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(Photo: Habiba Katsha)
I’ve been on a slow but steady journey to reassess my relationship with fast fashion for a while now. I use the word ‘reassess’ because I understand the realities of my bank account even though I want to be more sustainable when buying clothes. Buying clothes from sustainable brands is expensive, so I can’t completely abandon the world of fast fashion just yet.
Instead, I’ve been finding ways to shop more sustainably while not breaking the bank.
My first attempt at making a capsule wardrobe was a bit hit and miss. I thought about buying casual, color-coordinated pieces that I could wear interchangeably, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that my wardrobe was fading.
So what was the answer? I didn’t want to go back to my early twenties wardrobe, which consisted of fun (but poor quality) £5 dresses and tops that went straight into the bin after a few washes. I couldn’t face another night in the same white shirt.
I’ve decided I’m ready to hit the middle ground, to return to the world of secondary fashion. As a teenager I lived in the charity and vintage shops of Brick Lane. As I got older, online stores like Pretty Little Thing and BooHoo became popular and my love for vintage clothes faded.
But with the boom in resale apps like Depop and Vinted, it’s never been easier to get the best of both worlds.
For those who are yet to sign up, the concept of resale apps is pretty simple. Sellers take photos of their items along with product descriptions and set their prices. You can then bid to buy. It’s like eBay for the next generation.
Although Vinted was founded in 2008, its business value is estimated to have grown by $3.2 billion in the past two years alone, fueled by a surge in demand for its already popular apparel.
I’ve had the app for a few years now, but I’ve mainly used it to sell clothes. This year I challenged myself to see what I could buy there.
Habiba Katsha in Pre-loved Urban Outfitters Top. (Photo: Habiba Katsha)
Same with charity shops – you can be overwhelmed with lots of clothes Don’t do it Want – Apps like Vinted and Depop are hard to navigate. But thankfully both have search functions so you can refine what you see.
At first I tried searching for things like “brown top” or “maxi skirt” but nothing I liked seemed to come up. I was frustrated, but I started typing in the brands I normally buy to see what came up – and it was great.
I started searching for ‘Weekday’ and at first glance, I saw a weekday dress that I was dying to buy, and it was sold out on the website. I put it down. I then proceeded to type in ‘ASOS’ and was able to find the matching co-ord, which was also sold out on the website. I bought it immediately.
Another Vinted dress. (Photo: Habiba Katsha)
I am very happy to see that many items from fast fashion websites are available for me to buy and at cheaper prices.
Every time I save, I find that the algorithm serves chunks in my style. And that’s how I managed to find the famous ribbon white crop top from Urban Outfitters that has been making the rounds on TikTok.
I felt blessed by the gods so I wanted to do some digging. I tried my luck and looked for items from more expensive brands.
Susamusa is a sustainable vintage-inspired label that I’ve been spying on for the past couple of months. Although the cost of new clothes is a little high for me, I was relieved when I saw some things on Vintage. Above, I was able to snag a pair of black pants and gray cargo from the brand.
Habiba wears second-hand Sesamusa. (Photo: Habiba Katsha)
This was all well and good, but I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just buying clothes from big brands, but small business owners as well. And that’s when I stumbled upon a crochet top made by someone in Nottingham. It was only £20 (a steal) so I bought it straight away.
The handmade top is paired with Susamusa pants. (Photo: Habiba Katsha)
It’s hard to break away from traditional fast fashion websites, but coming across Vinted reminded me how much fun shopping second hand can be. Most of the clothes I buy are practically new because the sellers have worn them once or twice.
There is the question of whether we should be using these services to buy fast fashion clothes instead of avoiding certain brands altogether. But at least it is to extend the life cycle of these items – it is better to resell them than to end up in a landfill after wearing them twice.
The more I use resale apps, the more users I find that take me back to my high school days at Brick Lane, selling vintage clothing. I was so nervous when I first started using Vinted, now it has become one of my go-to places to shop.
SECOND September is over, but it’s never too late to be a second-rate dress girl. The planet (and your bank account) will thank you for it.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.
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