{"id":6918,"date":"2015-11-25T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-25T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.p4.greenpeace.org\/post\/could-you-go-a-year-without-buying-new-clothes\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T16:18:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T15:18:32","slug":"could-you-go-a-year-without-buying-new-clothes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/6918\/could-you-go-a-year-without-buying-new-clothes\/","title":{"rendered":"Could you go a year without buying new clothes?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The last time I bought something new to wear was July 2014: it was a pretty blue dress for my graduation. Since then, every piece of clothing that found it\u2019s way into my closet has been bought second-hand, inherited or borrowed.<\/p>\n\n

Swearing off shopping altogether might sound impressive, bordering on the self-righteous, but it\u2019s really not. A large part of why I stopped buying new clothes was out of laziness, not just for the environmental high ground (although it does feel pretty great). You might say, \u201cI could never do that\u201d, but it\u2019s much easier than it sounds!<\/p>\n\n

Every purchase you make has implications far beyond your closet. Once you make that realisation it\u2019s easy to consider never buying something new again. But of course, it\u2019s a big leap from consideration to quitting consumerism all together, one that just isn\u2019t possible for everyone.<\/p>\n\n

Disposable fashion has made itself incredibly convenient, even addictive. But over-consumption fuels a toxic supply chain and stuffs landfill sites with impulse buys. We need to demand less<\/strong> from retailers, not more.<\/p>\n\n

There are currently 31 items of clothing in my wardrobe, not including underwear. I am clearly not a minimalist, but I can still describe every piece of clothing that I own. Some I\u2019ve had for years, and they\u2019re still totally wearable, like the summer dress I bought for a picnic in 2010, or the sparkly disco shorts I\u2019ve worn on innumerable nights out.<\/p>\n\n

Fashion changes, but style doesn\u2019t. I dare you to find me one old piece of clothing you own that couldn\u2019t be restyled or altered to look great now. While it goes against the fast changing fashion world, it doesn\u2019t matter; my old clothes suit me. I\u2019ve been wearing them for so long that they\u2019re part of who I am.<\/p>\n\n

\"clothes
Knits \u2013 inherited, thrift shop. Shirts \u2013 boyfriend’s own. Dresses \u2013 borrowed or several years old. Skirts \u2013 second-hand. Jeans \u2013 ancient. Tops \u2013 roommate’s, swapped, old. Outerwear \u2013 found, flea market. Shoes \u2013 second-hand, reheeled.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Fix up and look sharp <\/h2>\n\n

You probably shouldn\u2019t be taking fashion advice from me; I\u2019ve been wearing the same jeans since I was 18.<\/p>\n\n

Not all of us are lucky enough to be the same size we were years ago though. But professionally altering your jeans costs about the same as buying a brand new pair, and they can be tailored to fit you perfectly, rather than the arbitrary sizes by shopping off the rack.<\/p>\n\n

My clothes are old \u2013 they show the marks of the stories they\u2019ve lived: buttons are missing and there are irremovable stains and holes everywhere. But if Kanye West can go out in a holey t-shirt<\/a>, then so can I. Or I try to fix them. Upcycling is slow-fashion\u2019s new buzzword and it\u2019s helping to reform the industry for the better.<\/p>\n\n

\"clothes
#ImKeepingThis \u2013 My favourite skirt has four holes in it. Some I’ve tried sewing up, the others I just let hang.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Thrift-shopping<\/h2>\n\n

Thanks to the rise of the hipster, vintage is growing astronomically. Historically the reserve of the older generation, second-hand shops, flea markets and thrift stores are now full of young fashionistas trying to find something cool.<\/p>\n\n

It helps that dressing like an 80-year-old seems to be back in style. The other day my friend commented that I look like \u201cHermione\u2019s grandma\u201d, which is not a bad thing when you\u2019re wearing an oversized camel coat (\u20ac8 from Amsterdam\u2019s Ij-Hallen flea market) and a hat you found on the floor of a bus. Style is about what makes you feel good. Look weird: you don\u2019t need to blend in.<\/p>\n\n

I\u2019m lucky enough to live in Berlin, where there are flea markets every other day and second-hand clothing is easy to come by, but for those who don\u2019t have the luxury of four different thrift stores in walking distance, there are lots of online communities<\/a> where people trade vintage clothes.<\/p>\n\n

Pros:<\/h3>\n\n