Wear it Again, Sam

 

Shopping from your closet isn’t only good for your pocketbook. It’s good for the planet. 

We’ve long been encouraged to recycle our household plastics, glass and aluminum, but I’ve become increasingly passionate about a much more fun and colorful sort of sustainability — secondhand fashion from sites like thredUP, The RealReal and Poshmark, as well as my local Goodwill. According to EarthDay.org, 87% of the staggering 100 billion garments produced each year wind up in a landfill or incinerator, with the average “worn as few as ten times before disposal.”

Old clothes, new me: Why I’m only shopping from my closet in 2024, Leslie Gray Streeter, Baltimore Banner

Although The Banner is obviously Baltimore-based, Streeter’s article mentions 2nd Avenue (Laurel and Columbia) and Uptown Cheapskate (Annapolis) as places her readers might want to check out. I happen to know that there’s also an Uptown Cheapskate in Ellicott City, if you’re not inclined to make the trek to Annapolis. My recently Launched-from-the-Nest Offspring has become a devoted thrifter. Did you know that Uptown Cheapskate even sells gift cards? (Yes, the two sentences are related.)

Have you ever challenged yourself to “shop from your closet” rather than dashing out to buy something new for each special occasion? I buy clothes so rarely that the concept is largely alien to me. I also worked in a field where professional dress might best be described as: goes well with crawling on the floor, interacting with messy art materials, and playing on the playground. No suits and heels there.

To be honest, I haven’t really touched on folks who just plain love clothing the way that I love watching birds at the bird feeder or making art for my art journal. If that’s you, I’m not judging you. I know my view sounds rather utilitarian here but I’m aware it’s not the only point of view worth having. If clothing brings you joy, how do you make that work within the limits of your personal budget?

If you work in a field where a high bar has been set for professional dress, it can be a challenge to keep up.  The same is true for those who have many social commitments of the fancy dress variety. Offspring Number One works in management in the hospitality industry. Curating pieces for a high-style wardrobe that looks fresh even at 2 am costs $$$. She, too, has tried the “shop your closet” approach to rein in her clothing purchases.

The Buy Nothing community does quite a bit of giving and receiving of clothing. It’s rather hit or miss, but, I’ve found some really lovely and useful things that way. Our group will sometimes circulate bags of clothing in particular size ranges, which cuts down on searching through piles of items looking for the right thing. The whole Buy Nothing concept is rooted in a goal of keeping things out of landfills, so that dovetails nicely with the theme of Ms. Streeter’s piece.

How about you? Are you a thrifter? Have you gotten into clothing resale? Do you love a good bargain or is there something about wearing used clothing that creeps you out? And, most of all, what Columbia/HoCo establishments are the best places for finding stylish clothing in good condition?

Let me know. 

Village Green/Town² Comments