By Caoimhe Fitzpatrick, edited by Cathy Martin
POV: You’ve been turned on and then put off by fashion ambassadors and TikTokers promoting the fast-fashion industry, and you’re realising that your previously fave bloggers’ clothing hauls could be having a harmful lasting impact on the planet? CHECK
You’ve educated yourself and realised some of your previously favourite brands are using toxic, water-wasting materials to produce textiles and neglecting safe workplace protocols as a means of acquiring cheap labour? CHECK
And you did a bit of a wardrobe overhaul and clear-out during the months of pandemic lockdowns? Bonus points if you got yourself online and sold your excesses via Depop or eBay! CHECK, CHECK
Like nearly everyone my age, I have given into the glossy low prices that fast fashion brands offers in order to have the latest trends for less. But us Gen-Zers are more and more aware that while not illegal, the fast fashion business model is often unethical for several reasons: child labour, modern slavery, toxic dyes, mass manufacturing and unsustainable materials, and in the process they can generate a significant amount of waste and pollution. I know it is easy to fall into the mindset of thinking your one change won’t make a difference, but imagine if everyone who said that actually did make one change? Imagine how big the result could be? The truth is, we ALL need to start making better choices to ensure we have a planet to live on.
But anyway, enough preaching – I’m sure if you’ve come this far, I guess I’m preaching to the converted already… So let’s get to the point: Sustainable fashion needs more attention; and now that we seem to be moving back to a kind of normal, vintage, thrift and preloved stores are finally welcoming back their customers for in-store shopping. And because sizes are often tough to gauge when buying second hand online, this is a great thing!
But with a number of stores closing up, others opening & some moving online, we thought now was a good time to do a little bit of an audit on charity stores, preloved shops and vintage emporia where you can shop in person; so welcome to our sustainable//second-hand shopping guide!
There are so many funky affordable thrift stores all over Belfast and we aim to shine a light on them in this piece. If you are someone who prefers shopping online then we’ve got your back there too, as we have also included numerous ways to shop sustainably online here.
Second Hand Shopping: In-Store
1) Vintage Stores
Vintage shops offer rare, specially curated, pre-loved clothing pieces. They aren’t always designer label, or even great quality, but because of their vintage cut/silhouette or even prints/colours, they can be a little bit more pricey than the average charity shop. Vintage stores could offer brands like Gucci or Levi’s and mostly sell them for far less than what they originally cost.
Vintage Stores in NI
Octopus Graden - @octopusgardenbelfast
Young Savage @theyoungsavagebelfast
Fresh Garbage - @freshgarbage1969
Viva Retro - Belfast - @Viva_retro_vintage
Strawberry Fields - @strawberryfields.vintage
American Madness - @americanmadness
Fuzz Vintage - @fuzzbelfast
Pretty Vintage - @pretty_vintage_belfast
Myrne Collective - @myrnecollective - Newry
Blackbird Vintage - @blackbirdvintagenewry – Newry
Alf and Roe – @alfandroe.vintage – Dungannon
Vintage Exchange NI@vintageexchangeNI
2. ReSeller//Resale Stores –
**please send us others, as we only use these two:
Deja vu - @dejavu_revolved
The Wardrobe @thewardrobebelfast
3. Charity Shops
Charity shops can offer more variety than a vintage shop, as they’re based on donation, not curation. One tip we always believe in is that the better the area, the better quality the donations. (Try that out next time you’re in London and go thrifting in Mayfair/Chelsea, or locally here we love thrifting in Holywood, or in BT9 charity stores).
Charity shops around NI
Red Cross Vintage And Retro
Oxfam Botanic
British Red Cross
Marie Curie Charity shop
Action Cancer Charity store
Age NI
Cancer Research UK
British Heart Foundation
Barnardos
4) Local sustainable fashion events
Due to the pandemic, there are only a limited number of fashion events, more events should follow later in the year.
Second Hand Shopping Online:
Second hand shopping online can be risky as you often can't normally send the items back, so be sure to use reputable apps and websites and remember to double check your own measurements with the measurements of the garment before buying. Here are our top picks:
· eBay: eBay is rich in items, a veritable gold mine of second-hand everything, not just clothes. Don’t forget if there is something you’d really like you can create a saved search and the clever widgets at eBay will email you when or if something comes online to match your wishlist. Make sure you tick the ‘old’ box on the left-hand side of the search to make sure you're getting a second-hand item
· Depop: Arguably the most famous of all second-hand clothing apps, Depop now has more than 11 million users and is wildly popular with fashion bloggers & vintage sellers.
Depop doesn't encourage sellers to list specific information about an item, so the information is very limited -- you need to send the seller information about what's in the item. Some of my favourite vintage Depopers include: @blackbirdvintage, @archivebyfuzz, @milliejaneuk, @Freshvintage, @Vintroomangels, @Staxstore, @Yesterdaysbabevintage, @Dutchfonzie, @Evintagestore
· Oxfam – online: Easy navigation allows you to filter by category, size, brand, price, colour, and condition. So, I personally find it easier to find things on Oxfam's website than in the shops!
· Vinted: The platform is similar to Depop in that it sells a wide range of goods and focuses on street brands such as Free People, Topshop, Zara and New Look. Vinted also offers buyers and sellers the option to change clothes, which is almost unique and definitely a plus!
· Hardly Ever Worn It (HEWI): The London-based app Hardly Ever Worn It (HEWI) is a fab pre-loved designer marketplace which occasionally also works with celebrities to sell clothes for charity, so you might end up with goods that once belonged to an A-lister!
· Vide: Vide Dressing is the site of choice for buying and selling luxury products, selling 30,000 items per month. Tips: if you subscribe to the Vide Dressing newsletter, the site currently offers a 10% discount on your first order.
· Rewind Vintage: Rewind Vintage specialises in unique luxury Vintage fashion, stocking beloved items from top brands such as Chanel, Saint Laurent and Celine, as well as rare Vintage pieces. Tips: Rewind has also launched it’s own project Emotional Baggage, which customises classic designer handbags and personalizes them for clients
· ASOS vintage: If your style is vintage, try ASOS vintage, where you can browse through thousands of fine vintage items.
· 1stdibs: There are loads of used clothes and accessories on this site, especially unusual trinkets and jewellery, quite pricey items though.
· VESTIAIRE: Many influencers buy and sell on Vestiaire, so it's a good idea to check out the seller series live, or check out the "best vest" hashtag on Instagram for inspiration.
· Poshmark: This is a great app, but you can't return what you buy, so you have to be very careful.
Others include: My Ex Wardrobe, Rebelle and many more!
I hope this guide can help edge you into joining us on this journey to a more sustainable lifestyle – or if you’re already on a sustainable journey, it might help push you more, because every effort goes a long way in helping the planet.
I have included some tips on what to look out for when buying ‘new’ sustainable clothes in another blog here:
**(Spoiler: RESEARCH THE COMPANY & READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY!)
And lastly, remember: “Clothes are not going to change the world. The women who wear them will”.