One amazing way to reduce our waste when buying clothing is to go vintage. With trends constantly being recycled, there’s no reason why one can’t recycle well-loved clothing too! From digging through family members’ old closets to taking a peek into vintage stores, here are some facts about one of the most interesting ways to shop.
- Vintage and antique clothing has tonnes of clothing and textiles from being put into landfills
Over a million tonnes of clothing and textiles have been saved, meaning that the rising vintage fashion industry has had a significant benefit on the environment. The unique clothing you can find often has an interesting history as well!
- Over 70% of the world’s population uses second hand clothing
This includes the clothes we donate and those we pass on. With many large retailers, like M&S and Zara, offering donation services in their stores, it is likely that this figure will rise over the next few years. The clothing donation and recycling services fall well in line with the call to action points highlighted at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, which wanted to ensure that every retailer has a process to collect and process used garments by 2020.
- Vintage clothing doesn’t have to be expensive!
Many often associate vintage clothing with expensive designer pieces, but this is not always the case. Stores like Rockit and boutiques on Brick Lane in London offer up the opportunity for people to discover one of a kind pieces with incredible sentimental value, all for reasonable prices that can easily compete with the high street.
- The vintage clothing industry is only growing!
With the recent demand for an environmentally friendly fashion industry, again as emphasized at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, there have been new initiatives launched by major retailers to grow the popularity of vintage and recycled fashion. The global fashion agenda suggested doing this by having large brands collaborate with charities, textile recyclers or second-hand marketplaces.
- Vintage clothing offers an opportunity to experiment with fashion
Whilst it is very much possible to be on trend whilst wearing vintage clothing, it also provides you with the opportunity to have a unique style and experiment with fashion tastes. Always wanted to try a certain trend from the past? This is the perfect way to do so. It is also much easier to create a statement piece or tailor an item of clothing to suit your needs. A wonderful opportunity to create your own sense of style, just in time for Fashion Week!
There are so many great places to have a peek at vintage clothing, with something for everyone’s taste. It is certainly worth taking a look to see what is available, all whilst benefiting the environment as well!
Tags: 2017, apparel, Ethical Fashion, fashion, fashion redefined, old school, purchase with purpose, recycle, reuse, shopping, style, Sustainable Fashion, upcycle, vintage, vintage clothing