Thrifted Thursday

          This Summer I am trying my best to really curb my thrifting- I am trying to consciously consume only what I need. I've found that it is so easy to be swept away by the thought of a gem passing through one's fingers- when in reality if you don't find that gem to be useful then there is no point. So it is with this in mind that I have focused on creating a wardrobe that is useful and loved- which means garments being worn and used.

         One of my current go- to pieces is this yummy off white gauze dress- picked up for a song because of some minor imperfections- just wonky enough to not be a top quality vintage piece. I love it and have been wearing the heck out of it during this heat wave! This piece embodies everything I love- that throwback to Victorian style- all be it Victorian night ware perhaps! This dress is meant for adventuring and that is just what I have been doing while wearing it! Adventure is out there!

Thrifted Thursday: Three Reasons I Love Vintage

          Everyone pretty much by now knows my deep and abiding love of second hand clothing- I love to shop for it, find it, take it home and breath new life into it. Vintage shops are my favourites- the place to find the most interesting and stunning pieces. Second hand shops come in a close second- great places to find basics like jeans at low prices- occasionally the consummate thrifter can score the rare vintage piece at places like Value Village- less and less so these days. Clothing Swaps- possibly one of my all time favourite events- you take a bag of items you are no longer interested in wearing- throw them into a pile- and come out with bags of clothing someone else didn't want any longer- for free!

      For me the number one reason shopping Thrift and Vintage stores is better than hitting the mall is the interest factor- as a lover of all things beautiful and interesting I want my wardrobe to reflect that. Shopping pre-loved clothes allows me to curate an interesting wardrobe full of one of kind pieces that belong to me alone- yeah I like to be unique. My real love is Vintage stores- not to be confused with Thrift stores- shopping Vintage is literally stepping back in time and cherry picking from the decades what you love best.

     The second reason is the environmental factor- once a new item of clothing leaves the factory where it was produced it has been coated in a number of chemicals- all of which are bad for you- one of which I have an extreme sensitivity to- formaldehyde. Chemicals to deter bugs and pests during transport- chemicals for fire retardant- chemicals to starch the fabric smooth for the retailer- just too many chemicals for me!

     Also the waste factor comes into play - almost all companies today over produce- fast fashion as it's come to be known as is common place with retailers hedging their bets on consumers shopping once a week. There are now 52 seasons of clothing as opposed to what used to be four- new garments hitting the mannequins once a week to keep consumers desiring new things. So many of those textiles ending their lives in a landfill of discount thrift store- or worse headed for a third world country. Did you know that much of North America's second hand textiles are shipped to third world countries under the guise of "aid"- the result is that those local economies are affected because the local dress maker or tailor is put out of business when the towns are flooded with our left overs.

      The Third reason to shop vintage is simple the thrill of the hunt- prowling the racks for the one item that jumps out at me and begs to be taken home. Over the years I have garnered some real scores- an antique beaded hand bag from the 20's for a song- a brocade designer hand bag from the 50's New York and my all time favourite my Bakelite bangle! When I go shopping I have to head out with an open mind and a lose list- I have an exact idea at this point what my style is so while I can examine and wow over beautiful vintage gowns I no longer feel the need to bring them home with me- I can admire things and pass them along. The feeling of shopping like this is such a rush- the excitement of finding the perfect item- examining the well constructed garments and the heavy fabrics- this is truly why I love to shop vintage!

Thrifted Thursday

            We all know by now how my love for thrift shopping runs deep- I love the thrill of the hunt- finding something unique and of course often saving money. Of course I don't just hit the thrift stores for myself- since the get go I have shopped consignment and thrift for our Littles. The nice thing about living in a larger centre like Vancouver is the quality of items- especially kids clothes- that can be found at thrift stores. 

          Yesterday I had the good fortune to hit Main Street- here in Vancouver- one of our cities go to areas for vintage and thrift stores and did I ever hit the jack pot! Of course with all thrift stores the stock is really hit and miss- it's only through perseverance and continued visits that the really good scores are found- yesterday was such a day. A visit to the BC Women and Children's Hospital Auxiliary yielded several items for Miss Lo's warm weather wardrobe. A Joe Fresh top came in at $3.00 and is pretty much brand new. The cute little dusty rose chinos are from the Gap and were $4.00- also very gently used I am more than happy we have these light weight pants this week in the heat!

          In North America individuals discard on average 68 pounds of clothing per year- considering all the resources that go into making a garment-1,800 gallons of water per pair of jeans- it is a shame that clothing is so disposable. Did you know that most fast fashion stores now claim 52 seasons worth of clothing as opposed to what used to be only 4 seasons a mere 20 years ago. Coming up with 52 collections to put out to the consumer produces an endless cycle that just can not be sustained. The majority of our second hand clothing is often shipped to third world countries under the guise of aid- when in fact our used clothing has a negative impact on struggling third world textile economies. 

      To reduce your own textile footprint consider a few things before you make your next purchase- consider weather or not you actually need the item you are considering. Do you need to bring that item into your life? Will you still be in love with it in two weeks? Four weeks? A year? Will the item of clothing you are considering be in the garbage or the donate bin a year from now? Do you need 2 t-shirts or 10? These are all valid questions to ask as shopping in our society is often entertainment rather than need- when we consider actual needs versus wants it is revealed we do not need much at all.

      As I am totally a product of my environment I love clothes- I love shopping and I love really beautiful well made items. What I cannot abide by is the cheap, fast fashion that has infiltrated our lives and become the norm. Aside from doing a large amount of our families sewing- which I realize is not for everyone- there are many ways I have managed to reduce our families textile footprint- thrifting is one of them. When donating your gently used items consider donating to a small thrift store like a church or hospital auxiliary- the clothes are likely to stay with in the community as is any money made.

     Folks the bottom line is this- there are tonnes- tonnes of clothes floating around our world- no need to buy brand new items constantly. My suggestion is this- if you don't all ready frequent thrift stores just go poke your head into one- see what it's all about. Maybe start out small- looking for an item for your child. Trust me once you get hooked by the thrifting bug it's difficult to stop!