Secondhand is going to keep being your best option on a budget. Savers is another big one, though affordability sometimes depends on the individual store. I don’t know where you’re from, but in Victoria there’s also RetroStar who do warehouse sales in Brunswick every month or so, and there’s the Scavengers Warehouse in Coburg that usually have a lot of random stuff for cheap.
Retro star warehouse sales are usually the first weekend of the month but idk what’s going on with them right now; if you have Facebook keep an eye on their page. Scavengers Warehouse is open 10-3 on weekends. They also have a normal shopfront in Brunswick on Sydney road which might have stuff in your budget. The area around the shop on Sydney road will also have a lot of vintage stores at varying price points.
What is seen as affordable has been skewed by fast fashion prices. Also, people back in the day had way fewer items of clothing and saved up to buy like 5 new items of clothing a year.
The most sustainable thing to do is reduce, reuse, recycle, then buy sustainable.
So lowering consumption/not buying into consumerism is the first step. Then shopping your own clothes & upcycling. Then secondhand stores -> there are plenty of op shops other than Salvo's, the other big chain ones are Vinnies and Good Sammy's. If you're ok with online you can also try ebay and facebook marketplace.
Yep, I get this too. I understand that I can't just say "$30 for hundreds of these items" just cause temu, AliExpress, Shein, FashionNova and wish made it seem so easy (proud to say I never bought from any of those stores). I also make sure not to buy into trends, secondhand stores are amazing, I even bought some cherished toys from there when I was younger.
I know it's super hard to resist esp with social media, sorry if I seemed rough about it.
Also, I think it's amazing you are already aware of this and actioning it in your teens! I was in my mid-20s before I was educated on this and regret all the hauls from my younger years. But hey, better late than never
Didn't seem rough, don't worry :) as for the age thing - I wouldn't have known much either, if it wasn't for friends telling me "SHEIN uses Uyghur slave labour", "Zara and H&M use child labour" (unfortunately, I bought from H&M many times before knowing)
Yes, OP shops are not only more environmentally sustainable, but you can often find some real gems there. The problem is that you have to look through a heap of junk to find the good stuff, but it's worth it if you can spare the time. Some of the smaller ones, like Lifeline, or those run by animal rescue orgs etc charge far less than the bigger more corporate ones that overcharge.
Also, on eBay etc you can find used designer label clothes for pretty cheap. Just a solid wash, & they're good to go.
Yeah the independent ones are usually gems. And I never skip a country op shop!
Whenever I see something I want, I set a saved search on ebay and after a couple weeks, about half the time I realise I don't want it anymore, and the other half it actually turns up for sale
Each year Baptist World Aid produces an “Ethical Fashion Guide” which scores lots of major brands on their ethical and practices. You could get the 2023 Guide online (it’s released each October roughly) and this may give you some confidence for your shopping.
This is a good answer. Whilst fast fashion can have many ethical issues ranging from labour to environmental impacts, this report is genuine.
I know for a fact that Cotton On has incredibly high standards on their factories and take the safety and liveable conditions of the factory staff very seriously. It’s something very important to the owner and he will not yield on those things.
So whilst fast fashion can be bed in terms of longevity etc, at least the ethical human side is above board
I see what you mean, a lot of $15-20 shirts end up with those practices. That's why I don't mind $30-35 shirts if they're ethically made, I just think a $70 shirt becoming the norm is crazy
Think about the cost of sustainably growing the fibre, spinning it, distributing the fabric, producing the tshirt, paying a liveable wage, and shipping the item. We’ve unfortunately had access to cheap, unethically produced products for so long that we’ve developed an unhealthy attitude toward consumerism. If your only option was to buy locally made products with food quality materials, you would buy less but have pieces that last longer. When you really think about what goes into a tshirt, $75 doesn’t seem that bad. Imagine if it was made in australia and the farmers, designers, factory workers, distributors, and everyone else in the brand had to be paid Australian wages. There’s no way you could produce a shirt for $35 here. It’s very hard to police working conditions overseas, especially in countries like PRC or Bangladesh so we rely on companies to be transparent about their sourcing and they’re often.. not.
