When I was in high school and college I did a lot of my clothes shopping at thrift stores. I enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, was never put off by the dinginess of a less than sparkling shopping ambience, and felt especially thankful for how shopping second-hand could stretch my funds. The concept of ‘more with less’ is a tightly woven theme threaded throughout my Mennonite heritage, and I’ve never felt a stitch of shame with regards to purchasing used goods. In fact, this is a value I want to pass on to my kids, especially as we integrate more slow living strategies into our lifestyle.
Recently my daughters (on the verge of 11 and 9) expressed an interest in going back-to-school shopping for some new clothes. This is actually never something we’ve done, as we’ve mostly just ‘shopped’ from our friends’ hand-me-downs. If you are looking to implement the slow living rhythm of sustainable shopping, trading products or services in exchange for quality hand-me-downs is a great place to start.
For almost a decade I’ve been trading family photo shoots in exchange for my friend’s daughter’s gently used clothing and it’s a swap I’ve been incredibly grateful for. Not only has it saved me money, but time as well, which I would have had to spend in order to shop. Seasonal apparel dropped off at my door in exchange for family portraits – yes please!
But I digress. My daughters had heard that some of their friends had gone back-to-school clothes shopping with their moms and asked if we could go too. As I have begun to purchasing my own clothing with more awareness and intention, I spent some time researching sustainable clothing brands and local shops that sold ethically-made apparel for kids/pre-teens. The results stressed me out. Most of the options were either online only, crazy expensive, or not as ethical as they claimed to be.
Since my journey to cleaner food and beauty products never started out with a full-on overhaul, I decided that we would start simply in the sustainable clothes shopping arena as well. I took each of them on separate shopping dates to a large, local thrift store and out for lunch after. While there were no change rooms, each quickly got over the awkwardness of trying clothes on over their own in the aisles! For the record my daughters both wore spaghetti strap sun dresses with bike shorts underneath in order to try on clothes. This combo worked perfectly for trying everything on except jumpsuits!
During our shopping excursion, I not only had the opportunity to teach my girls how to pick out clothes that suited them, but look for clothes that would fit/work for the following season. I also took them through the women’s section and pointed out things I was looking for: natural fabrics like wool sweaters and jackets, linen blouses and dresses, tweed blazers etc. I explained that clothing made from natural fibres holds up better over time and is better for our health, compared to apparel made from synthetic fabrics.
One of the biggest lessons the girls were able to learn, was how much bang for your buck you get with second-hand shopping. After getting into the car with my eldest daughter, I looked up the brand and style of jeggings she had found 3 pairs of. Brand new, they were approximately $40 each. We purchased hers for $7.50 a piece. Her eyes were as big as saucers as she did the mental math. The glee on her face as she delighted in the savings let me know she was hooked on second-hand!
Of course shopping second-hand is just one of the ways we can move towards a slower, more sustainable shopping process. Both of my girls are interested in sewing, and while that is definitely not a skill of mine, it’s something I want to foster for them. They already enjoy taking apart damaged articles of clothing and stitching accessories for dolls. Heaven knows they’ll save me money if they can eventually sew some of their own wardrobe à la Ma Ingalls.
I also want to find a couple of ethical clothing brands that produce underwear, camisoles, and bras using more natural materials. And then there are our hand-me-down hauls which are honestly the best ever. We actually have a neighbour who supplies us with most of my son’s clothes as well. What a blessing! And yes, we will still continue to shop for the occasional pieces at Target, Old Navy, or on Amazon like we have over the past decade. The process towards a cleaner, less toxic, sustainable lifestyle is usually not an overnight overhaul but a slow and steady shift-for me at least. I’m more likely to maintain slower rhythms if I know that I can always make an exception for the easy option here and there.
One other thing to note. Over the years, I often used birthday/Christmas money to purchase the odd outfit from a Canadian maker called Nest & Nurture. Her work is stunning and sustainable and my kids wore their outfits for multiple seasons. I’ve now packed away these pieces that will pass down to their children beautifully because of the timeless styles and quality craftsmanship. I have LOVED the beauty and timelessness of these special items and would love to find something similar for these older girl/pre-teen years. If you have any recommendations, I’m all ears! I love supporting small, family-run businesses and want to encourage my kids to do the same. I’d much rather spend a little more and have less in terms of quantity, knowing I’m supporting a small business and family’s livelihood. Feel free to leave any suggestions for sustainable shopping in the comments below.
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