Can you feel it? The times are a changing…or at least they should be. Australians are the second largest consumers of fashion world wide. The average Australian purchases 27kg of new clothing a year! Our use of fast fashion affects our water usage, our ocean & marine life, our pollution, our landfill & our workforce.
I know that the thought of recycling can feel overwhelming but look at how much better we are at using reusable shopping bags already! We know how to sort our soft plastics from our hard, we’re choosing paper over plastic & finding it easier & easier to live more sustainably. How we shop for clothes should be an important step for us too., shouldn’t it?
Buying clothing that has been pre worn & lovingly taken care of is an easy way for all of us to make less of a contribution to fast fashion. Have you ever shopped pre loved?
Babes we don’t need to feel guilty about loving fashion & wanting to feel great in what we wear, far from it. I am all for having fun with fashion. Choosing wisely when you shop, this should be part of the plan. Shop consciously. Only buy what you love. Know your sizing so when you shop online you get it right & can minimise returns. Buy quality over quantity.
I know everyone has a different line in the sand when it comes to budget but quality garments should be something we all want, there really is no point in buying (and tosssing ) crap clothing. So if your budget doesn’t stretch to new or if your wardrobe is overflowing then coinsider shgopping pre loved consignment clothing
Start small, try taking a look at second hand items & incorporate a few pieces into your wardrobe, a great leather bag, or a well loved & perfectly worn in denim jacket will always have a place in a fashionable and sustainable wardrobe.
What is a Consignment Store?
A Consignment store is a great place to start. They’re a curated collection of pre-loved clothing, chosen to be in the store by their label, quality & their condition. This means the clothing you will find in these stores are pre-loved beauties! You are guaranteed to find only pieces that are as good as new & have been looked after lovingly by their previous owner.
So, if you’ve just Marie Kondo’d your wardrobe & you’ve got clothes that don’t fit, or just don’t work for you anymore & you know someone else would love them, why not look into a Consignment store near you? They will take your beautiful pieces and sell them on your behalf – win win!
How to Sell to a Consignment Store
Make sure your pieces are in great condition. They need to be clean. If you’ve still got receipts, boxes & dust bags for your pieces even better! Consignment stores know what will sell, so don’t be discouraged if they don’t take everything you are offering. Different stores take different items according to their clientele. So look around for one in an area you are familiar with or one that stocks a variety of sizes or budgets to find one that suits you.
Consignment stores offer you a percentage of each sale & hold your pieces in their store for a certain period of time. Ask your local store for their terms & conditions so you know where you stand.
How to Shop at a Consignment Store
Shopping at a Consignment store is a great way to add some quality pieces to your wardrobe while saving some money & the environment! You’ll find second hand pieces that you know have been carefully chosen at a fraction of their new price.
You will also find items that still have tags on them – NWT (New With Tags) is an actual thing! How many times have we bought something & never worn it – too lazy to return it?
Consignment stores will have staff happy to help you – just like a great retail store – the staff will have knowledge of the stock & be able to help you with sizing & any other questions you have.
Here’s a list of some Consignment stores that might be near you – but even if they aren’t nearby you can shop them online too
The Green Pear Consignment Store – Perth based catering to a wide range of sizing & budget friendly on Instagram & Pop Up shops.
Charlie’s Marketplace – my personal fave here in SA!
The Closet – a huge online store with a wide range of budgets & sizes.
Secondo – Melbourne online & street store so you can try stuff on!
Modsie – another online store stocked to the brim with pre-loved clothing & accessories
Revamp Fashion – Brissy based & chockers with stock!
So give second hand a try! Take a look here at some of my fave babes on Instagram who rock pre-loved for some style inspo! And let me know in the comments where you love to shop second hand!
Charlie’s Marketplace looks awesome! Thanks for the mention. (and it appeals to my slightly retro colour-loving heart) This could be a danger…