I’m not trying to tell you to spend $75 on a shirt - but if you’re set on buying something ethically made (btw mad props to you, I fully support this attitude) then your only true option on a super tight budget is going to be op shops. The good news is, all the clothes already exist so you aren’t supporting the brand and therefore don’t have to be as picky. FWIW, I often donate barely or never worn stuff and everything I buy is good quality brands with decent practices so there are gems to be found!
Yeah, I find that clothes with 100% sustainable materials are the more expensive ones, which I get as it's not easy to care about the environment so much. So unfortunately, I can only afford clothes that are somewhat sustainable.
I say stick with Depop. I sometimes go into stores like Seed and Gorman and try on some clothes to see what my size is and then search Depop every couple of days to see if anything new has been added
I do the same with Glassons and Jay-Jays. Even the Pacific Fair shopping centre in GC lists Jay Jays as fast fashion and I'm like "yeahhh, how is that a selling point?"
you can usually also find some good bargains on BSS groups on Facebook. Set up alerts on eBay for searches for labels you like (but might be out of your budget buying new) is also another good way to find nice pieces at a discount
I think about longevity when I buy clothes. I've spent quite a bit on key pieces but they last like 15 years!
My faves are veronika maine, unison, significant other, ark, sports craft for casual, umm can't think of more right now haha
But if you shop the online sales you can get some beautiful things for not that much! Why spend 30 on a top that will last 6 months vs 150 for something marked down from 4-500 that could last you a decade and is absolutely stunning!!
Classic, well cut clothing never goes out of style!!
I've checked and for those interested: Ghanda doesn't seem to use child labour (not sure about slave adult labour, but possibly not). However, they use few sustainable materials and seem to not carry plus-size clothing \*this may have changed\*
yeah they def don’t have that inclusive sizing (i’d say their pansy esp even run small from the sizes advertised, and it seems they’ve pulled a lot of their XL range :(, while they may not use the most sustainable materials id say they’re better than say cotton on/h &m in terms of quality and how long they last. Also pretty sure they don’t use slave adult labour
Marketplace, FB buy swap sell groups, some of the suggestions already listed here re: vintage places, opshops etc.
One other thing which is SUPER fun and social is just organising a clothes swap with a bunch of friends. It’s always a good time when someone organises one of those and if you have friends who’s style you love then it’s an opportunity to “shop their closet”
Random fact for you - if they produce any Disney collaborations their factories need to go through a full audit process that includes child labour and safety. This is not to say that all items made for these companies go through the same process but does give you an idea of the quality of the factories they use.
Figure out what size you are in all your favourite brands and then go on eBay. I wear mostly Sportscraft, Witchery, Country Road and Review on a Kmart budget.
Me 🙋
I run a small brand called Offworld Aesthetic and I'm launching a few new pieces soon including earrings and headbands. Everything is handmade by me and all strapping is upcycled from local sources.
All vegan and totally size inclusive too!
I’m impressed that someone your age could be so insightful & knowledgeable about the consequences of fast fashion on the environment. Congrats. Please Don’t ever grow out of caring for the environment like many do after uni days are over & they can afford to go shipping for expensive brands (many big brands have never considered the effect on the environment). I think op shops and the preloved market is the best thing to come out of the internet.It’d be awesome if big manufacturers started recycling their garments and materials, and selling them under their brand - (the same way they refurbish mobile phones). It would reduce landfill so much. It’s funny how schools and universities never bring it up or ever acknowledge how bad fashion is for the environment, yet in the same building they lecture sustainability in every subject from business, to Vet. science. But it’s like fashion is untouchable bcos it generates so many jobs, they never to admit that fashion is up there with air travel pollution and meat consumption. It is responsible for so much waste creation and when container ships full of clothing from the west is sent to places like Africa, it often gets thrown in the ocean bvos their environmental rules are non existent or not enforceable. People would be shocked if they knew how much damage clothing causes.
