Shopping for clothes or fabric?

[christy]

So... we don't have much of a budget for clothes this year.... but we will need clothes soon.

I have joined Wardrobe Recycle which basically means that you recycle clothing rather than throwing it out by altering it and sewing etc.... I have heaps of fabric to make skirts for the girls with.

I go to op shops as well, but sometimes I wonder if its any good buying sweatshop clothes second hand or not.....

[Phteven]

aaagh, just replied then for some inane reason I hit the back button not the submit button

Anyways.... second-hand sales don't fuel demand because the manufacturer makes no profit from the sale only the second-hand shop makes a profit. That said, buying second-hand on ebay can fuel demand because the seller may be encouraged to buy the brand again after on-selling it. Soooo... I would say that buying from op-shops is fine but from ebay or consignment shops may be more problematic.

It's hard finding clothes that aren't made under unfair conditions. Even 'made in Australia' might be sewn by out-workers being paid a pittance


ETA - I'm losing it. After I hit submit I found the first post. So I deleted it

[~clover~]

I only really buy second hand. I buy new on sale & for birthdays & christmasses, but mostly its second hand.
You can get great quality

[Bathsheba]

I too buy a lot of second hand... at least 50%... from an Op Shop called Savers. It is a chain Op Shop with proceeds going to something like Diabetes Australia (I think). Anyhow... Savers is huge... the size of a small department store and even has checkout chicks and you can use EFTPOS. They have trollies! And best of all everything is hung on racks or placed on shelves in a systematic manner: like with like... size with size and often grouped in colours (clothing). So looking for a pair of jeans is just a matter of going to the part of the rack in your size, they are all hung together, blacks, greys etc sorted too. I have at least 4 pairs of jeans from Savers... 2 are Levis. They cost between $6 - $15 each depending on how worn or new they are. Also you get a stamp on a loyalty card everytime you donate a bag of stuff... and get to redeem it the next time you go saving you up to 40% of your purchases. I seriously love Savers. My 14yo DD does now too. At first she was embarrassed going there but then when her friends asked her where she got all her retro (80's) T-shirts (she loves these!) now they all are asking their mums to take them there too! And these are girls who often only strutted around in their mums designer cast offs so i feel pretty pleased.

I know you might not have access to a Savers store near you Christy... but I just thought i would share with everyone. I agree: reducing the demand for new clothes is a GREAT way to save the worlds resources!!! And your own.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I tend to look in on my local Op-shops or recyclers first, before shopping for clothes. My local favourite boutique knows that I prefer Aust clothes, even though I can't afford Boo Radley! They sell some things via concession stands and I've bought lovely pieces made from recycled fabrics made into funky new clothing. They also make a small amount of their own clothing, which I'm happy to buy.
I'm getting really funny about shoes. I just don't to wear Chinese made shoes anymore - for podiatry, as well as ethical reasons! I haven't bought shoes in ages, but I'm also not a shoe junky, I just know what I want and don't tend to compromise.

[Bathsheba]

I know what you mean about shoes Maya. Compared to most women I also am not a shoe junky... I have about 12 pairs (including slippers, joggers). ATM I have a pair of Doc Martin mary janes on. Docs last a Loooooong time so at least I know I can wear them fairly solidly and still get quite a few years out of them. I don't drive so i'm really extra hard on shoes. Colorado are also another brand that are tough, durable, comfy so I have 2 pairs of them. So I think, as with anything, I buy shoes to last and even if the ticket price is expensive it's not really if it means that you can get almost daily wear for years on end. For me it's just as much about "price per wear" as ticket price. If you pay $20 for something but only wear it once it's actually more expensive than the $200 item you wear for 5 years at least once a week. And if you only wear something once that's not really great for sustainabilty is it?