I finally got a chance to go out and look for some clothes in thrift stores. I went to 3 thrift shops and they were all very different. 

Tola Vintage

Tola Vintage was very well designed. Everything was clean and laid out well. The shock to me was its prices. A fleece cost €64 where it should only be €30 maximum. I asked the owner where he got the clothes and he said he buys from around the world and then sells them. Of course he has to make a profit to keep to shop open but I still do think €64 for a fleece was a bit to pricey. 

Lucy’s Lounge 

Lucy’s Lounge was the complete opposite. People gave her there unwanted things and they sold them for a much cheaper price. They used blouses and up cycled them into tote bags. They sold a range from north face fleeces to random costumes and many more peculiar things. They have been open for more then 40 years and are keeping the shop very real. 

Nine Crows Thrift Shop 

Nine Crows Thrift Shop was the best one in my opinion. It had a wide range of clothing and for much better prices. It was all laid out well and they had a system. Each item got a colour and each colour resembled a price. I thought the whole shop was very well done and i will be definitely going back there in the future. 

Instead of buying useless items when i normally go into town I found myself thinking a lot more if I really need this or what outfits I could wear this with. If I couldn’t come up with a least 3 different outfits I put it back on the shelf. I ended up buying one fleece and I love it. 

I really enjoyed thrifting and I encourage everyone to go and spend a day looking for some valuable pieces and have fun with it. 

Thanks, 

Evelyn. 

I was sitting on the train today going to college when a boy hopped on in Clonsilla. He sat beside me and immediately i was distracted from my book. His outfit stuck me, he put these different pieces of clothes together and made an outfit turn into art. I immediately went to my phone, onto ASOS Marketplace, Beyond Retro, Depop and Dublin Vintage Factory  to search for clothing items similar to his. When i was speaking about this experience in class today i realised i do have a bad habit. When i see an outfit i like or a piece of an outfit i always go onto every clothing app and website and search for a similar item. 

It needs too stop. 

So its day 15, meaning were half way trough our 30 day challenge. Honestly i don’t think i have put enough effort into my challenge. Reading everyone’s blog has inspired me to get off couch and try harder. This week i want to visit thrift shops and charity shops to find some nice clothes that 1. Fit me and 2. That i will actually wear. I normally just shop online in the comfort of my bed however with this being a challenge I’m going to get out of my comfort zone and actually go out and scavenge for clothes. Hopefully I’ll have a good experience and don’t quit when i cant find anything and ill try and have an open mind to this new beginning. 

So as I’ve mentioned I am a bit of a shopaholic. Instead of going on my clothing apps, checking in to see what’s the latest trends i have deleted all of the apps and started looking for a more sustainable approach.
A friend reached out after hearing I was doing this challenge and told me about ASOS Marketplace. It is a great way to buy second hand clothing from people who simply don’t wear certain items anymore. Also Depop is another great app. I have bought some bits on depop, including a piece for my Halloween costume on Depop, and I’ve sold some pieces of my own that I dont wear anymore.
So instead of going with my old habits or buying one item for a Halloween costume that i mightn’t ever wear again, I have bought second hand things as a more sustainable approach.

I originally choose this challenge 5 days ago and since then i have been doubting myself weather it was a good enough challenge compared to others. However, after doing some research I have realised that my challenge is just as good as anyone else’s. 

For 30 days and hopefully more, I am not buying any clothes from any fast fashion places. What’s fast fashion you ask.

Fast fashion is defined as cheap, trendy clothes that is produced for high street stores at rapid speed to meet consumer demands. Examples include: Shein, Zara, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Penneys and many more.

Although some people might not think of this as a hard challenge, I want to show you how much clothes has an impact on our environment and how i am going to stop contributing to that damage. 

I am going to expose myself and say i am a huge consumer of clothes. On average i could spend up to €400 a month on clothes. I want to challenge myself and find clothes that i like from charity shops, Depop and any other second hand places. 

The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions and it is the second-largest consumer of the worlds water supply. Therefore hopefully i can inspire more people from my challenge to stop buying clothes when you need a new outfit and re-wear as much as you can or buy from second hand places. 

 

Goodluck to everyone!!