Avoiding fast fashion

[Anonymous]

Hey all - my wardrobe is pathetic.. but I would like to do my part and try to avoid fast fashion if possible. If you have some tips like recs for good thrift stores, avoiding certain brands, that would be great. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I love the Real Real! Also eBay or Facebook marketplace for specific brands/items. If I’m buying new I do Everlane (or primary for the kids).

[Anonymous]

In DC area, I’m a big fan of Current Boutique. There are several locations, it’s way more curated than a regular thrift store, and they carry a broad range of brands and this a broad range of price points.

The Real Real is an amazing website and so good for finding high quality items in good condition. And you can find plenty of things for less than $100 or even $50 if you shop smart. The key is to go in knowing what you want, and not to buy whatever strikes your fancy. It’s good for targeted shopping.

Poshmark can also be great for targeted buying, but it’s more of a crapshoot because it’s individual sellers so buyer beware. ThredUp is less of a crapshoot but I find the overall quality to be low.

There are some good midrange brands with better environmental practices worth checking out. Amour Vert. Cuyana. Eileen Fisher (though they skew older, but their practices are industry leading). Stay far, far away from H&M and Forever21. I think Uniqlo and Zara can be okay if you buy quality items you will get a lot of wear out of. I have items from both that are 10 years old and I still wear— that makes it worth it to me.

I would also avoid Target and the “mall brands” (JCrew, Gap, Banana) to the extent you can— again, fine if you will get a lot of wear out of a pair of jeans or a sweater, but avoid falling for scams where if you buy a certain amount, you get a discount— it’s all designed to get you to buy more stuff. Your goal should be to buy less, and get higher quality things that will last longer.

And shop your closet first! I know you say it’s a mess, but I guarantee you have good stuff in there. Clear it out, donate and sell everything you don’t wear it doesn’t fit, and then evaluate what you actually need. Most people accumulate too much clothing because they already have too much, don’t take care of it, and then get bored. Treat your clothes like your dishes— get things you like that can stand up to frequent wear, replace as needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In DC area, I’m a big fan of Current Boutique. There are several locations, it’s way more curated than a regular thrift store, and they carry a broad range of brands and this a broad range of price points.

The Real Real is an amazing website and so good for finding high quality items in good condition. And you can find plenty of things for less than $100 or even $50 if you shop smart. The key is to go in knowing what you want, and not to buy whatever strikes your fancy. It’s good for targeted shopping.

Poshmark can also be great for targeted buying, but it’s more of a crapshoot because it’s individual sellers so buyer beware. ThredUp is less of a crapshoot but I find the overall quality to be low.

There are some good midrange brands with better environmental practices worth checking out. Amour Vert. Cuyana. Eileen Fisher (though they skew older, but their practices are industry leading). Stay far, far away from H&M and Forever21. I think Uniqlo and Zara can be okay if you buy quality items you will get a lot of wear out of. I have items from both that are 10 years old and I still wear— that makes it worth it to me.

I would also avoid Target and the “mall brands” (JCrew, Gap, Banana) to the extent you can— again, fine if you will get a lot of wear out of a pair of jeans or a sweater, but avoid falling for scams where if you buy a certain amount, you get a discount— it’s all designed to get you to buy more stuff. Your goal should be to buy less, and get higher quality things that will last longer.

And shop your closet first! I know you say it’s a mess, but I guarantee you have good stuff in there. Clear it out, donate and sell everything you don’t wear it doesn’t fit, and then evaluate what you actually need. Most people accumulate too much clothing because they already have too much, don’t take care of it, and then get bored. Treat your clothes like your dishes— get things you like that can stand up to frequent wear, replace as needed.

I wouldn't recommend Poshmark unless you are very very familiar with the brands and sizing as everything on Poshmark is final sale. The Real Real is great, though I tend to always place large orders to justify the shipping costs, and the reality that it can be quite hard to see details in their photos, esp in items that are dark colors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In DC area, I’m a big fan of Current Boutique. There are several locations, it’s way more curated than a regular thrift store, and they carry a broad range of brands and this a broad range of price points.

The Real Real is an amazing website and so good for finding high quality items in good condition. And you can find plenty of things for less than $100 or even $50 if you shop smart. The key is to go in knowing what you want, and not to buy whatever strikes your fancy. It’s good for targeted shopping.

Poshmark can also be great for targeted buying, but it’s more of a crapshoot because it’s individual sellers so buyer beware. ThredUp is less of a crapshoot but I find the overall quality to be low.

There are some good midrange brands with better environmental practices worth checking out. Amour Vert. Cuyana. Eileen Fisher (though they skew older, but their practices are industry leading). Stay far, far away from H&M and Forever21. I think Uniqlo and Zara can be okay if you buy quality items you will get a lot of wear out of. I have items from both that are 10 years old and I still wear— that makes it worth it to me.

I would also avoid Target and the “mall brands” (JCrew, Gap, Banana) to the extent you can— again, fine if you will get a lot of wear out of a pair of jeans or a sweater, but avoid falling for scams where if you buy a certain amount, you get a discount— it’s all designed to get you to buy more stuff. Your goal should be to buy less, and get higher quality things that will last longer.

And shop your closet first! I know you say it’s a mess, but I guarantee you have good stuff in there. Clear it out, donate and sell everything you don’t wear it doesn’t fit, and then evaluate what you actually need. Most people accumulate too much clothing because they already have too much, don’t take care of it, and then get bored. Treat your clothes like your dishes— get things you like that can stand up to frequent wear, replace as needed.

I wouldn't recommend Poshmark unless you are very very familiar with the brands and sizing as everything on Poshmark is final sale. The Real Real is great, though I tend to always place large orders to justify the shipping costs, and the reality that it can be quite hard to see details in their photos, esp in items that are dark colors.

I am PP and totally agree on both counts. I largely use Poshmark for shoes because sizing is so much easier and because it is usually easier to assess quality of shoes from internet photos than cloth items.

And not only do large orders on Real Real, but check return policies of each individual ideal item evaluate they vary depending on pricing strategy.

[Anonymous]

Go to the stores that fast fashion knocks off.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the feedback!