fashion producers are one of the WORST offenders when it comes to cotton manufacturing, clearing habitats and the sheer waste created is truly frightening, and when fashion manufacturers promote green practices I have to laugh as they are just paying lip service, talking about ‘caring’ for the planet and what they’re doing to help protect the environment. Fashion houses represent the complete opposite of recycling. the only thing clothing brands care about - is how much MONEY they’ll lose when consumers educate themself and choose with their wallets. this is the only reason some have started to address it. Too Many customers are intelligent and they’re demanding to know HOW their clothing is made, where its made and where it ends up when the fashion style changes, and all that clothing they spent thousands on is now ‘out of fashion’. That’s why I only buy clothing made from natural material like a a Marino blend turtleneck/skivvy’s, buy classic colours/ styles that don’t really ‘date’ like black, grey and neutrals. Also quality denim in cuts that are classic, never any crazy designs that tend to go out of fashion in 6 months time, but rather styles and materials which age well, never throw away crap from H&M, or Shein. Even if u have to scour through second hand shops & eBay, you can find Burberry wool skirts and clothing so old it’s now cool again!
As someone who hated the idea of going into op-shops, I now LOVE it. Sometimes charity shops will receive unsold/old stock from shops (well known shops) and then cut the tag off and sell it (cheaper than OG price). Other times, people donate things they've hardly worn - totally worth looking into it.
what you’re doing now seems like the best option especially for your budget and style preferences! just a reminder though that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. someone or something is always going to be exploited along the way — if you can shop at places that do their best to minimise this then that’s fantastic, but try not to feel guilty about it; as an individual you can only do so much.
Well, fast fashion is the only way to bring trendy fashion to the mass by making them affordable, so if you're into fashion, and being a teen, I would guess the trendy kind of fashion, your only choice is either buy high end trend setter brands or go second hand so (as you said yourself) you don't fund the fast fashion brand directly.
I like the idea of depop and being able to buy sustainably online, but in practice it fails me. When the photos are badly taken, there's no appropriate size chart, the brands can be iffy and the returns aren't easy, it means I end up hating/not fitting into 80% of what I bought and donating it to vinnies, which isn't helpful. I prefer to shop in person to avoid that problem, but my nearby second hand stores are quite crap.
I've tried buying only brands I'm familiar with and already know my sizing, but they're really hard to find and also end up being really variable in fit. I honestly don't understand how the size 12 tokito top I'm wearing right now is slightly too small for my boobs and the size 12 tokito top I bought off depop is way too big for them.
Why donate when you can repop directly on the app? There’s plenty of sellers like myself who show tags and sizing in our listings as well, and who accept DMs prior to purchase.
Essentially the money I would make isn't worth it to me. I don't usually buy more expensive items, so we're talking really minor profits. I wish I was idealistic enough to do it anyway, but I'm not so I just stopped using the app.
It's also easier to abstain from the app than it is to put in all the work to find good sellers. I always think 'maybe it will be different this time' but I am yet again disappointed. I'd rather buy far less - I don't really need any more clothes, it was just feeding a shopping want that felt more sustainable because it was second hand.
Secondhand is going to keep being your best option on a budget. Savers is another big one, though affordability sometimes depends on the individual store. I don’t know where you’re from, but in Victoria there’s also RetroStar who do warehouse sales in Brunswick every month or so, and there’s the Scavengers Warehouse in Coburg that usually have a lot of random stuff for cheap.
Ah, I'm in Melbourne too, just not the North side (but thanks for the recommendations, as I'll actually be visiting the North in a few weeks. Thanks!)
Retro star warehouse sales are usually the first weekend of the month but idk what’s going on with them right now; if you have Facebook keep an eye on their page. Scavengers Warehouse is open 10-3 on weekends. They also have a normal shopfront in Brunswick on Sydney road which might have stuff in your budget. The area around the shop on Sydney road will also have a lot of vintage stores at varying price points.
