“Like new” isn’t a term we are searching for these days. Instead, there is a rise in consumers buying visibly used luxury items to forgo cheap alternatives. Shoppers want fashion that has been made to last (and show some wear along the way)
From a surge in app use to window shopping online, accessibility and convenience have meant that new clothes were at the touch of a button, and we very quickly became a throw away culture. Now, post-pandemic, more of us are aware of the issues the fashion industry is responsible for and choose to shop and style consciously.
But what happens when you get the urge to buy “new?”
As the founder of Secondhand Styling UK, you probably would expect me to be against buying new.
It’s the complete opposite.
Fashion is built upon new ideas, innovations, and designs that inspire, ignite and capture the imagination of consumers. Without new ideas, we will constantly be living in the past. What is essential though, is that those pieces are made to last, to become secondhand tomorrow.
When we do decide to buy new, we need to learn how to buy better so that they will one day become someone else’s re-loved. This is where the idea of everything looking “like new” isn’t as crucial as it has been in the past, because when something is made well, it can handle a few scratches, a little stretch or a bit of fade. Clothes that have been made with love will age well.
So when you are next in a physical store that is not your go-to secondhand store, and you get the urge to purchase new, banish any pang of guilt by considering these 3 tips before you make the purchase.
The Road To Slow Fashion
Even when buying less, you can open yourself up to various options when looking at investing in "new" brands. As a fashion journalist, I spent many years in NYC interviewing designers who were building brands consciously. Everything from the fabric they chose, to the people they worked with. These collections they were creating took time, and with that, cost money. This is why slow fashion tends to be more expensive, but when you work out the “cost-per-wear,” you will realise it becomes an investment very quickly.
Discover Your Style
Embrace your style and shape and try on outfits that will help strengthen your “wearable wardrobe” As you begin to understand what works well for you, what colours lift you up, and what shapes flatter your size the best, that is when you can start to curate everlasting items “new” that will become staple pieces in your style line-up. You may even develop a knack for sourcing signature items that people will associate you with, such as hats, leather jackets, or even coats. Buying these pieces new but choosing items that have been crafted with quality materials and season-less designs means that when/if you do outgrow them, they will be ready to be re-loved by someone else.
Create A Capsule Wardrobe.
Start with having a good clean up and clean out. Donate, swap or up-cycle clothes you won’t wear and display what you want to keep in a way that inspires you to wear it all. If you can’t see it, you won’t wear it. Curating pieces that you already own in an organised fashion means that you can add to the rail with a conscious eye for style.
Have we missed a tip you would like to share with our community when it comes to learning how to buy better? Send us a message directly, and we could be featuring your style tips in our next article.
