Every try to find good and cheap fashion conscious clothing?
One of the biggest challenges faced by the eco-conscious when buying fashionable clothes is finding items on a budget. While this doesn’t mean that eco-friendly clothes are expensive, it’s likely that you wish to find unique pieces at the fraction of a cost. So what are your options then? The best way for a fashion-conscious to build an eco-friendly wardrobe is by buying from a thrift store.
Benefits of buying from thrift stores
A lot of people shy away from shopping at a thrift store because of the simple fact that they don’t want to wear secondhand clothes. This isn’t a sustainable way to live. You can’t always buy from eco-friendly brands all the time. Sometimes, you might need to save a bit of cash for something important like a trip or college funds for your kids. Buying secondhand clothes offer a hoard of benefits, mainly:
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You’ll be reducing consumption and also saving clothes from being dumped at the landfill. This is an excellent way to promote your eco-conscious lifestyle. You’d be surprised at the number of gently-worn clothing pieces available at the thrift store.
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The more obvious benefit is the ability to cut down on clothing expenses. You won’t be compromising on quality despite spending just a few bucks on one item. Sometimes, you might even be able to find an item that would originally cost $80 for just $10.
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The good news for fashion-conscious is that thrift stores may be the perfect place to find unique and affordable designer labels. Since these aren’t recent collections, you won’t run into someone wearing the same outfit. Another good thing about this is that designers take inspiration from trends of decades past. So don’t be too surprised if you find a piece that looks on-trend and is perfect for today’s fashion
Shopping for thrift store clothing
If you’re new to the whole thrift-shopping scene, you’re about to discover some of the best wardrobe pieces to help you express your sense of style. However, not a lot of people have the natural ability to pick out valuable and unique thrift store finds. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. Here are some useful tips to help you find good-quality and fashionable items when shopping at thrift stores:
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Conduct a thorough research – Avoid going blindly into a thrift store. Otherwise, you’ll go home with several bags full of clothes only to realize later that you have no use for most of them. Begin by checking out the latest trends from top fashion brands, so you’ll have a good idea what to look for. Maybe a vintage Victorian blouse, popular with fashion bloggers and top celebrities.
Source: Marie Claire
Throughout your research process, make note of the items in your closet you’ve hardly worn. So you can try to find items that would go well with those lesser-worn clothes. This is another great way to promote an eco-conscious lifestyle as you’ll be making the most of everything you own. Make sure you note down what you need and what you don’t need, so as to be clear about your purchases. -
Start small – If you haven’t shopped thrift before, it might be a good idea to start small. Maybe you could start with accessories like belts, hats, or fashion jewelry. You could wear these accessories with your regular outfit. Later on, you can check out wardrobe essentials like shirts and jackets. If you’re unsure of transitioning to everyday wear, try to shop for special-occasion clothes like Halloween costumes or sweaters for an Ugly Sweater Christmas party.
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Learn to identify vintage labels – Every fashion-conscious knows how valuable vintage clothes are. So if you manage to find one at a bargain while shopping at the thrift store, you’re in luck. Union tags and brand labels are the best way to identify vintage clothes. Look for labels from the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union.
Source: Labor Rights are Civil Rights
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Conduct a careful inspection – With the fact that thrift store items have been worn before, it would be a good idea to carefully inspect anything that you find. A lot of first-time thrift shoppers make the mistake of buying whatever they like without bothering to inspect them. They’ll take these clothes home only to find that there are some color differences in the light or there’s a stain or rip in a visible area.
It would do you goof to take a close look at the garment from every angle. Check for snags, tears, stains, or any other kind of damage. Look for lining issues or loose threading by turning the garment inside out and inspecting the interior. Pieces of hardware like zippers, buttons, and embellishments are also important to inspect. See if you can make any repairs or replacements. If not, avoid buying the item even if you absolutely love it
Thrift shopping isn’t easy, but now you have some idea about how to find the best wardrobe pieces for a unique look. Remember that you can mix and match these thrift store items with clothes from top eco-friendly brands. So try to balance it all out and begin your eco-friendly lifestyle.
By Brandon Leibowitz
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