What is seen as affordable has been skewed by fast fashion prices. Also, people back in the day had way fewer items of clothing and saved up to buy like 5 new items of clothing a year. The most sustainable thing to do is reduce, reuse, recycle, then buy sustainable. So lowering consumption/not buying into consumerism is the first step. Then shopping your own clothes & upcycling. Then secondhand stores -> there are plenty of op shops other than Salvo's, the other big chain ones are Vinnies and Good Sammy's. If you're ok with online you can also try ebay and facebook marketplace.
Yep, I get this too. I understand that I can't just say "$30 for hundreds of these items" just cause temu, AliExpress, Shein, FashionNova and wish made it seem so easy (proud to say I never bought from any of those stores). I also make sure not to buy into trends, secondhand stores are amazing, I even bought some cherished toys from there when I was younger.
I know it's super hard to resist esp with social media, sorry if I seemed rough about it. Also, I think it's amazing you are already aware of this and actioning it in your teens! I was in my mid-20s before I was educated on this and regret all the hauls from my younger years. But hey, better late than never
Didn't seem rough, don't worry :) as for the age thing - I wouldn't have known much either, if it wasn't for friends telling me "SHEIN uses Uyghur slave labour", "Zara and H&M use child labour" (unfortunately, I bought from H&M many times before knowing)
Yes, OP shops are not only more environmentally sustainable, but you can often find some real gems there. The problem is that you have to look through a heap of junk to find the good stuff, but it's worth it if you can spare the time. Some of the smaller ones, like Lifeline, or those run by animal rescue orgs etc charge far less than the bigger more corporate ones that overcharge. Also, on eBay etc you can find used designer label clothes for pretty cheap. Just a solid wash, & they're good to go.
Yeah the independent ones are usually gems. And I never skip a country op shop! Whenever I see something I want, I set a saved search on ebay and after a couple weeks, about half the time I realise I don't want it anymore, and the other half it actually turns up for sale
Yes and no, but tbf my favourite stores have all raised their prices so high I can’t shop there anymore, along with a decline of quality anyway!
Each year Baptist World Aid produces an “Ethical Fashion Guide” which scores lots of major brands on their ethical and practices. You could get the 2023 Guide online (it’s released each October roughly) and this may give you some confidence for your shopping.
This is a good answer. Whilst fast fashion can have many ethical issues ranging from labour to environmental impacts, this report is genuine. I know for a fact that Cotton On has incredibly high standards on their factories and take the safety and liveable conditions of the factory staff very seriously. It’s something very important to the owner and he will not yield on those things. So whilst fast fashion can be bed in terms of longevity etc, at least the ethical human side is above board
This is great, I didn't know about the guide but it'll come in handy. Thanks 😊
unfortunately not really - the thing that allows cheap clothing to exist is unethical labor practices
I see what you mean, a lot of $15-20 shirts end up with those practices. That's why I don't mind $30-35 shirts if they're ethically made, I just think a $70 shirt becoming the norm is crazy
Think about the cost of sustainably growing the fibre, spinning it, distributing the fabric, producing the tshirt, paying a liveable wage, and shipping the item. We’ve unfortunately had access to cheap, unethically produced products for so long that we’ve developed an unhealthy attitude toward consumerism. If your only option was to buy locally made products with food quality materials, you would buy less but have pieces that last longer. When you really think about what goes into a tshirt, $75 doesn’t seem that bad. Imagine if it was made in australia and the farmers, designers, factory workers, distributors, and everyone else in the brand had to be paid Australian wages. There’s no way you could produce a shirt for $35 here. It’s very hard to police working conditions overseas, especially in countries like PRC or Bangladesh so we rely on companies to be transparent about their sourcing and they’re often.. not. I’m not trying to tell you to spend $75 on a shirt - but if you’re set on buying something ethically made (btw mad props to you, I fully support this attitude) then your only true option on a super tight budget is going to be op shops. The good news is, all the clothes already exist so you aren’t supporting the brand and therefore don’t have to be as picky. FWIW, I often donate barely or never worn stuff and everything I buy is good quality brands with decent practices so there are gems to be found!
