对于追求时尚的人来说，有一种选择比买新衣服更省钱，那就是淘二手古着。另一方面，如果你在意 “快时尚” 给气候变化造成的影响，那么旧衣新穿也许更适合你。

 

Do you take care about what you wear? Some people are very fashion-conscious, carefully selecting the clothes they buy and how they dress. Fashionistas always want to be seen in the latest designer gear. But that trend is changing as retro or vintage clothing is becoming a popular and often cheaper alternative.

 

Of course, 'vintage' clothing is really second-hand¹ clothing, worn before but given a new lease of life. The fashion industry has rebranded this stuff to make it look trendy and possibly give it a higher price tag. Whereas we may have seen an old faded pair of jeans or a gingham-patterned dress sold at a jumble² sale, now there are boutique and pop-up shops dedicated³ to the stuff. And in the UK, one supermarket chain has started selling second-hand clothes in some of its stores under the brand, Preloved Vintage Wholesale⁴. Its managing director Steve Lynam told the BBC: "The more people that buy into the circular economy and shop vintage and retro, the bigger impact we will have on climate change."

 

Certainly, buying vintage does prolong the life of clothing. It cuts down on waste and helps to reduce the environmental damage caused by manufacturing new clothes. It's also led to the rise of retro-fashion – items that your mum or dad wore decades ago that now look 'cool' again! It's a big thing with younger people and has been helped by the rise of platforms like Depop and Vinted, which sell 'worn' clothes online. Ianina Lucca from Depop told the BBC: "The new generation is… looking to make choices that reduce their impact on the environment, with 77% of Gen Z saying that their biggest environmental concern being that they want their choices to reduce waste."

 

Another popular way of buying old clothes is in a vintage kilo sale. People pick what they want and then pay according to weight rather than per item. Some items are upcycled – re-modelled or re-worked by adding embroidery⁵, patches and other additions. But however these second-hand clothes are worn or re-designed, the sustainability of vintage fashion means it's here to stay for some time to come.

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