It has been four years since I last blogged, so it has been somewhat difficult to know where to start. Opening and running a shop is a time consuming business!
Setting up a preloved clothing enterprise from scratch has been the most extraordinary journey for me . Looking back I can see I was a complete novice. There are those who assume this to be a 'walk in the park', a super 'little hobby' to fill the hours for a woman of a 'certain age'. Boy they are so wrong! It has to become way of life and a labour of love, requiring dedication, commitment and a passion for clothes if you are to succeed. Now I don't claim to be any kind of fashionista nor do I particularly care for trends, which are mainly passing fads anyway. What really gets me excited and piques my interest is clothes that have lasted a decade or far more and where and how such things are made and by whom.
So, in a nutshell, if you're buying preloved that is a few decades old, within reason, the quality can be trusted. Look at the shape, feel the material, check the seams. Someone remarked the other day, quite rudely, questioning the quality of an item, that the label was washed out and that the whole thing should therefore be discarded The garment was at least thirty years old, however the overall condition of the item was excellent so there was no reason why it should be dismissed.
You may be wondering why then have I posted up a picture of a fairly new dress? Well, one of the most interesting aspects of running the shop is that I discover new labels on a regular basis and its led me to care far more about the garments origins. The above organic cotton wrap dress is from Kozii, a company based in southern Portugal. Their philosophy is for a slow brand based on sustainability and honesty, where workers are treated with respect and dignity and paid a fair wage. It really is my belief that as we embrace preloved and seek to eliminate the huge mountains of discarded clothing that we should begin to question the entire production process of some clothing brands. Ignorance and turning a blind eye is no longer an excuse for supporting cheap fashion fixes.
Obviously its an entirely personal choice where you choose to spend your money. I think that the smartest cookies amongst us are those who care about how, where and when our clothes were made which doesn't eliminate new because that would be unrealistic, but points us in the direction of a more sustainable approach.
Throwaway fast fashion has no place on our planet anymore.
