Doing Secondhand the Sustainable Way: ThredUP
I have very exciting news! I have recently received the opportunity to be a ThredUP Ambassador! I thought this would be a great opportunity to write a little post about how sustainability and secondhand go hand in hand and how ThredUP plays its part in reducing the amount of waste in the fashion industry. I’ll hit ya with some facts first:
The Facts
The fashion industry is the world’s second biggest polluter after the oil industry (sustainyourstyle.org)
Fast fashion usually means workers aren’t paid well and work in unsafe environments (7billionfor7seas.com)
85% of textiles go to landfills every year, and the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second (businessinsider.com)
So what does this mean?
For Americans, we live in a world of instant gratification and we want things in large amounts and want them FAST. However, this is obviously not the best for the environment and the socioeconomic status of garment workers in the industry. We are very motivated by trends and the next best thing so it makes sense that the weird printed pants we loooved last month would be out of style the next month. What can we do about this? How can we encourage others to wear what they have in their closet first and then thrift second and then buy new third (preferrably local, too)?
Where does ThredUP come in?
I know some people don’t love going thrifting like I do. There are many stereotypes that the clothes are dirty, out of style, or not their size. However, with websites like ThredUP, you can see that these stereotypes just aren’t true. Every item on their vast online shop has been previously owned and vetted by ThredUP stylists. The items are high quality and authentic, so if you’re looking for a particular brand, size, color, pattern, you can totally find it! I’ve gotten one of their Goody Boxes before where you take a quiz on your personal style preferences and their stylists put together a box of clothes they think you may like! This is a fun way to give yourself a little gift and maybe try out pieces that you would never pick out in stores. Their prices are slashed to give you the best bang for your buck, so it’s like thrifting without having to go into the shops. This is also great for this current time in the world since we all are staying at home but have the ability to shop online.
I love thrifting and I’m always looking for new ways to do it, so ThredUP is a great way for me to get my fix! I can’t wait to bring you all amazing style for secondhand and for less!
