The gift of thrift

No longer just a budget-friendly option, recycled fashion has transformed into a cultural phenomenon – with celebrities and brands joining in.

WORDS Nicky Adams

Historically, ‘thrifting’ or sifting through rails of musty clothes at op shops, was a rite of passage for most teenagers. Driven by a desire for fashion, a general lack of ability to fund this desire, and a love of the individuality that recycled clothes provide, it was always a fun pastime, a social event, and went hand in hand with the euphoria of finding a hidden gem amid the piles of old ladies’ undies.

I think it’s a fair call to say the landscape on this has changed dramatically over the last ten years. The rise of online shopping has produced a generation of consumers who are happy to forgo physically being part of the hunt.
More importantly the explosion of uber cheap fast fashion via Shein and co has meant that the art of op-shopping has essentially re-branded to appeal to a new generation and to hold the interest of the devoted forager. Like anything it’s all in the presentation, and ‘pre-loved’, re-fashion, ‘up-cycled’ and ‘vintage’ have a far greater feel-good factor. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; now thrifting is recognised for what it is, not just cost effective, but a way of recycling and thereby saving at least a little of the impact that disposable fashion has on the environment. 

For most people when they think of thrifting the main destination would still be charity shops. A win-win situation, the hope is to come away with goodies while simultaneously helping a worthy cause. These stores (Salvation Army, St Vincent’s, Waipuna Hospice) do still form a big part of the thrifting gold mine, and canny op-shoppers will research both the demographic of the areas where items are donated from and specific shops to find which are likely to hold the most bounty. The adage one man’s trash is another’s treasure is never truer than in a charity shop – so if you’re after designer labels, it’s not uncommon to find incredible pieces that simply would not have stood out to the (possibly less fashion savvy) person pricing the item. A friend once called me in a frenzy after buying a brand-new pair of current season $1,800 boots for $20 – a coup indeed, and whilst this is an extreme example, it’s not uncommon to find top-end labels.

While many still generously donate to charity stores, the trend for regular wardrobe clear outs has meant that recouping some money for pieces has become more popular. The DIY online space has grown dramatically – Trade Me is a generic way of offloading, however specific clothing websites such as Designer Wardrobe, and newly-established Tikiteboo (which aims to connect conscious consumers) have gone from strength to strength; some offering to sell on behalf of vendors. Depop has a global presence and is something of a mecca amongst youth culture for circular fashion. Even celebrities are getting in on the act – Elton John recently put a collection up for auction on Ebay with profits donated to a charity, while the Kardashians run their own website of Kast-offs. Locally there are a number of physical boutiques that specialise in on-selling quality and vintage pieces. Nine Lives at the Mount showcases not just quality labels but also super cool one-off retro items. Recycle Boutique at Bayfair has multiple branches nationwide so will move stock through its various stores –advantageous for both consumer and vendor. For bulk buying, Turning Point Textiles at Historic Village opens the first Thursday and Friday of every month, and you can fill a bin bag for $5. 

Along with foraging for high-quality or unique pieces, the concept of thrifting embraces the idea of finding something with the purpose of re-modelling it into something else. Hardly an original concept (previous generations would unravel and re-knit woollen jumpers), it’s certainly a way of extending the life of a garment. Increasingly this is also a strategy that is being looked at by eco-conscious designers. Some, for example, will seek out excess fabrics from textile mills and take that as the design start point, rather than the other way around. Other brands such as ‘Reclaimed Vintage’ (from ASOS) have been established purely on the premise of repurposing and utilising dead stock. This is a clear shift in the way the fashion industry is working, demonstrating it’s not just consumers who are looking to upcycle.

A fast-growing trend that sits along the concept of additional shopping options is clothes rental. With its popularity fuelled by both a tighter economy, a desire for less ‘stuff’ and a generation coming through who place less emphasis on ownership, rental can be the perfect solution not just for event wear, but to simply refresh your wardrobe. Re-framing the idea of borrowing for a one-off black tie or wedding, renting has moved into the space of offering options for all manner of occasions requiring general pieces you just might not be equipped for. Some people use it to tide them through weight fluctuations, or to find pieces for off season holidays. Mostly online, rentals often offer try-ons either at a physical location or by pre-booking the items.

Alternative shopping in whatever form, whether physical or online may take a little more effort. However, before deciding it’s not your jam, weigh up the benefits – our culture of over buying means that there are many, many pieces that still have labels on, that are lightly worn or are totally unique out there being upcycled rather than going to landfill. 

Demystifying the terminology

Recycling – process of reuse to prevent the item being wasted

Upcycling – transforming unwanted clothes/materials into something new and often better

Sustainable fashion – responsible use of resources, low environmental impact, fairly treated workers.

Repurpose – changing the function of the initial garment into something better

Fast fashion – on-trend items rolled out at a fast pace

Eco fashion – produced without harming the environment from organic/recycled materials

Eco friendly – low environmental impact, no pesticides, less water etc

Ethical fashion – made according to the labour and human rights laws

Rental: Stealherstyle.rental

Celebrity second-hand: Kardashiankloset.com

Thrifting/deadstock: tikiteboo.co.nz