Second Hand September
How to Buy Less and Make Your Clothes Last Longer
As the season starts to change, September is one of our favourite times to rummage through our wardrobes and think about clothes for the colder months. Most of the time, we don’t need to buy a whole new wardrobe as we already have everything that we need. Second Hand September is an annual campaign encouraging people to rethink how they shop for clothes, choose pre-loved fashion and keep clothing in use for longer.
Sustainable fashion isn't only about where we shop, but also about buying less, repairing what we own and getting creative with clothes we already have.
For mending ideas follow our Pinterest board ‘Nature Crafts & DIY’ here.
What is Second Hand September?
Launched back in 2019 by Oxfam, Second Hand September is a campaign that encourages people to hit the second-hand stores rather than splurging on fast-fashion pieces during September. It’s also an opportunity to donate the old clothes that you no longer wear to keep them in use for longer. To help challenge the culture of overproduction and over-consumption you can shop at charity shops, buy pre-loved online, swap clothes, repair existing clothes or just buy less!
“Extending the life of our clothes helps to reduce demand for new production and the resources it requires” - Oxfam.
According to Oxfam, "in the UK, the clothing we buy each year has a water footprint of around 8 billion cubic metres, which is enough to meet the UK's water needs for two years. Today, 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries, 1.8 billion lack access to safe water at home, and nine in ten climate-related disasters are linked to water through floods, droughts, or changing rainfall patterns. Water is increasingly both an environmental and humanitarian challenge".
Shopping second-hand is a powerful way to reduce the demand for new production and resources, and it doesn't have to mean boring! Vintage, unusual, embroidered, customised and one-off pieces can actually make a wardrobe more individual.
Copyright Knot Waste: Collection Bin for Old Clothes & Shoe Recycling.
How Oxfam is making second hand fashion more creative
Old clothes don't have to be chucked into the bin, they can be the raw materials for creativity. As part of Oxfam's Textile Upcycle Lab, the charity partnered up with BA Fashion Design Students from Leeds Beckett University to transform 'waste clothing' into covetable new pieces. Think combining fabrics, adding embroidery etc. Some pieces were even selected for Oxfam's Style for Change fashion show (Oxfam).
Did you know? Oxfam now also has a clothing rental service, meaning you can borrow pre-loved clothing for an occasion rather than buying something you'll rarely wear.
Donated garments are professionally cleaned and made available via Oxfam Rental. You just choose your piece, wear it, then send it back.
7 ways to embrace Second Hand September
1. Shop your wardrobe first
Before buying anything, look at what you already own.
Create new outfits
Wear forgotten pieces
Layer clothes differently
Style summer clothes for Autumn
Repeat outfits proudly
2. Try a charity shop
These days there are so many different charity shops to choose from. Of course Oxfam is an option but there are also lots of local independent ones on your high-streets too. Browse with an open mind and look for quality or interesting fabrics that'll create a unique outfit.
3. Buy second-hand online
Great go-tos for this are Vinted, eBay, or Oxfam's online shop but it's still easy to fall into the trap of over-consumption when you think you're getting a bargain. So, before you splurge, ask yourself whether you really need it.
4. Try creative mending
Turn a repair into a design feature that makes your garment one-of-a-kind. You can embroider over stains, add decorative scraps, patches or stitches. Plus, Embroidery as Nature Connection is also a great way to incorporate more healing nature crafts into your day.
5. Customise something you already own
It's easy to chuck away a garment and buy something brand new just because you're bored of it. So rather than fling it, fancy it up. Getting out into nature can fill you with lots of design ideas to incorporate into your piece. You'll find yourself revamping your wardrobe with flowers, leaves or wildlife inspired embroidery in no time. Or if you're like us, you'll be inspired by a waste incinerator like Vienna's Spittelau and turn its patterns into mending badge patterns.
6. Organise a clothes swap
To avoid buying new clothes, swapping events can also tickle your need for a 'new outfit'. You can host an event almost anywhere from your workplace to community centres, or keep it informal and just meet up with friends.
If you have kids, they grow out of clothes so quickly that organising an event with other parents could be a great way to save yourself some cash too.
7. Sell or donate clothes you no longer wear
If something no longer works for you, don't chuck it, keep it in circulation. You can give an outfit another life whilst raising funds for charities' causes. Or earn yourself some extra cash by selling on platforms like Depop. Treat a friend to something they've had their eye on in your wardrobe, or just take the fabric and turn it into something new! There are endless ways to give items a second-life.
Second Hand September isn't just about September
The most sustainable item in your wardrobe is often the one you already own.
Second Hand September can be a starting point to build your own habits rather than just a 30-day challenge.
We use creativity to reconnect with nature and slow down. In the same way, we can reconnect with our clothes by slowing down. Make things by hand and see the potential in the clothes you'd otherwise chuck away.
Discover: Mending Badge Patterns on the Etsy KnotWasteShop.
Read Now: Embroidery for Nature Connection - Learn to Stitch for Well-being.