WHY THRIFTING IS A GOOD IDEA

Thrifted Camel Coat
Why Thrifting Is Very Sustainable And Good For All Of Us.
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Thrifting is something that I love and will continue to love. I started thrifting as a teenager in Nigeria. We call it ‘’Okrika or Bend Down Boutique”. I have always loved Fashion and Style, but affordability was often an issue due to lack of finances.
Some people will never wear second hand clothing, because their finances permits for that not to be their reality. For some it’s a conscious decision to shop for second hand clothing as they understand the value in doing so for our habitat and our future. It is cost effective, very sustainable and good value for money.
There are people who thrift because it’s trendy or they see it as a trend.  For the majority of people, it is out of necessity due to lack of money. 
Thrifting can be a combination of everything mentioned above e.g. for those who love fashion, the environment and the world in its entirety.

Sustainability:

We have to do better today in order to save a liveable environment for succeeding generations. By thrifting you are fighting the depletion of our environment and natural resources. Being strategic on what we buy and wear can go a long way in reducing waste, that causes harm to us globally. There is a lot of damage done to the environment as a result of the rise in fast fashion. In most cases, these pieces are filled with dangerous chemicals, the production of the garments are done in countries where cheap labour is found and the production standards are lower. All this, in the interest of profit but never in the interest of humanity.
If we as a society want to survive the next 100 years we have to embrace sustainability at the core of everything we do. If we do, we will go a long way in alleviating global warming.
For those that still doubt the science,  ask yourself this. “When your computer acts up. Whom are you calling? When you have heart problems. Where do you go to?” A specialist, right? Then why don’t you trust 99,9% of climate scientists when they say we are en route to destroying the climate that made it possible for our civilisation to exist?
Anyone who wants a better world for all, should embrace sustainable practices like thrifting, recycling, renewable energy and any such thing. But the single most powerful thing a single human being can do, to fight climate catastrophe is, to stop eating meat. If that is not possible avoid fast fashion. Buy quality garments and go thrifting.

Unique One Of A Kind Pieces:

The one thing I know for sure from thrifting is. You will always find a unique, one of-a-kind piece that very few people own. When thrifting, you need to be patient, intentional, strategic and relaxed.
Whenever I go thrifting, I make sure I’m not in a rush. I usually have a clear vision of what it is that I am looking for and how I intend to go about getting them.
Depending on what you are looking for, there are several types of second hand shops that you can thrift at. From luxury designer brands to high street brands.
My advice is, shop at charity shops in affluent neighbourhoods, as it will be easy for you to get unique designer pieces at affordable price, if this is what you are looking for.
The truth of the matter is, you don’t have to shop at exclusive charity/second hand shops to get designer brands or unique pieces. Some of the best coats and jackets I thrifted, were at second shops that you never would expect to get pieces like that from.
My recommendation will be, have an open mind and be flexible. Thrifting will always surprise you with the goodies.

Charitable:

The majority of second hand shops where we thrift, work towards charitable causes. By shopping with them you are being charitable, which is a win win situation. I have shopped at a lot of thrift /charity shops where  I know what they stand for. It gives me great pleasure whenever I shop there.
I do know that I am buying these pieces for my love of fashion. It makes me happy to know that I get to contribute to the environment by being sustainable and at the same time helping with charitable causes.
A lot of people are not as fortunate, life can be unfair so we need to help in the best of our ability.

You Get To Stand Out:

Who doesn’t want to stand out in a good way? If you ask most people this question the answer will be a resounding yes. We as humans love to look good. With thrifting you get to do that in a very classy unique way. You get to style with pieces of high quality that tells a story.
There are quite a few pieces that I own which were thrifted. I dont know the number of times I have been asked the name of the brand or where I got them from. 
Whenever I say I thrifted them at a second shop I see the disbelief in some peoples eyes. That is when I know that I am doing something good.
Please do not care about what other people think about where you shop for your clothes. We know some people can be snobbish to thrifting. At the end of the day what matters is the value it brings to your life and the life of the people who are benefiting from these thrift stores.

Value For Money:

Thrifting is worth every penny. I have never regretted thrifting, they are a good investment and money well spent. The truth of the matter is, you can buy a really high quality garment that will last you a long time for little or nothing. Who would not want that?. Nobody wants to waste money on fabrics/pieces that are ill produced. Majority of the pieces you get at thrift stores are of high quality.
You get to acquire pieces that makes sense for you. That you may not have been able to afford because of the cost. This is just one of the benefits of thrifting. There have been many a time where I have come across a piece where I was like “Wow”, did I just pay that for this great piece? You have these moments of disbelief sometimes when you thrift. Especially if you know your stuff.

It Brings You Joy:

Getting great fashion at an affordable price brings joy and comfort. The fact that you are able to get these chic pieces is a major advantage in your fashion & style armour. Anyone who loves fashion, will derive a lot of joy from thrifting. You get to find gems, you get to be authentic to you and your style.
The message here is. Shop where ever and how ever it makes sense for you.
You do not need to buy very expensive pieces to look amazing. It is not about the price tag and brand names. It is about how you style your pieces.

Quality:

Quality is never a question. You will always get the best of the best. Whenever I am thrifting, quality is never a concern for me. The pieces you find in these shops have been selected with the utmost care. You will always get the best, as long as you know what you are looking for.

History:

The garments have history, they tell a story, they have been preloved and well taken care of. Sometimes you get to find pieces that are decades old. That is fascinating to me. You get to see the difference in the fabric in comparison to the types of fabric we have today. For some people, it makes the pieces more attractive because of the story behind them.

Vintage Pieces:

You will get all the classy sophisticated vintage pieces. The one thing I love the most is coming across a vintage piece that is timeless,  That is always a win for for me, as I love timeless pieces.
You can come across things, like great bags, shoes, belts etc.
This is where you get the pieces that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Health Benefits- Well Taken Care Of:

Some fabrics are made with very low quality materials and bad chemicals that are actually harmful to us and the environment. This is especially true in some cases when it’s fast fashion. Thrifting is great in this respect, as most of the pieces are preloved and have gone through loads of wash  cycles.
I remember buying a black trouser and had a really bad colour transfer to my underwear. Can you imagine what that would have done to me if I was allergic to the particular chemical that was used in manufacturing that fabric? That was really annoying as I got rid of that underwear.
There has been a few stories from people about their personal experience in regard to their health ,in relation to some clothing items they purchased from “Fast  fashion brands”.
All we are saying here is -Thrifting makes more sense as the clothes have been rid of any chemicals.
In todays fast fashion world we have to be mindful of where we shop and how we spend our hard earned cash.

In Conclusion:

Thrifting is wonderful.
We should not forget the positive impact it has on us as a society. Majority of the second hand shops where we shop work towards charitable causes and that should be supported.
We want a better world for today and tomorrow. We should be working towards that continuously. 
By thrifting you are being sustainable and contributing to the betterment of our society. You can also get into other sustainability habits that are of greater good for our world.
My suggestion today will be.
Try thrifting you will never regret it and have sustainability at the core of everything you do.

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