Stylish and Sustainable Fashion

Perhaps your current wardrobe isn’t ‘sparking joy’ and it is time for a refresh. Well, there is a new, old way to shop. That’s right, consignment stores are a huge trend.

The world of fashion is rapidly changing, and with the call for more sustainable and ethical options, fast fashion is out, and second hand is in. Consignment stores offer the perfect balance of affordable and fashionable, and sometimes you can even find designer brands or vintage pieces.

Consignment stores welcome you to bring in quality items you no longer want to clutter your closet and they select which pieces will be for sale and donate the rest to charity or return them to you. You will even receive a percentage of the resale price. This helps avoid thousands of clothing items wasting away in landfills. Giving that pair of jeans a second chance at life is good for the environment.

Fashion Sustainability Facts

Hayley James started to transition her Instagram page (@hayley___james) into a blog about sustainable fashion. “It started when I started buying secondhand clothing, pretty much my whole wardrobe is second hand at the moment.” She said she shares this online because “it’s important to make sure everybody can be included in the conversation.”

There has been an increase in awareness for fast fashion where the clothes are made quickly and unethically. These clothes are low price and quality so soon enough they are tossed away. James’s passion for sustainable fashion has grown as she learned of the environmental and ethical implications of the fast fashion industry.

But it can be hard to start the journey to a more sustainable wardrobe, so James shared some of her tips. She recommends buying pieces and materials you know how to take care of and choosing a colour scheme for your clothes. James is local to Hamilton and loves to shop at Recycle Boutique and op shops in Frankton and on Grey St. She also follows @itsslowmo, @danni___duncan and @venetialamanna on Instagram for inspiration.

“I do recommend consignment shopping especially for designer pieces you wouldn’t be able to afford normally.”

Mint is a much-needed consignment clothes store located on Victoria Street, Cambridge. Owner Grace Andrews opened the store in June 2020 after seeing a gap in the market and wanting to do something positive for the environment. Ever since she has been colour coordinating and stocking the shelves with pre-owned clothes, shoes and accessories. She especially loves when dresses or “groovy” bags and shoes are brought in, and the store often sees designer or vintage pieces and occasionally a handmade item.

At Mint you can take in your pre-loved fashion items where the team will decide what they are going to re-sell and what they will return to the original owner or donate to charity. The store donates any unwanted or unsold clothes to local charity op shop Busy Bees.

“We go through everything…it takes a bit of time,” Andrews shared. 

They select their items based on season, quality and what they believe their customers will like. Then the items will stay in store for four weeks at full price and three weeks at half price and the original owner will receive 50% of the sale. 

Lots of people have negative opinions about shopping second hand but one of Andrew’s favourite things to hear from customers is that her shop has changed their perception of secondhand clothing. Her own wardrobe is 95% secondhand items!

“I am passionate about thrifting, recycling and encourage you to help in slowing down fast fashion, doing good – looking m i n t,” Andrews writes on the Mint website.

You can see Mint’s website here to learn more.