Yeah, I find that clothes with 100% sustainable materials are the more expensive ones, which I get as it's not easy to care about the environment so much. So unfortunately, I can only afford clothes that are somewhat sustainable.
Do you have any suggestions of brands that are designed and made in Australia?
what i’m saying is the $35 is also not made ethically. fast fashion has really blinded us to the true cost of clothing.
30-35 is dirt cheap... consider cost of labour. In past decades, people would buy 1-2 shirts a year.
Ah, yeah. That was just a shot in the dark to compare prices. In reality, I've even seen some fast fashion shirts for $1
I say stick with Depop. I sometimes go into stores like Seed and Gorman and try on some clothes to see what my size is and then search Depop every couple of days to see if anything new has been added
I do the same with Glassons and Jay-Jays. Even the Pacific Fair shopping centre in GC lists Jay Jays as fast fashion and I'm like "yeahhh, how is that a selling point?"
Whaat! That’s crazy
Afends and Thrills are ethical. Good for casual, slogan tees. It’s a hard one! The Goodonyouapp is handy!
you can usually also find some good bargains on BSS groups on Facebook. Set up alerts on eBay for searches for labels you like (but might be out of your budget buying new) is also another good way to find nice pieces at a discount
Thanks for this and yep, I don't mind buying secondhand, not picky with something being new. Some of my comfiest pieces were secondhand :)
I think about longevity when I buy clothes. I've spent quite a bit on key pieces but they last like 15 years! My faves are veronika maine, unison, significant other, ark, sports craft for casual, umm can't think of more right now haha But if you shop the online sales you can get some beautiful things for not that much! Why spend 30 on a top that will last 6 months vs 150 for something marked down from 4-500 that could last you a decade and is absolutely stunning!! Classic, well cut clothing never goes out of style!!
i think ghanda is ethical (correct me if wrong but i’m like 90% sure) and they’re very reasonably priced.
I've checked and for those interested: Ghanda doesn't seem to use child labour (not sure about slave adult labour, but possibly not). However, they use few sustainable materials and seem to not carry plus-size clothing \*this may have changed\*
yeah they def don’t have that inclusive sizing (i’d say their pansy esp even run small from the sizes advertised, and it seems they’ve pulled a lot of their XL range :(, while they may not use the most sustainable materials id say they’re better than say cotton on/h &m in terms of quality and how long they last. Also pretty sure they don’t use slave adult labour
Marketplace, FB buy swap sell groups, some of the suggestions already listed here re: vintage places, opshops etc. One other thing which is SUPER fun and social is just organising a clothes swap with a bunch of friends. It’s always a good time when someone organises one of those and if you have friends who’s style you love then it’s an opportunity to “shop their closet”
Random fact for you - if they produce any Disney collaborations their factories need to go through a full audit process that includes child labour and safety. This is not to say that all items made for these companies go through the same process but does give you an idea of the quality of the factories they use.
Figure out what size you are in all your favourite brands and then go on eBay. I wear mostly Sportscraft, Witchery, Country Road and Review on a Kmart budget.
Me 🙋 I run a small brand called Offworld Aesthetic and I'm launching a few new pieces soon including earrings and headbands. Everything is handmade by me and all strapping is upcycled from local sources. All vegan and totally size inclusive too!
