September means a lot of things - the end of summer, back to school, the start of Strictly… It’s a season of new beginnings, making it the perfect time to make some positive changes in your consumer habits.
Enter: Second Hand September. Started by Oxfam in 2019, Second Hand September is a yearly campaign designed to encourage people to ditch fast fashion and shop second hand for thirty days.
Since its inception, this campaign has become more and more prevalent on social media, with many influencers and sustainable brands sharing their own tips and tricks in dedicated posts. Some of Truffle’s favourite accounts spreading the Second Hand September love at the moment include Marta Canga, Sophie Corbett, Helibells and Cat Patterson.
With each passing year, it becomes pretty clear that climate change is going nowhere. At least, not unless the world makes some BIG changes, fast. Given that the fashion industry makes up 10% of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined, taking part in Second Hand September is an effective, achievable way of making a start on your sustainability journey and reducing your overall impact on the environment.
But where to start? If you’ve spent your whole life shopping firsthand, attempting to mix it up might feel like a little bit of a minefield. The good news is, it’s probably a lot easier than you think.
Without social media, there’s no way Second Hand September would have the influence it does. It is a fountain of knowledge, allowing creators to share their wisdom and spread awareness of issues and initiatives to which many would otherwise be oblivious. It’s also the perfect tool for learning. If you want to learn more about secondhand shopping and its role in preserving the environment, where better to look than Instagram or TikTok, where you can find real life people sharing their own experiences and advice? A simple search of the hashtag #SecondHandSeptember will have you drowning in resources, anecdotes and tips surrounding this amazing campaign.
Of course, we at Truffle always want to provide a little extra help wherever possible. We’ve compiled a little list of some of our favourite ways of shopping secondhand, including some amazing businesses selling beautiful vintage and contemporary pieces.
Charity Shops
Even nowadays, charity shops can get a bad rap. While it’s undoubtedly more of a lengthy process to scour through the rails, you’d be pleasantly surprised how often you stumble across a pre-loved gem for a super low price. Of course, the variety of clothes sold at your local charity shop will depend slightly on the area, so always make sure to have a charity shop crawl when visiting different cities!
If you’re in the London area, here are a few of Truffle’s personal faves:
Depop/Vinted/Finds World
The good thing about making the transition to secondhand shopping in 2022 is that it’s never been easier to do so. If you don’t feel like browsing through rails of charity shop clothes, all you have to do is download an app, search for what you’re looking for and scroll to your heart’s content.
If you’re looking for some guaranteed steals, some of our favourite Depop sellers include Confusion Club, Isabella Vrana, Art Angel Thrift and Marylene V.
Saving the best until last: a small business particularly close to our hearts. Bolt Studio
is our very own Account Assistant Natalie’s Depop shop, full of hand-picked 90s and 00s vintage gems.
Vintage Stores
If your local charity shops and online searches aren’t doing the trick, there are plenty of specific vintage stores in person and online, some chains, some independent, all AMAZING places to find some beautiful pieces. Some of our faves include To Be Worn Again, Nova Vintage, Rokit Vintage, Beyond Retro, Lovers Lane Vintage and Sassy World.
In Conclusion…
Basically, there are a lot more ways than you think to shop secondhand. Don’t forget to keep an eye on your local Facebook communities for vintage kilo sales and car boot sales - you won’t believe the bargains!
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #SecondHandSeptember on your socials to spread the word about this incredible campaign and encourage your followers to take part. It’s with initiatives like this that we witness the TRUE power of social media and its ability to make a real difference to important, real life issues.
Do you have any Second Hand September tips or favourite businesses to shop from? Let us know by tagging us on our socials - we’re always on the lookout for sustainable finds!