Tag: fashion

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Thrifty Things

Here’s to a thriftier new year

With 2020 now in the dust and many of us hoping a change of calendar means a change of luck in 2021, is there much chance for a slower fashion world? An article by the New Statesman from October last year broke down why a pandemic alone wouldn’t leave too much of a dent in the fast fashion industry. Even though there was a dip in online retail sales in April, people soon had the urge to spend, and by July online stores recovered quite significantly. Kate Nightingale, a consumer psychologist, says a reason for this may be that the COVID pandemic leads to “mortality salience” which can cause us to act and, of course, buy more impulsively because we’re faced with the idea of death. Who hasn’t indulged in moments of retail therapy at points of crisis in their life?

If you’re going to splash out on some new threads then why not say goodbye to carbon footprint filled, sweat-shop manufactured goods in 2021? Vintage sites like Beyond Retro, as well as second-hand clothes from depop and eBay are great alternatives. If you miss being able to support your local charity shops then Oxfam have their own online store which is still active through lockdown, as well as Age UK and others now using eBay to sell their wares.

The UK is in lockdown once again and many of us are experiencing those familiar quarantine blues, especially after a socially distanced Christmas season. Somehow the 120th drinks over video chat don’t quite hit the same anymore, and a lot of us have taken to brooding like moody teenagers who can’t go anywhere, although instead of our fake IDs not being convincing enough it’s more we can’t buy a Scotch egg accompanied by ten pints in our local, or even congregate in parks for stealth tinnies in state-approved groups of sixes. Even with the vaccine seemingly just in sight, lockdown is dragging more than ever. I especially can’t go anywhere apart from a few exciting hospital trips a week until vaccinated as I’m halfway through 6 cycles of chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, so do or don’t worry about the lavender-pink ombre being my real hair.

Speaking of moody teenage years, mine weren’t especially different to anyone else’s; insisting on collecting Smiths albums on vinyl, thinking Pulp Fiction was totally the greatest film ever and, of course, updating my tumblr blog of the soft/pastel grunge variety. If you remember anything about this genre of tumblr fashion it was a lot of pink/purple hair matched with combat boots, oversized jumpers/shirts with crop tops and the shortest shorts- essentially grunge- but make it pretty. A near modern day equivalent (now I suddenly feel ancient) is probably the ‘e-girl/e-boy’ style which is popular amongst the youth of today- hermit teens with a semi-ironic aesthetic to express. In my case the powers that were parents and Catholic school would never have allowed bright hair dye and upside down crucifix necklaces, so while my fourteen year old self merely admired the soft grunge aesthetic, these e-kids are out here really doing it, even if it’s just mostly in the confines of their bedrooms for TikTok videos.

Hair loss from chemotherapy is pretty unavoidable for the most part so a month into treatment when I started shedding everywhere I decided to shave it off and embrace the whole wig thing. Immediately I was drawn to pink as it’s a colour I’d never actually commit to with my real hair. I wanted to make the shade pop with a dark clothing base, so I went for this men’s black Hugo Boss blazer, appropriately oversized for that grungey vibe:

If you like blazers then a mix of well fitted and men’s size L ones are essential, if you’re torn on the day then why not go for both at once
I guess it was fate that I happened upon this sign last year and found my dream too-big blazer
Behind blazer number 1 is…
Pinstripes really shouldn’t be taken seriously, take a pair of scissors to them and stick it to the man, or whoever
Some might say it’s incompetence, I prefer to call it the raw hem effect. If you can’t find the perfect shorts suit just buy a regular one and cut the legs off. A better, less lazy person than I could even tailor it properly. Pair with skin coloured tights and it’s ready for any season
A graphic tee should be just that
I thrifted these boots about a year ago and I’m pleased to confirm they’re still alive and well, my tights on the other hand not so much. But what’s a ladder if not acceptably soft grunge?
Windswept wigs call for statement vintage earrings

Price breakdown (including delivery for online purchases):
Hugo Boss Blazer- £2.50, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Charity Shop, Colchester
Pin stripe suit- £16.99, eBay
T-shirt- £19.10, eBay
Boots- £14, eBay
Earrings- £2.50, Vintage St Helena Hospice, Colchester

Categories
Thrifty Things

I shopped an entire outfit second-hand for under £23

For £22.35 to be exact.

How, where and why you ask? If you haven’t already, read my intro post on why second-hand styling is important now more than ever in this age of fast fashion.

I’m currently based in Colchester, where the town centre has a multitude of charity shops. One of my favourites has to be the St Helena Hospice Clearance Shop on Magdalen Street- every item of clothing is just £1! It’s actually maybe about a five-ten minute walk out of the town centre, but definitely worth it. Here I found the beige turtleneck and this great bag for- you guessed it- £1 each.

The neutral turtleneck is a good basic item/essential, especially if you’re wondering ‘is my wardrobe 1970s TV show detective enough?’ Would I pass for an extra on Van Der Valk? And I love the bag’s distressed effect- perfectly matches my personality and contrasts to the clean, not-as-textured outfit. It also contains the ‘big three’ of items I like to carry almost everywhere- 1 litre water bottle, book and umbrella. When I was studying in London I always had this irrational fear of getting ‘stuck’ somewhere for hours and not having water/entertainment near me. I’m not exactly sure where I was imagining getting stuck- on the tube? On top of Big Ben? But I felt weird not having those items with me. Also, of course, the bag can fit in a purse and other actual essentials.

