I’m sure you’ve gotten home from a thrift shop with a huge haul of clothes in a garbage-bag sized bag, or you’ve walked into one and not found a single treasure. Thrifting became trendy after it was primarily a means to provide under-privileged folks with the chance to shop sustainably.
Stores and Donation Centers are a great means to provide secondhand, affordable goods. While I still recommend donating to these stores as often as possible, there are suddenly various means to resale good quality clothing even by app (Depop, Poshmark, Tradesy, Grailed, StockX, etc.). The fashion industry is a huge source of pollution to the environment by means of water consumption and creating a lot of waste. I would simply google ways in which fashion destroys the environment, and you’ll be surprised.
If you choose to live a more sustainable life in the aspect of your consumptions, I would consider recycled fashion to be a form of practicing eco-fashion. There are specific companies you can look into that have started manufacturing clothes from ethical approaches, but they can be pricey.
Other stores have cash and trade credit as a means of encouraging sellers and buyers of on trend clothing and accessories in great condition, usually for a lower price than the original. I found some general tips on how you can practice sustainable fashion habits from Harmony Enterprises’ website (https://harmony1.com/sustainable-fashion-textile-recycling/):
1. Only buy a new item if you think you will wear it at least 30 times.
2. Buy clothing second-hand or at thrift stores.
3. Encourage hand-me-down clothing.
4. Repair, mend, or tailor clothing instead of throwing it away.
5. Donate clothes you no longer need to a friend or thrift store. 6. Up-cycle clothing or textiles into something new.
7. Instead of buying one-time use clothes for a special occasion, borrow them from a friend.
8. Support clothing manufacturers who have sustainable practices and materials.
9. Look for sustainable textiles derived from eco-friendly resources.
10. Purchase pieces that are versatile and classic that you can wear many different ways.