One of the easiest ways to become a more conscious, eco-friendly shopper is buying your clothes secondhand. Most people who don’t like secondhand shopping don’t like the hunt, while secondhand aficionados thrive on the thrill of the find. I get both points of view. I worked at Buffalo Exchange for eight years; during that time I rarely hit up thrift stores. Picking through racks and racks of clothing on my day off was the last thing I wanted to do. Now I get excited again when I find that one gem among the racks of racks of filler items. These days there are tons of online options for buying secondhand, from apps like Depop and resale websites such as Poshmark and ThredUp. I still go to thrift stores on occasion but the bulk of my shopping is either online or at brick and mortar buy/sell/trade and consignment stores, where the staff has sorted through the clothing for you.
So, how do you navigate racks upon racks of secondhand clothing? These tips come in handy when shopping anywhere, but especially secondhand.
- Get specific. Don’t feel like you have to shop the entire store. If you’re just in need of a new dress, or a fancy blouse for a night out, put the blinders on and just look for those items. You can always go back to the store on another day when you have more time to shop for other items. That said…
- Be open minded. If you have the time and energy to shop all of the racks, you’ll definitely increase your chances of stumbling upon treasures you didn’t expect to find.
- Check the fabric content, especially if you live in a hot, humid climate like New Orleans. Synthetic fabrics like polyester can often mimic the look and feel of cotton but they don’t breathe the same. Polyester is also terrible for the environment. Did you know that polyester = plastic? Did you also know that polyester sheds micro plastics when you wash it, which goes straight into our water ways and oceans? Consider buying a Guppyfriend from Patagonia to catch those errant fibers.
- Look at the washing instructions. I rarely, if ever, buy dry clean only clothing. If I do, I buy things that can be hand washed, such as cashmere. I know I’m not going to put forth the money and effort to bring my clothes to the cleaners. That said, you might feel differently about having your clothes dry cleaned; check the care label regardless so you don’t get stuck with an item you can’t or aren’t willing to clean properly.
- Is that white t-shirt really white? Florescent store lighting can make it tricky to tell if that pristine white t-shirt has yellow armpits. An easy way to check is by taking another part of the t-shirt (such as the bottom hem) and hold it next to the armpits. If the whites don’t match up, pass on the shirt.
- Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean you need to buy it.
- Try everything on to make sure it fits.
- Envision yourself actually wearing an item (be honest). Will you wear that jumpsuit to work? On the weekends? A fancy date night? If you can’t see yourself wearing it, consider passing on it.
- Look for labels. I prefer to buy mid-level to higher end brands (anything from Madewell to Alexander Wang) that I know will last and will keep some of their resale value. I do buy the occasional fast fashion piece s long as it is in excellent condition. And when in doubt, google the brand. Stores sometimes overprice (or underprice) clothing, so don’t go off the price tag alone to determine quality.
- Most buy/sell/trade and consignment stores have a more selective vetting process, which makes shopping consignment vs. thrift stores more expensive. You’re paying for someone to sort through the junk for you, so keep that in mind.