so not all of the brands I talk about about I've bought product from, but they're all brands I think are doing some good things and I'd definitely purchase from them in the future if they had something I was shopping for.
Have a good day too!! :)
Great video!!! Do you live in Germany?
Thanks for the content, so valuable! Not a fan of watching you walk...that was tough...you're awesome though! :)
I'm also curious what you think of overstock stores or off-price retailers (like Gabe's in the US). Do you think they're ethical in the same way as thrift stores since it is purchasing clothes which would be discarded?
I don't think they are because the way I see it they give a reason for brands to over-produce without having to deal with their own waste. Before those options existed brands needed to be really careful about calculating how many of each item to produce because they would lose a lot of money having to sell product at clearance or not being able to sell it at all and they would have to deal with their unsold merchandise. But if a brand can still sell those items at a small profit to overstock stores it means it's not much of a problem if they overproduce (or overbuy for retailers). I think it basically encourages more production and their essentially just passing their waste to someone else.
However if your only options are those stores or fast fashion then I do think they are more sustainable than directly supporting fast fashion brands.
This is very helpful! Thanks. :D
What do you think of online thrift stores?
i have often see multiples at thrift shops :0
its usually advertised in front too..
if you guys also care about the kinds of chemicals that are used in your clothing then i would advise you not to thrift clothing that is from h&m or forever 21 and other really fast fashion brands. but thats up to you, im not super picky so I'll thrift whatever i like^-^ maybe one day I'll only purchase organic cotton , sweatshop free.
Wondering if you know about the insta account Stories Behind Things - great second hand clothing account. Check it out if you haven't !
No! I'll check it out! Thanks :)
I really like thrift stores that give money to charity.
anyone else thought about two-handed swords when they saw the thumbnail on the main page saying "fast fash 2hand"
Wtf is fast fashion ?