Stop using fashion as a status symbol and find out how you can be more sustainable with the clothing through thrift shops and vintage clothing.
Shopping Vintage Means You'll Buy Less Stuff
I have not bought anything from ZARA in two years. The simple reason is the clothes are of no value, quality or original for me. My last purchase lasted 5weeks until it tore at the seams. There is no denying I am flogging a dead horse when it comes to fast fashion and what it offers in regards to money, endless collections and bang on trend versatility. But as I walked through the store yesterday I admiration of the design, colour and wide range of clothing. I felt sick to the core when it come to quality fabrics.
Those who buy at Zara don't give a damn about sustainable fashion, Join Life let alone limited edition. Thanks to Zara the word limited edition has been diluted. There is nothing original or limited when you buy clothes from Zara.
How much Zara have you got in your wardrobe? Then to walk down the high street to see someone else wearing it. For me, it's really embarrassing to see that.
Zara Versus Atelier
Zara as of today has launched for the first time an embroidery jacket targeting the Atelier market. A limited-edition machine-made coat. How can I inspire you to turn your back on fast fashion, buy less and dress originally? When ZARA has the marketing power to destroy the word and industry called Atelier. The landfill of fashion thanks to Indetix will never be supporting sustainability. The textiles used here to create jeans, a t-shirt for all over our flooded wardrobes what Zara is all about. The fast fashion industry does not care about environmental impact. Let alone carbon footprint.
I buy my embroidery at vintage stores as the textile and cotton is so much more of high quality. Clothes that look amazing still after years of wearing them. My teenage girls now are wearing some of the clothes I bought 15years ago. The clothes look amazing after many years of wearing them.
I regret giving my clothes away many years ago due to the quality of the fabrics. This crochet outfit was made for me in Europe, designed by me. An art piece to die for.
Zara has teamed up with a textile Italian company called Manteco. Who is supplying lamb wool to Zara. In stores is lovely lambswool jacket at a very affordable price. This means due to supply chain issues ZARA are forced to support everything MadeInItaly.
Buying At Thrift Stores Minimizes Consumer Waste
I noticed in Holland this summer many students were buying vintage clothing. One student asked if the clothes that were on sale were authentic vintage. I knew from experience it was simply old stock rehashed and sold as second-hand clothing. I would also go as far as to say if I am comparing it to Zara prices it was not that cheap. But the key in buying vintage or thrift stores is that it's all about original one-off garments that will never be found on the high street. That is the allure and attraction of investing in secondhand clothing.
My daughter wearing my vintage Karen Millen cardigan I bought 15 years ago. She is wearing my faux fur hat with my vintage Ralph Lauren Gillet.
Thrift Shops Are Good For Local Economies
I am supporting a local second shop ho has amazing luxury brands for sale at brilliant prices. The leather and organic cotton that her clothes offer are so much more rewarding to buy and wear when I walk out of her store. I know when I purchase items some of the clothes can not be found like H&M.
It is a much nicer buying experience when purchasing items from local stores or a charity shop.
Thrift Stores And Vintage Clothing Boutiques Create Jobs
People that work in charity stores or vintage shops are true lovers of fashion. They are not the norm when it comes to mainstream retailers. The resale value of some items I find are sold on vestiaire They make me money. So unwanted, wasted purchases I made can help replenish my bank account.
Buying Vintage Is A Great Way To Support Lifestyle Brands
In the UK I do luxury lifestyle reviews. So when I drive a Rolls Royce I make sure that my clothes are handcrafted purchases to support the luxury lifestyle car I drive. For me, vintage clothes are all about a quality lifestyle way of living. By shopping vintage, I am supporting preloved fashion alongside recycling clothes. My purchases in most cases have never been worn or worn once. It is so much fun to hunt for items that are not there to be trendy. I am always about setting the trends not buying into them. I buy vintage fur because it is sustainable, keeps me warm, and is respectful to the animal that once was.
Why You Should Buy Artisanal And Vintage Fashion
I have purchased amazing fur coats and leather jackets that no supply chain can ever replicate. Unique, one-off finds made in Europe. I love hunting for items all made in Europe. The knitwear coats, jumpers, and quality cotton shirts are timeless pieces for anyone's wardrobe.
Cut From A Different Cloth
It's hard work going to second-hand shops and finding items that belong to my personality. But it's that hunt that brings rewards to my mental health. Finding wool items that feel like wool is part of the joy that feeds my passion for fashion. Vintage finds are for the unique women of quality. Fast fashion is plastic trash that suppliers allow us to indulge in.
Green moss cape made in Italy.
Vintage Denim
Quality denim is so hard to find now. Vintage jeans I have owned for so many years still look great. The GStar Raw denim I bought years ago is much better quality than the denim sold in their stores now. Eco-friendly fibers are hard to find. But vintage items are a textile industry of the past that can never be replicated. Fast fashion companies are not about selling sustainable materials, it's not in their business model to do so. To make denim the chemicals and amount of water used is terrible. GAS an Italian company recycles its old denim. So the next time you choose to wear Levi opt for vintage.
True Vintage
When I buy true vintage I can't see the transparency of the artisan's hard work. But what I do know is that vintage natural fibres its all bout ethical fashion brands' messages. I grew up in the 1990s when fast fashion brands didn't exist. Asos was not even created back then. So for Gen-Zs to fight against fast fashion retailers is a tough challenge. But they are the sustainable fashion movement that needs to lead the way when it comes to conscious consumers.
Vintage Is Sustainable Fabrics
By buying vintage clothes made in Italy or London. You are taking on and tuning your back to a textile industry that costs many liters of water to create denim. The clothes you buy are a result of poverty pay for people sewing in China. The clothes that are sold in Australia or New York all come from the most part of China. I never bought clothes now for many years that I see made in China. When I see wool made in China, I really doubt it's wool at all. I am Australian I grew up with sheep and wool farms.
My red cape is made in Italy, from vintage fabric.
Leather Handbags
The next time you need a leather handbag opt for a vintage store. I found some amazing original handbags that look fabulous on my teenage girls. All are made in France. Never been used. I teach my daughters about buying quality, original items made in Europe or the UK.
