“How many clothes do we need?” Do you have enough clothing to suit your personal needs is a much better question. I wrote about how to know if you have a "resolved" wardrobe and how to get there if you don't. Link in the next thread, but, first, how many of these statements do you agree with?
I tell ppl to simply "think" a little more about their purchases and it changes everything for some. For others, they push back, because they don't wanna think too hard about why they feel these things will fill a void.
And I say "unwillingness" not "inability" because if you shop excessively, and virulently protect your "right" to do so because it's one of the few things that makes you "happy," you know you have a problem. That's why you get defensive in conversations about consumption.
A lot of trauma surrounding clothing can play into overconsumption. That's why it matters. Unwillingness to process deeper issues and allowing it to grow into a literal lack of control is great for capitalism and positively shitty for you, the planet, and everyone else on it.
Almost everyone has *some* trauma regarding clothes. Of course we do: our bodies, our gender presentation, how we're treated, our class is all tied up into what we wear. The sooner we admit and unpack it, the sooner we can start the journey toward true self expression.
If we all replace even part of what we buy new with secondhand, we can all help to decrease the demand for overproduction AND save money. I've gotten designer pieces for less than $40; silk for $10; cashmere for a few bucks. It's out there! You just have to look.
And if you need help...
That skill comes from knowing your personal fit preferences (measuring your clothes helps, as well as asking for specific measurements if they're absent) but also being able to look at how fabrics fall and details like whether it would look good tucked or tied or hemmed, etc.
Yes, it 100% helps to have a certain kind of "vision" for seeing items at their worst. When we shop new, things are styled and sometimes altered to get us to buy. Secondhand stuff thrown on a mannequin or hanger can look a little lackluster. That vision is a skill you can build.
Sometimes, a listing won't have measurements. My general rule of thumb is don't purchase without measurments at all, BUT if it's relatively new (like less than 2 years old), you can sometimes search for the brand and use the size chart on their site to determine your size.
The easiest way to go secondhand first is to replace what you already plan on buying with pre-loved. For that, I use Beni, a browser extension that will search secondhand platforms for whatever brand or style you're already shopping.
When using a site like Gem, though, it's so important to know how to search for clothes. Be specific, but also allow for the sellers to not really know how to label things. Search just "blue" instead of cobalt blue. Search flared skirt and A-line skirt and just mini skirt. Etc.
I shop secondhand online for clients all day, everyday, in 20+ countries, and by far, the best tool is Gem. It searches hundreds of secondhand platforms: eBay, Poshmark, Vestaire, and plenty of smaller ones. You can filter for size, country, anything.
In addition to chest-waist-hips, measure your clothes.
Ideally, the clothes that don't stretch: measure how long your favorite pants are, your favorite skirts and dresses, how oversized your favorite tops are, how tall your boots are, even your necklaces and bracelets, etc.
For ANY online shopping, but especially secondhand, you need a measuring tape.
You should memorize or write down your main measurements: that's chest/bust, waist, and hips. There's a lot of guidance on how to measure those, I have a post here:
If you can shop online, you can shop secondhand.
When it comes to fashion, that's not just clothes: there's an entire world of pre-loved shoes, belts, purses, jewelry, etc. that you can access online.
Here's how I do it as a virtual stylist. 🧵
I help people create amazing wardrobes that make them feel and look like their best version of themselves in the most ethical and sustainable way!
As a personal stylist with clients all over the world, I have become a bit of a polyglot.
Meaning I sometimes have to say “jumper” instead of sweater for my British clients, or “gym shoes” instead of sneakers for my clients in Chicago. 😂
I'm just giving it a try! We'll see if I stick around...
