Why Thrift Shop for Quality and Avoid Fast Fashion!
How much of the clothing that you purchase this year will you still be wearing next year? We live in the age of fast fashion when clothing manufacturers rapidly pump out cheap faddish clothing at unprecedented levels. If enduring style and dressing well matter to you, this article will show how thrift shopping may be a better option for your clothing needs.
In the past, retail stores would release new clothing styles seasonally, typically two to four times a year in accord with the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Now, in the age of fast fashion, many clothing retailers and online merchants release new fashion with a much faster turnaround in mind. Fast fashion retail megabrand Zara offers 24 new clothing collections each year; H&M offers 12 to 16 and refreshes them weekly. This encourages consumers to shop constantly for cheap faddish attire that will be out of fashion before the year passes.
Like fast food, fast fashion is made cheaply to maximize profits. The clothing is not meant to last longer than a single season. You are conditioned by fast fashion marketing to view clothing as a disposable commodity. Here today, gone tomorrow.
Why Thrift Shop for Quality Menswear
Quality menswear, on the other hand, offers value that can last for years. The double-breasted sportscoat shown at the top of this post is twenty-eight years old. Made by Corneliani in Italy, it is beautifully tailored with full canvas interlining construction and top-quality wool fabric. When new, it cost nearly $1,000.00. I didn’t pay that. I purchased this gently-used jacket second-hand on eBay for only $11.00. I expect to get five years or more of stylish wear from this sportscoat. What is more, its superbly tasteful design will continue to earn compliments long after fast fashion trends are forgotten and discarded.
Such is the beauty of thrift shopping. It enables you to build a wardrobe of durable, tasteful clothing for much less than the cost of fast fashion.
Because quality clothing is made to last, it does not follow extreme shifts in fashion. I routinely discover well-cared-for second-hand men’s suits that are ten to twenty-years-old that still looks contemporary and timeless. What is more, I save so much money that clothing is no longer a major expenditure in my budget.
Why Quality Clothing Matters
Consider this. How you choose to dress matters. Greatly. “It is important to choose our dress style carefully because people will make all sorts of assumptions and decisions about us without proper evidence.” – What Your Clothes Might be Saying About You, Psychology Today.
You can shape the perception others have about you by your choice of clothing. It also affects how you feel about yourself. Choose well! By thrift shopping, you can put ‘your best foot forward’ at minimum cost. Looking your best is affordable!
Learn more about finding high-quality men’s suits and sportcoats second-hand in this post. -Don P., SplurgeFrugal