#Secondhandfirst
Society has been in love with ‘new’ for a long time now. Almost all of this are guilty of this – constantly buying new to replace what we have even though its still in great condition. We need to challenge ourselves to keep finding the value in our items, even though we may have had it for a while. Whether you give it to family and friends, sell it to someone, loan it out or reuse it for something else, we should all re-learn the value of what we already own.
TRAIDs #secondhandfirst week challenges us to use the value in what is already out there. By celebrating all things second-hand, this helps to encourage others to keep using the resources we already have for longer.
That’s why last year, members of our team took the TRAID pledge and promised that they’ll start adding more secondhand clothes to their wardrobes. You may have seen our instagram post last year as our team member Christin took a pledge to make sure that 40% of her wardrobe is second hand items. We caught up with her this week to see how it’s gone, a year on.
“The secondhandfirst pledge really got me thinking about how much we throw away each year when we could easily extend the life of our beautiful textiles. I originally said that 40% of my wardrobe will be second hand and back then, I thought it was going to be a struggle. I love shopping and thought that second hand items may not match my style, but how wrong was I!
I started going to my local charity shops and car boot sales to see the diverse selection of items that were on offer. No matter your style or the occasion of an event, there were amazing textiles available. There’s no reason why I couldn’t match or even better my 40% pledge”
How can you join the textile revolution?
Being in London, it’s not hard to find ‘pre-loved’ clothes with a number of shops selling them, ranging from charity shops all the way to boutique vintage stores. The variety available will even meet the most style conscious individuals.
To the second hand newbies, your local TRAID store is a good place to start your search. It’s a great place to find those textiles and during #SecondhandFirst week, you can pick up some amazing items for a lot less than buying new.
For those who are looking for some second hand designer gems, there are a vast number of shops around that you can visit for those vintage pieces.
Swish
We hold swishes every month & these are a great way for you to start your #Secondhandfirst pledge and make the best of your wardrobe.
If you haven’t been to one of our swishes, the rules are pretty simple. Each person must bring at least one good quality item of clothing, shoes or accessories to take part (maximum 10). You exchange your items for swish tokens which you trade in for items on our rails. All you do is give us an item you don’t use anymore, then you’ll be able to swap it with something new-to you.
If you want to come along to our next swish, it will be held at West Ealing on the 30th November. To find out more about swishing or if you’re thinking about doing one yourself, visit our website www.getswishing.com to find out all you need to know about swishing.
The post #SecondHandFirst Week appeared first on West London Waste.