Welcome to 2021, and thank you for following me on my No New Clothes journey. I have a confession to make… I really wanted to shop for new clothes this month. While staying with a friend, I saw him open a package that contained new clothes, and I observed a pang of envy!
At first I felt ashamed to be having those old consumption cravings. But when I sat with those feelings and investigated them further, I realized that what I was craving was novelty, not necessarily a whole new outfit. I had been avoiding online shopping all year, but that night I decided to dive into the world of second hand luxury clothing to see if the feeling of browsing “new” clothes satiated my need to add to my existing closet.
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And I’m happy to report that it did. Perusing my favorite designers on the RealReal and Poshmark, I felt the same thrill of buying something new on a traditional website. There was even an extra layer of excitement because there was an element of chance and luck in finding something that I liked in my size. The feeling of participating in and winning a treasure hunt.
The secondhand clothes market is projected to grow exponentially in the next few years. I’m hoping that by promoting this niche market we can truly turn buying secondhand mainstream. And websites like the RealReal and Poshmark are showing us that vintage doesn’t have to mean browsing racks at the Goodwill (although that is something I also enjoy doing from time to time) but the world of luxury is also at our consumer fingertips — at enormously discounted prices. It’s a win for the planet and win for our wallets.
Next year I think I will commit to buying 90% of my clothes second hand. I want to continue with my No New Clothes challenge, but make small exceptions for some necessary pieces like underwear, socks, etc. But apart from that, I’m convinced I can buy everything I want and need secondhand. What’s been your experience buying second hand? Do you think you could commit to a ratio of 80/20 secondhand/new next year if going all the way #NoNewClothes is too extreme? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Xx
I could do the 80/20 second hand and new next year. Thank you for sharing and for being so inspirational. I have learned so much from you!
Once I started thrift shopping in 2018 I knew that there was no going back for me. Since then my wardrobe has expanded 10 times its size and 95% is second hand.
I found a gorgeous boutique secondhand shop that I love visiting; not only for the amazing bargains I’ve bought but the staff are beautiful; such kindness from them everytime I visit.