The rise of people reusing clothes has increased in the past couple of years. From this once being frowned upon, to now teenagers talking about their new vintage clothing they have thrifted from charity shops. Normally after clothes have been thrown away most of them end up in landfills but hopefully because of the new popularity of reusing clothes it  should hopefully reduce the impact on the environment.

A couple of years ago buying old clothes was disliked because of what others may think of you. However nowadays it feels like reusing clothes isn’t just for less fortunate people. It’s transformed into an exciting thing that’s more fun and enjoyable. Times are changing.

The real struggle is finding clothes in your size and style in charity shops. A great alternative for this is to shop online on marketplace apps, like ‘Vinted’ or ‘Depop’. You can now search for specific sizes, colours, brands and sell your own old clothes as well. In addition on apps like Instagram people post hauls on what they found at charity shops and online for cheap prices. Making reusing clothes more and more popular and breaking the stigma! Also buying from charity shops is obviously giving money to different charities, which is a massive bonus! Buying designer labels at charity shops and on online marketplaces are better than buying them new since it enables anyone to wear designer clothes that may not be able to afford them brand new.  The only cons are the fact they are rarer to find and that they are second-hand.

This is all wonderful and great, but I haven’t properly mentioned the impact on the environment yet. The wasted clothes end up in landfills and the materials can take years to decompose. In addition fast fashion is a rising issue in the world at the moment. Styles can change quickly so spending all your money on one piece of clothing that you won’t wear when it goes out of style or trend isn’t worth it most of the time. Also, the production of cotton is bad for the environment because rainwater drains away from cotton fields that have been treated with chemicals and it can then pollute rivers by carrying these chemicals into the waterways. This is another reason why fast fashion can be harmful to the environment.

In conclusion, instead of buying expensive clothes that will go out of style, maybe for an alternative try and buy from charity shops or apps on your phone. They will reduce the negative impacts on the environment and also you will be donating to charity. It’s a win-win situation and you’re not contributing to the fast fashion disaster! Plus, it’s so exciting when you find something perfect in a charity shop or online.