I’ve had the belt for a few years now, and can’t actually remember which charity shop I got it from, but it’s the perfect length(?) for using as a waist belt. Recently I was scouring Ebay for some good heels which are wearable and not insanely high. I’m 5’9, and as much as I like towering over people in heels there’s a limit to it I’d say. They’re originally from Zara and have a suede effect- pretty versatile and can be paired with more casual or less casual outfits.

There’s definitely been an increasing interest in co-ords, not necessarily just suits, but having match-y top and bottom pieces. I’ve found it difficult to find a shorts-suit, maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that it’s February- who knows? But I think any season can call for shorts, just wear with tights (skin colour or low denier black tights is what I prefer) and a long coat- we don’t have to freeze for our fashion- although if I had to maybe I would just a bit. I found the tailored black shorts in Sue Ryder on Short Wyre Street for just £2, and the black blazer in PDSA on Long Wyre Street for under £5, forming my own kind of dream shorts-suit-co-ord. It was easy to do with black as they both match in colour, but finding the sand coloured shorts-suit of my dreams with second-hand separates might be a taller order.

I’d probably wear this outfit maybe to a bar, although if I was going to be drinking 5+ pints I might lose the belt- I still like the look without it. I would still see myself wearing this during the day, but maybe swap the heels with some black boots for more of a casual and comfortable time pacing/procrastinating around town.

Here’s a total breakdown of the costs:

  • Black blazer- £4.95 from PDSA Colchester
  • Black shorts- £2 from Sue Ryder Colchester
  • Beige turtleneck- £1 from St Helena Clearance Shop
  • Belt- estimated £3 from a charity shop I don’t remember
  • Heels- £10.40 (including postage) from Ebay
  • Bag- £1 from St Helena Clearance Shop
  • Total cost: £22.35

So if you’re in Colchester, or a different town with good access to second hand stores, consider thrifting your way to your next great look. If you prefer scrolling online, why not try Ebay or Depop as a sustainable alternative to the fast-fashion giants?

I’ll see you in a few weeks for another thriftily-shopped look.

Categories
Thrifty Things

About

Hi, my name’s Emilia and welcome to my thrifty fashion blog

I’ve always loved shopping second hand. In quite a few of my free periods during sixth form college around 5 years ago The Salvation Army charity shop in Colchester was my favourite distraction from going to the library and memorising quotes from The Tempest. Fast forward to my final year of University; I became time-poor and much more interested in the convenience of shopping online, ending up committing the cardinal sin of buying from fast fashion websites. You know, the ones which always seem to have at least 50% off, but two thirds of what arrives ends up being half the amount of fabric you thought it was, or the cut looks like some kind of shapeless Jedi robe. Well, I guess I got what I deserved.

Basically, I was mindlessly buying out of laziness, boredom, and not really thinking about the consequences of supporting fast fashion sites and brands. Recently, there’s been more awareness about how these companies operate, it’s not just the relatively newer dodgy online shops, even familiar high-street brands such as H&M are also guilty of feeding into the trend of turning over masses of new designs quickly at lower costs. But how does this affect the rest of the world?

This post by The Green Hub reveals some staggering truths:

  • “Global clothing production has doubled in the past 15 years, with garments on average being worn much less and discarded quicker than ever before.” – Ellen MacArthur Foundation
  • “We are increasingly disconnected from the people who make our clothing as 97% of items you’re overseas. There are roughly 40 million garment workers in the world today; many of whom do not share the same rights or protections that many people in the West do. They are some of the lowest paid workers in the world and roughly 85% of all garment workers are women.” – The True Cost
  • “Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make the world’s polyester fiber, which is now the most commonly used fiber in our clothing. But it takes more than 200 years to decompose.” – Forbes
  • “The fashion industry is designed to make you feel “out of trend” after one week. Once upon a time, there were two fashion seasons: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Fast forward to 2014 and the fashion industry is churning out 52 “micro-seasons” per year. With new trends coming out every week, the goal of fast fashion is for consumers to buy as many garments as possible, as quickly as possible.” – Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion
  • “Only 10% of the clothes people donate to thrift stores or charities get sold, the rest goes to landfill.” – 1 Million Women

The bottom line is that clothing is being made and discarded at an alarming rate, which is destroying the environment, depriving workers of fair pay, and making us feel more and more obsessed with the ‘latest and greatest’ styles for the cheapest price possible.

So why not shop second hand? There’s already enough clothing in the world, why create a demand for even more? Fast fashion is affordable? I bet that charity shops, Ebay and Depop will find you outfits you love for even less, and without supporting unethical practices.

Thrifty Things is a commitment from me to shop second-hand, a return to what I’ve always loved, although I lost sight of it briefly. You don’t have to sacrifice your own personal style for sustainability, and I’ll be proving it by blogging my affordable outfits made up of second hand pieces in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same.

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