The Sustainable Clothing Stores We Often Forget About

Sustainable fashion is defined as: clothing, shoes and accessories that are manufactured, marketed and used in the most sustainable manner possible. Now that consumers are more conscientiousness about what companies they are buying from, corporate social responsibility and sustainability are now key for consumers.

With more companies like H&M and Adidas making sustainable clothing lines, it is hard to remember that sustainable fashion can come from places that won’t break the bank.

Thrift Stores are the OG’s of Sustainable Fashion.

Thrift stores can trace their origins all the way back to as early as 1899, when the first charity shop opened in England. Since then, second-hand stores have become highly accessible to all with their wide selections, easy donation stations and cheap prices.

While thrift stores may not be the most convenient way to shop every time, they are readily available to the public and contain a massive variety of clothing for all ages, genders and sizes.

Thrift stores are just as valid as sustainable clothing brands.

Some brands focus on making clothing from plastic bottles which is a great way to recycle our plastic. However, second-hand stores give new life to our waste without creating more unnecessary products. Recycling our textiles and fabrics not only reduces labor costs, it saves all types of raw materials needed to make fabric and limits mass production.

Even though thrift stores are very common around the world, they are often overlooked by consumers as a sustainable clothing option. This shouldn’t be the case. National Geographic reported that one t-shirt takes about 2,700 liters of water to produce. Therefore, making the conscious decision to buy second-hand saves water, money, and other resources used to produce textiles.

What are some other options?

Though many people still shop at thrift stores like Goodwill, Plato’s Closet, Value Village, and more; many companies are increasingly taking advantage of the online retail market. With apps and websites like poshmark, depop, thred-up, and swap.com, it is now even easier for us to buy and sell second-hand items.

Companies like LEVI Jeans and Nike have ranked highly on sustainability according to the Business of Fashion journal. In addition to this, many consumers are looking for ethical brands to open their wallets for. This forces companies to shift towards more ethical and environmentally friendly practices.

Overall, buying sustainable can be cheaper than you think. It is more readily accessible thanks to thrift stores. By supporting thrift stores, we are doing a favor to both our wallets an the world.

Find out what sustainable clothing works for you. And next time, don’t forget to include thrift shops and their online companions.