You’ve heard of fun challenges like no shave November. Well, the charity organisation Oxfam has created a challenge they’ve coined second-hand September.
Autumn is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start switching out our t-shirts and sandals for sweaters and boots. But Oxfam is challenging consumers to make more ethical decisions when shopping for fall fashion. They are encouraging shoppers to take the second-hand September pledge and not buy any brand new clothes. Instead they want consumers to get into the practice of upcycling and only buy clothing from a thrift store.
This challenge is all about working with what you already have or what someone else has already used. It’s an opportunity to be creative and try to style your clothing in a different way. And a way to give new life to a piece someone decided to give up on.
Oxfam has promoted this challenge as a call to action, after finding shocking results from a study they conducted. They found that “2 tonnes of clothing is purchased every minute in the UK.” More shocking, this summer alone people in the UK “purchased more than 50 million outfits to be worn once and then discarded.”
It’s inevitable that new trends will emerge each season with fashion brands pumping out products trying to keep up and compete with each other. Taking this thrift store pledge is a good way to combat the seemingly never-ending cycle of fast fashion and throwaway culture.
How to Sign Up For the Second-hand September Pledge
You can sign up for the second-hand September pledge by visiting Oxfam’s website. Follow their Instagram and tag them in your second-hand outfits for a chance to win prizes that they are giving away each week.
There’s many amazing thrift store options out there to explore. Some specialise in different eras, such as the 1950’s or 1980’s. Others are focused on specialty high-end designer items.
Which Websites to Use For Your Second-hand September Shopping
If you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy physically going out to shop and prefers to instead online shop, from the comforts of your home, this pledge could seem very challenging. The thought of going out to a thrift store and taking time to go through each rack to maybe find something you like probably doesn’t sound appealing to you. However, recently online thrift store sites are becoming very popular. And there are quite a few options to choose from!
Here’s a list of the current top 3 most popular thrift store sites to help you participate in second-hand September:
ThredUp
ThredUp claims to be the “largest online consignment and thrift store,” so you’re going to have a lot of options to look through. It ranges from “Gap to Gucci.” This online thrift store has an app you can download for your phone. For those extremely lazy shoppers or those that like surprises, you can sign up for ThredUp’s Goody Box. They will then send you a customised a selection of pieces.
Poshmark
Poshmark also gives you a large selection to choose from. You can shop through “millions of items.” This online thrift store also has an app, making it easily accessible on your phone. This site has frequent online events called “shopping parties,” where they have exclusive deals on select items.
Depop
Depop markets itself as not just a site to buy clothing, but also one to socialise. You can create and follow profiles. Think Instagram combined with Pinterest and Ebay. You can share your thrifted fashion purchases and see what second-hand pieces others are buying. Of course, being a social network, this site also has an app for your phone.
Check out our other post that offers more tips on how to make your wardrobe more sustainable and ethical.
