Have you heard the news!? According to a recent CBC article, and even this Bloomberg piece on holiday trends, thrifting is officially “cool”!
Funny, I’ve always thought it was pretty cool 😉 But I’m thrilled that alternatives to buying new are becoming more mainstream.
Canadians on average purchase 70 new articles of clothing a year and that contributes to the 12 million tons a year of textile waste dumped into North America’s landfills.
— CBC Marketplace – Clothes from Canada account for huge waste
I’ve already posted quite a bit about my nothing new wardrobe and new-to-me shoes and thrifting for the holidays and even simplifying kids’ birthdays… So today, I’m just going to share the details from my recent sustainable fashion montage on Instagram 🙂
To clarify, this post wasn’t inspired by a recent shopping spree — in fact many of the items have been in my closet for a few years. It was more to show that work-wear and everyday wear can be sustainable and, quite often, FREE.
Aside from underwear (I still buy those new!), my outfits are typically under $20. Most of the items in my closet have come from friends and family over the years — those who know that I’m a total clothing scavenger. I also enjoy going to Value Village if there’s something my family needs — anything from chapter books to casserole dishes to baskets to royal blue heels!
More recently, I picked up a few free items that fit *perfectly* at an office swap event.
The biggest expense in this series of outfits is clearly the Rothy’s flats. These versatile shoes are made from recycled water bottles – and although they come at a steep price, they are crazy comfortable and totally washable, so they still look like new even though I wear them to the office nearly every. single. day.
I am nowhere near a minimalist “capsule wardrobe” at this point, but I am grateful to have some versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched, and dressed up or down, as needed. And since I could use a serious closet purge, I am looking forward to organizing another swap event soon 🙂 Hopefully with all the recent “thrifting hype” in the news, more people will be intrigued to go second-hand.
It takes 2,650 litres of water to make a shirt, which is the equivalent to approximately 27 bath tubs full of water. It also takes 6,800 litres of water to make a pair of jeans.
1 trillion kilowatt-hours are used every year by the global textile industry. That equals 10% of the total global carbon impact.
The average person throws away 37 kilograms of textiles annually.
The World Bank estimates that textiles dyeing and treatment contribute to 17-20% of total industrial water pollution.
— Source: Waste Reduction Week Canada
There are so many great alternatives to buying new – thrifting, mending, borrowing, swapping, renting – these sustainable options will not only save the planet’s precious resources, but can also save you money!
Do you have any thrifting reservations? Or are you a seasoned thrifter? Share your experiences below!
Eat well. Cook with your kids. Embrace natural movement. Reduce waste. Be well. 
Ultimate best…my hubby and I upgrade our wardrobes by accepting our kids’ cast-offs. Must say it is also endearing to see how younger cousins embrace hand-me-downs from their revered older cousins…an excellent trend!
The idea of hand-me-downs is not new, but has often, by many people, been considered a sign of “poverty”. What I am loving is the joy of kids proud to “inherit” wardrobe items from their much-admired big cousins, or older friends, feeling SO happy to wear something that is meaningful to them ! It reduces waste, promotes good values & priorities, and saves money—all around WIN.
A local eco group has a regular clothes swap rail in town as well as organising swap events so it’s really easy to find free clothes at the moment – the struggle is trying to limit myself to things I need! I’ve always enjoyed shopping in charity shops but over the last few years source clothes (and other things if I can) almost exclusively preowned. It saves so much money as well as being greener. You have some great finds.
That’s awesome that you’re sourcing almost exclusively pre-owned! So great that you have access to a regular clothes swap, too! I’m hoping to get a regular swap event started in our local school this spring – it will be interesting to track how many items we are able to swap, all for free 🙂 Keep up the great green and thrifty habits!