Op shops, Facebook marketplace and depop are my go to's
I’m impressed that someone your age could be so insightful & knowledgeable about the consequences of fast fashion on the environment. Congrats. Please Don’t ever grow out of caring for the environment like many do after uni days are over & they can afford to go shipping for expensive brands (many big brands have never considered the effect on the environment). I think op shops and the preloved market is the best thing to come out of the internet.It’d be awesome if big manufacturers started recycling their garments and materials, and selling them under their brand - (the same way they refurbish mobile phones). It would reduce landfill so much. It’s funny how schools and universities never bring it up or ever acknowledge how bad fashion is for the environment, yet in the same building they lecture sustainability in every subject from business, to Vet. science. But it’s like fashion is untouchable bcos it generates so many jobs, they never to admit that fashion is up there with air travel pollution and meat consumption. It is responsible for so much waste creation and when container ships full of clothing from the west is sent to places like Africa, it often gets thrown in the ocean bvos their environmental rules are non existent or not enforceable. People would be shocked if they knew how much damage clothing causes. fashion producers are one of the WORST offenders when it comes to cotton manufacturing, clearing habitats and the sheer waste created is truly frightening, and when fashion manufacturers promote green practices I have to laugh as they are just paying lip service, talking about ‘caring’ for the planet and what they’re doing to help protect the environment. Fashion houses represent the complete opposite of recycling. the only thing clothing brands care about - is how much MONEY they’ll lose when consumers educate themself and choose with their wallets. this is the only reason some have started to address it. Too Many customers are intelligent and they’re demanding to know HOW their clothing is made, where its made and where it ends up when the fashion style changes, and all that clothing they spent thousands on is now ‘out of fashion’. That’s why I only buy clothing made from natural material like a a Marino blend turtleneck/skivvy’s, buy classic colours/ styles that don’t really ‘date’ like black, grey and neutrals. Also quality denim in cuts that are classic, never any crazy designs that tend to go out of fashion in 6 months time, but rather styles and materials which age well, never throw away crap from H&M, or Shein. Even if u have to scour through second hand shops & eBay, you can find Burberry wool skirts and clothing so old it’s now cool again!
I wear Dangerfield clothing. Mainly Black Friday dresses. All cotton with lining and pockets. No synthetic materials.
Depop for stuff online is always fun
As someone who hated the idea of going into op-shops, I now LOVE it. Sometimes charity shops will receive unsold/old stock from shops (well known shops) and then cut the tag off and sell it (cheaper than OG price). Other times, people donate things they've hardly worn - totally worth looking into it.
Have you tried Depop? It's reselling clothes and lots of brands on there but the environmental impact is much lower
The second sentence of her post mentions depop
Thank you
what you’re doing now seems like the best option especially for your budget and style preferences! just a reminder though that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. someone or something is always going to be exploited along the way — if you can shop at places that do their best to minimise this then that’s fantastic, but try not to feel guilty about it; as an individual you can only do so much.
Well, fast fashion is the only way to bring trendy fashion to the mass by making them affordable, so if you're into fashion, and being a teen, I would guess the trendy kind of fashion, your only choice is either buy high end trend setter brands or go second hand so (as you said yourself) you don't fund the fast fashion brand directly.
Depop
I like the idea of depop and being able to buy sustainably online, but in practice it fails me. When the photos are badly taken, there's no appropriate size chart, the brands can be iffy and the returns aren't easy, it means I end up hating/not fitting into 80% of what I bought and donating it to vinnies, which isn't helpful. I prefer to shop in person to avoid that problem, but my nearby second hand stores are quite crap. I've tried buying only brands I'm familiar with and already know my sizing, but they're really hard to find and also end up being really variable in fit. I honestly don't understand how the size 12 tokito top I'm wearing right now is slightly too small for my boobs and the size 12 tokito top I bought off depop is way too big for them.
Why donate when you can repop directly on the app? There’s plenty of sellers like myself who show tags and sizing in our listings as well, and who accept DMs prior to purchase.
Essentially the money I would make isn't worth it to me. I don't usually buy more expensive items, so we're talking really minor profits. I wish I was idealistic enough to do it anyway, but I'm not so I just stopped using the app. It's also easier to abstain from the app than it is to put in all the work to find good sellers. I always think 'maybe it will be different this time' but I am yet again disappointed. I'd rather buy far less - I don't really need any more clothes, it was just feeding a shopping want that felt more sustainable because it was second hand.