When people meet each other on the street or at school, they notice different things about each other. They might notice the other person’s hair or their face, but they often notice the clothes. What people wear can say a lot about who they are, what they value and even how creative they are. Clothes can be expensive, but you can still look good without spending a lot of money. Finding fashion at second-hand shops can be challenging, but it’s possible to look good on a very small budget.

Most cities have different types of second-hand clothing stores. Consignment shops are places where the previous owners of the clothes or other items get money back for whatever the store staff can sell. If no one buys an item, it eventually goes back to the owner. Much of the time, however, people donate used clothing or other items to organizations that use the money to help some kind of program, such as income support for the poor. Thrift stores that cater to the poor are some of the most common of these types of shops.

Shopping for second-hand clothes can be rewarding but time-consuming. It can be hard to find nice outfits in the jumble of used clothes, with limited choices of size or colour. However, patience, persistence, and a sense of fashion can help. For people who know how to sew, shopping at second-hand stores can present many options for altering clothing to fit new styles. The final result can often be worth the extra time spent in shopping.

If shopping at second-hand stores is so time-consuming, why does anyone do it? Money is probably the biggest reason. New clothes can be very expensive, especially for anyone on a low income. Buying used clothes allows them to have a variety of outfits without spending more than they can afford. For some people, shopping for used clothes might also be an exciting challenge that allows them to create their own style. If they choose clothes that fit well with different outfits, they can have a lot of variety without having a closet full of clothes.

For many second-hand shoppers, buying used clothes is a social or environmental choice. Most of the clothes people buy in North America are made far away in countries like Bangladesh or China, where many workers experience low pay and unsafe conditions. Buying these clothes makes customers feel that they support the exploitation of workers. Another reason for buying second-hand clothing is that transporting the finished clothes from the factories to the North American stores uses a lot of fuel and pollutes the environment. Meanwhile, unwanted clothes often end up in the landfills here in Canada, contributing to the mountains of garbage people produce. Buying second-hand clothes means that people are trying to get the greatest possible use out of the world’s resources.

For all of these reasons and more, second-hand clothing shopping is growing in North America at shops, flea markets, garage sales. Will you join the trend?