Why I Shop Second Hand (and You Should Too)

Yesterday was Earth Day and as I did a little shopping downtown with my friend Megan, I started thinking about how most of my shopping these days is secondhand. Granted I haven’t been shopping much since this winter but even then, I’ve recently steered away from my normal mainstream stores. I’ve recently turned to thrift and consignment shopping for most of my clothes in the past six months. It wasn’t a conscious choice at first but now I am becoming firmer in my choice to skip the big stores 90% of the time and opt for more thrifting instead. 

Just keep reading to see why I like to thrift shop (and you should too)!

Why I Buy Second-Hand Clothes (and you should too)

cost savings

You can’t deny that shopping second hand is less expensive than shopping directly from the original retailer. While thrift stores like Goodwill are going to be the best bang for your style buck, they also take the most effort sorting and searching through the bins. Other consignment stores (I love this one and this one north of Seattle) create a more boutique atmosphere and will cost you more (think sale prices) but you’ll have a better shopping experience. This ASOS dress came from one consignment store and only cost me $30 while the full priced dress would have been closer to $80.

one man’s trash

There really is truth to the adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. I sometimes can’t believe the things people are willing to donate or consign. Brand new, never worn pieces with the original tags still attached! Some of my favorite pieces are ones other people have discarded.

more individuality in dressing

Right after the Nordstrom Anniversary sale last year, there was a certain cardigan I saw every single day. It had been a big hit during the sale and throughout the fall, I saw women wearing that cardigan all the time all over Seattle and on social media. When you’re not shopping at the same places everyone else is, you’d have to get real creative in order to dress the same.

I don’t see anything wrong in showing up at a party dressed the same and someone else. Twinning is winning sometimes but when everyone and their dog is wearing the same thing the same way, it can get a little boring. Finding other places to shop is one way to avoid this situation.

environmental impact of clothing waste

Finally, there have been more and more reporting about just how much clothing ends up in landfills and it really breaks my heart to see and read about all the waste. Not only is it wasting clothing that could be used by people in need but it also is a waste of resources to fabricate clothing only to throw it away practically unused.

Here in Seattle, there is a new(ish) program called ThreadCycle that is taking all donated clothes, shoes, and linens, it doesn’t matter if it’s damaged or not, and recycling them to keep clothing out of landfills. Their goal is to only have 5% of donated clothes end up in landfills and that 5% are items that have been contaminated with mildew, molds, or other hazardous materials.

Are you a thrift store or consignment shopper? Let me know in the comments your favorite places to shop! I’ll be sharing more about mine on Wednesday!

Until next time,
Ana Luiza

DRESS: thrifted, same style here // SHOES: old Nordstrom Rack, similar here // BAG: Gigi New York c/o // TRENCH: J.Crew