{"id":787,"date":"2022-04-22T11:37:57","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T01:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/?p=787"},"modified":"2024-05-13T16:35:12","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T06:35:12","slug":"how-to-better-thrift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/how-to-better-thrift\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Better Thrift"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Knowing what to look for is key to thrifting, which benefits the environment, your wallet and sense of style.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have a pal that never leaves an op shop without an amazing, unique outfit, while you\u2019re left sorting through piles of musty T-shirts? You too can learn how to thrift like a pro, saving you time and money in your quest for an inimitable collection of clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The joy of pre-loved clothes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up, Sally Steele\u2019s mum \u2014 a stylish lady herself who altered second-hand garments to create outfits \u2014 made her daughter\u2019s clothes. At 11, Sally visited the op shop with her. \u201cI was going to a disco and really wanted to wear this lilac jumpsuit I\u2019d seen in Vogue,\u201d she says. \u201cMum found an old, quilted bedspread at a charity shop and made it into an awesome jumpsuit in a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With her wardrobe now predominantly made up of second-hand clothes, <br>Sally is passionate about spreading the word about the joys of pre-loved fashion. As a sustainable style advocate and author of the book Dare More, Care Less, she prioritises thrifting over buying new.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Making the shift<br><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The figures around fast fashion are staggering \u2014 as reported by ABC\u2019s War on Waste, 6000 kilograms of garments are thrown into landfill every 10 minutes in Australia, while 2700 litres of water are needed to produce just one item of clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite growing awareness, many of us still choose to buy new clothes rather than pre-loved due to convenience. \u201cThis is an easy thing that you can change,\u201d encourages Sally. \u201cThrifting will allow you to shop without guilt, save money and give back to charities that are helping our most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like with any change, don\u2019t expect yourself to dive into an all-or-nothing approach. Aiming for a completely thrifted wardrobe is a hard ask, so \u201cdon\u2019t be shamed into paralysis because you have the odd [fast-fashion] piece,\u201d says Sally.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Letting go of preconceptions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/2-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/2-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/2-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/2-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/2-1-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/2-1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While some of us take to thrifting like a duck to water, others need to be convinced of the appeal of second-hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn the old days, there was a misconception about op shops not being attractive or well laid out, but anyone who has stepped into one recently knows that has changed dramatically \u2014 they are beautifully styled <br>and visually merchandised,\u201d says Sally. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to find pre-loved gems<br><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>There is, of course, a talent for finding gems when it comes to thrifting. Sally suggests these five tips for scoring head-turning bargains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Research runway trends<br><\/strong>It could be the return of lilac, retro florals or sequins \u2014 check what\u2019s trending right now to find fashion-forward pieces in your local op shop. As fashion is cyclical, it\u2019s likely there will be vintage items that are now in fashion again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Know your fabrics<\/strong><br>Opt for natural fabrics. These can be harder to find but are undoubtedly longer lasting and better for the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, due to our accelerated consumption, 65 per cent of clothes now are made from petroleum-based polyester that breaks up into microplastics and heads into our oceans,\u201d says Sally. \u201cI speed search with my fingertips, stopping when I feel quality cotton, linen, silk, leather and suede.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Look for statement details<\/strong><br>Sally also keeps an eye out for details such as embroidery, fringing, eyelets and pleats to find clothes with that extra pizzazz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Choose timeless prints<\/strong><br>Animal prints, spots and gingham never really date, so if you want a timeless wardrobe, look out for these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Pace yourself<br><\/strong>\u201cPlan your trip and focus on two or three nearby op shops, unless you are a heavyweight! That will be your max before you need a cafe stop,\u201d says Sally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article was originally found in Being Magazine Issue 10<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>BEING Magazine is available from <a href=\"https:\/\/wellbeingshop.com.au\/?sca_ref=1837749.DmKzCYiICd\">WellBeingShop.com.au<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Knowing what to look for is key to thrifting, which benefits the environment, your wallet and sense of style.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":1122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[103,115,113,114],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":794,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions\/794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}