Vintage shopping

Am not going to show how to make anything today. In the picture is one of the vintage shops we have here in South Africa. If you look at the clothes and fabrics in this picture, the colours and designs are so vibrant and utterly gorgeous. That alone should seduce anyone to want to buy second hand clothing. They put so much effort into making clothes back in the days and it shows. You do not get fabrics this sumptuous any more.

Yet, vintage clothing, retro clothing or buying from charity shops still has a negative perception here. Particularly among older woman. My mother says that in her very young days, they would pay off an item of clothing over months. They didn’t buy for a season and then turf it out the next season. Clothes were handed down and were treasures. I love that I can wear something that belonged to a beloved relative.

The bonus reason for buying second hand is that wearing old clothes upholds the green ethos of reduce, re-use and re-cycle. I can indulge my love of clothing and fashion without the guilt of contributing to the demise of the earth or wondering who made the item I am wearing and in what circumstances. Besides, most of the coolest celebrities wear vintage these days.

The Greenie Galleries at the top of this page have 100s of photos of older and newer projects showing multiple ways to make your own clothing and accessories. There are also ideas to recycle or upcycle.

See you soon.

Greenie.